Custom Shirts for Nonprofits and Fundraisers in Utah

Shirts that raise money and raise awareness

A good fundraiser shirt does two jobs. It brings in money when you sell it, and it keeps working every time someone wears it around town. A bad one sits in a box in your storage closet. The difference is almost always the design.

Every Graffiti Wear design starts with real artwork, made by muralists, painters and illustrators here in Utah's art community. We help nonprofits, charities, foundations, clubs and grassroots causes create custom tees, hoodies, crewnecks and hats that supporters are proud to wear. Not a logo slapped on a plain shirt. Real art that tells people what you stand for.

Ways nonprofits use custom apparel

• Fundraiser tees. Sell shirts online or at events, with the margin going straight to your mission.
• Volunteer shirts. Make your crew easy to find at food drives, cleanups, build projects and community events.
• Awareness campaigns. A bold message on a shirt starts conversations at the gym, the park and the coffee line.
• Donor thank-you gifts. A limited hoodie or crewneck for monthly donors or major supporters feels personal.
• Gala and event merch. Staff shirts for the event team and a keepsake design for guests.
• Board and staff apparel. Matching gear for outreach events, tabling and photo shoots.

Designing a fundraiser shirt people will buy

Supporters buy a fundraiser shirt because they love your cause. They wear it again because they love the shirt. Here is how to hit both.

Lead with art, not a mission statement

Your logo and a paragraph of text rarely sell. A strong image does. Think of an illustrated animal for a rescue, a hand-painted mountain range for a land trust, a bold heart or hand for a community support group. Our artists can take your theme and turn it into a piece that stands on its own.

Keep the message short

A handful of words is the sweet spot. Something supporters would say out loud. Save the full name of your organization for a small hit on the back or sleeve.

Think about who is wearing it

If your supporters are mostly teens, a crop top or oversized hoodie might move faster than a classic tee. If you are selling to families, ask us about youth sizes. If your base is outdoors-focused, earth tones and long sleeves can do well.

Make it limited

A design tied to a single campaign or year creates urgency. "Only available during our spring drive" gives people a reason to buy now instead of later. When the next campaign comes around, you release a fresh design.

Volunteer shirts vs. fundraiser merch

These are two different products and they deserve two different designs.

Volunteer shirts are about visibility. Use a bright color, put "VOLUNTEER" or your crew name big on the back, and keep the front simple. You want people to spot your team from across a parking lot or a park pavilion.

Fundraiser merch is about desirability. Use colors people actually wear, like black, heather gray, cream or a muted tone. Put the art front and center. It should look like something from a shop, not a uniform.

Each design has a 24-piece minimum, and sizes and colors can be mixed within each design. Plenty of groups run a volunteer shirt and a fundraiser shirt side by side.

Selling shirts without managing inventory

Inventory is a headache for small nonprofits. Ordering too many ties up cash. Ordering too few leaves money on the table. A few ways to handle it:

• Pre-sell. Take orders for a set window, then place one order based on what sold. You know your exact size breakdown before anything gets printed.
• Private ordering page. We can set up a private page for your organization on graffitiwearclothing.com. Your team logs in, enters quantities by size and color, pays by card and ships anywhere. Reorder any time without starting over, because your designs stay on file.
• Event table stock. Bring a modest batch to your gala, 5K or festival booth. Popular sizes run medium and large, but bring a spread.

Running a charity race as part of your campaign? Check out our page on 5K race and run club shirts for ideas specific to race day.

Pricing that works for a nonprofit budget

Custom tees start at $16 each. Your price depends on the garment, number of ink colors, print locations and quantity. Bigger orders get better per-piece pricing, which helps when you are buying for resale and want healthy margins.

A few ways to stretch the budget:

• Use fewer ink colors. A one or two color design can look sharp and keeps cost down.
• Stick to one print location for volunteer shirts.
• Combine needs into a single larger order when it makes sense.
• Ask a local business to sponsor the order in exchange for a small logo on the sleeve or back.

If you are buying shirts to resell, send us your Utah TC-721 sales tax exemption certificate and we will remove sales tax from your account.

Beyond the t-shirt

Tees are the workhorse, but other items can lift your campaign:

• Hoodies and crewnecks for donor gifts and higher-priced fundraiser items.
• Snapback hats with patches for supporters who already have a drawer full of shirts.
• Long sleeves for fall and winter campaigns.
• Sweatpants for a cozy matching set aimed at younger supporters.

Browse our apparel collection to see the garment styles and the kind of art our artists create.

Supporting causes across Utah

We work with nonprofits, booster clubs, service organizations and community groups throughout Utah. That includes St. George, Washington, Hurricane and Cedar City in southern Utah, plus Salt Lake City, Sandy, South Jordan, Provo, Orem, Ogden and Logan. If your group is spread out, or your supporters live across the country, we ship anywhere in the US.

How it works

• Tell us about your cause. Share your mission, your audience and how you plan to use the shirts.
• Get a design. Design help is included. Send a logo, sketch or idea and our artists build it out.
• Approve your proof. You see a digital proof before anything is printed.
• Get your quote and timeline. We'll give you a timeline with your quote so you can plan your campaign launch.

See everything we offer on the custom apparel page, or head to the quote form to get started.

Frequently asked questions