HOSTING AN EFFECTIVE APPAREL FUNDRAISER

Selling custom apparel can be a great way to raise money for your club, charity, or event; but getting the most bang-for-your-buck requires some planning.

Here are tips that will help you make the most profit:

1. Plan ahead. Begin planning your fundraiser as far in advance as possible. The more time you have, the better opportunities you’ll have regarding product selection, production scheduling, and setting up an online store or taking orders.
2. Communicate. Effective and repeated communication is critical to an effective fund raiser. Continue to remind people about what’s available and how to order. Emphasize deadlines to make sure everyone has a chance to order what they want before the deadline.
3. Be clear. Our online ordering platform can make it easy to get the proper information into customers hands. We can set up item links that show colors and designs, pricing, deadlines, and payment processing information so everything is clear to the customer.
4. Offer variety, but be careful to not offer too many choices but consider selling items at different price points. That way, you’re sure to have something that fits within most buyers’ budgets. Too many choices make the buying decision difficult; too few choices can have a chilling effect on sales.
5. Consider sponsorships. Work with local businesses to help underwrite your promotion efforts. You may be able to have businesses sponsor a product you sell by adding their logo to the item. For example, businesses may pay you to have their logos added to the back of a stadium seat cushion, increasing the amount of profit you get when you sell.
6. Date items. Some people like to purchase dated items to show their long-standing commitment to a team or cause. Wearing that 1982 sweatshirt reminds others of that loyalty — and provides incentive to buy this year’s shirt.
7. Consider incentives. Think of ways you can combine related items and sell them as a package at a slightly discounted rate. You may sell more items this way, increasing your overall sales.
8. Share the Work. At The Sullivan Company, we work with fund-raising groups to price items so that you can optimize your fund-raising potential. In exchange, you may be asked to fold and bag items yourself, or distribute items to customers.
9. Work with a company you can trust. Let’s face it, there are many places you can go to get shirts printed or embroidered. Do your homework. What do people say about the quality of the work you’ll get from each company? How timely will the work be completed? How does the company handle those inevitable last-minute orders? Ask around and you’re likely to hear people recommend The Sullivan Company. We hope so.

When Westerville police officers Morelli and Joering were killed in the line of duty this winter, we helped Kristen raise money for their families. We provided her professional and quick screen printing at a low price so she could focus on selling the t-shrits to members of the community, and maximizing the profits given back to the families.

Thank you Kristen for your hard work, your commitment to our city, and letting us be a part of it!

Give us a call at 614-898-9971 and let us help you get started on your fundraiser today!