Charity Merchandise: T-Shirts and Kit for Fundraising Events
By The Velocity Wear Team
Charity merchandise usually splits into two jobs: cheap, high-volume event tees for participants and volunteers, and better-quality items sold to raise funds. Velocity Wear produces both from a 20-piece minimum with mixed sizes, and bulk discounts reach up to around 40% as quantities rise — which is where the economics of a large event order are won.
The Tension in Charity Merch
Every charity buyer faces the same conflict. Spending less per piece means more of the money raised goes to the cause, which is the entire point. But a shirt cheap enough to feel disposable gets worn once and thrown away, which wastes the money entirely and does nothing for awareness. The resolution is usually to separate the two jobs rather than compromise on one garment.
Event Tees and Volunteer Kit
For participants at a run, a walk or a fundraising day, the priorities are cost, visibility and quantity.
- Screen printing is the economical method once you are past a couple of hundred pieces with a limited colour palette — most charity event designs qualify.
- Keep the palette small. Each additional screen colour adds setup cost, and a bold two-colour design is usually more visible at distance anyway.
- Order a realistic size spread. Event tees given in the wrong size are simply wasted money.
- Volunteer kit benefits from being visually distinct from participant kit, so staff can be identified quickly.
Merch You Sell to Raise Funds
Anything a supporter pays for is a different product. Here the blank matters — a heavier ringspun tee or a 350 GSM hoodie supports a price point that actually generates meaningful funds per unit, whereas a thin blank forces you to compete on price against ordinary retail. Restrained design also travels further: a supporter will wear a well-designed shirt in public repeatedly, and each wearing is free awareness.
“"A cheap shirt worn once raises less than a good shirt worn for three years — and costs more per exposure."”
Budgeting the Order
Bulk discounts up to around 40% mean the difference between ordering 200 and 500 pieces is far less than proportional. If your event is recurring, consolidating a year's requirement into one run — rather than ordering per event — often frees up meaningful budget. The free instant price calculator shows live pricing as you change quantity, so you can model those options directly rather than estimating.
Lead Times
Production starts once artwork is approved: roughly 10–15 working days for screen printing, nearer 15–20 for complex jobs, plus 2–5 working days tracked UK delivery. Fundraising events have fixed dates, and sign-up numbers often firm up late, so agree your final quantity earlier than feels comfortable and order a modest buffer rather than risking a rushed second run.
Artwork
Supply vector artwork and confirm exact brand colours — charity brand marks are often tightly specified and an approximate colour undermines recognition. Sponsor logos, where present, need collecting early and checking at actual size, since they frequently arrive as low-resolution files. Preview placement in the free Design Studio before approving.