Best Custom Apparel for Fundraising: Ideas That Sell

The best custom apparel for fundraising is something supporters would wear anyway: a soft tee, a hoodie or an embroidered cap with a simple one- or two-color design. Tees sell in the biggest numbers at the lowest price, hoodies raise the most per sale, and caps remove the sizing guesswork. Sell on pre-orders and price at roughly double your all-in cost.

This guide covers which pieces sell, the margin math, how to collect orders, and playbooks for booster clubs, schools and nonprofits. It's written by BizzyStitchn, an Orlando-area decorator that makes custom apparel for groups with no minimums, so the fee examples below use our real setup fees instead of guesses.

Top-Selling Fundraiser Pieces: Hoodies, Tees and Hats

A fundraiser item has two jobs: raise money today and get worn for years, because every wear is free advertising for your cause. Three products do both reliably.

T-shirts: the volume seller

Tees have the lowest price point, so more people say yes, and they suit walks, spirit days and one-off events. Choose a ring-spun cotton or cotton-poly blend in the 4.5 to 5.5 oz range; it feels soft and keeps its shape, so it doesn't end up as a paint shirt. For outdoor spring events in Florida, a lightweight polyester performance tee is the more comfortable choice. Browse fundraiser t-shirts for event-ready styles.

Hoodies and sweatshirts: the most raised per sale

Buyers expect to pay more for a hoodie, so the same markup returns more dollars per piece. They sell best when the weather cooperates, which in Central Florida means fall and winter, when evenings finally cool off. A front logo plus a large back print gives buyers a lot of garment for the money. See our fundraiser hoodies for pullovers and zip-ups.

Hats: no size guessing

Most caps are one-size adjustable, so you never end up with a box of leftover 3XLs. An embroidered logo looks premium, and the $35 digitizing fee is one-time per design, so next season's reorder, or the same logo on beanies, carries no new setup. Raised 3D puff embroidery on a trucker cap front makes a simple mascot stand out.

Seasonal and niche sellers

• Ugly Christmas sweaters for a December fundraiser or holiday party.
• Knit sweaters and beanies for winter sales.
• Pet apparel for animal-rescue fundraisers: a shirt for the dog, a matching one for the owner.
• Embroidered, PVC or leather patches as a low-cost add-on for backpacks and jackets.

Keep the design dateless if you might sell leftovers later; add the year only for keepsake event shirts. For more inspiration, see our apparel design ideas.

Margin Math: Pricing a Fundraiser for Profit

Profit is simple to calculate and easy to get wrong. Use this formula:

Profit = (sale price − all-in cost per piece) × pieces sold − cost of any unsold pieces

All-in cost means the garment, decoration, your share of setup fees, shipping and any payment-processing or platform fees. Then pick a markup:

Sale price vs. all-in cost	Profit margin	If you buy 100 up front, sell this many to break even
1.5×	33%	67
2×	50%	50
2.5×	60%	40
3×	67%	34

A 2× markup is a common starting point: it keeps prices reasonable for families while half of every sale goes to the cause. Pre-orders change the last column completely: if you only buy what's already sold, there's nothing to break even on.

Setup fees matter less than people expect once they're spread out. Screen printing is for orders of 100+ pieces through our team, with setup quoted with the order, so it spreads thin across a run that size. An embroidered cap logo's $35 digitizing fee spread over 40 caps is under a dollar each. DTF has no setup fee at all, which suits small runs and one-off names.

Finally, ask your treasurer whether sales tax applies to your sales, since the rules vary by state and by type of organization.

Pre-Order Forms or an Online Store?

There are three common ways to sell fundraiser apparel, and they carry very different risks.

Model	Cash up front	Leftover risk	Work for volunteers	Best for
Pre-order form (paper or online form)	None until orders close	None	Collecting payment and tallying sizes	Schools, teams, PTAs, clubs
Online fundraiser store	Usually none	None	Low; buyers order and pay online	Alumni, donors and supporters spread across the country
Buy stock, sell at events	Full cost	High	Guessing sizes, handling cash	Games, festivals, walk-up sales

For most school and team groups, a pre-order with a short order window wins: no leftovers and no guessing which sizes will sell. Preview the design live in our 3D Custom Designer, or request a bulk quote for 100+ pieces and get a free mockup to approve before anything is produced; put the preview on the order form so buyers see exactly what they're getting. When orders close, send one size-by-size list. Because there's no minimum, late buyers can be added with a small reorder. Setup fees are one-time per design, so that reorder never pays them again.

Online fundraiser stores reach supporters who'll never see a paper form, but each piece usually costs more and ships individually. If an online store would suit your group, look for a vendor that runs fundraiser stores; we don't run them yet, but we handle the bulk order if your group sells the pieces itself. Whichever route you choose, the vendor matters as much as the model; our guide to picking an apparel vendor lists the questions to ask. Orlando-metro groups can pick up the finished order at our Orlando-area warehouse, and we ship anywhere in the US.

Booster Clubs and Team Fundraisers With Branded Gear

Players are rarely the main buyers. Parents, grandparents and siblings are, so sell branded fan gear rather than another practice shirt.

• Open orders before the first home game, when enthusiasm (and attendance) is highest.
• One design, youth to adult sizes, so the whole family matches in the stands.
• Team colors on both garment and ink. A navy hoodie with a gold print sells better than a white tee with a navy logo.
• Sponsor backs. Local businesses can pay to put their logo on the back of a sideline shirt, which can cover the cost of the shirts. Get each sponsor's vector logo and written approval first.

Branded caps and hoodies with the team name hold up to a season of bleachers and car rides. Our team apparel collection covers jerseys, warm-ups and fan wear.

School and PTA Spirit Wear Sales

Spirit wear sells in waves: back-to-school, homecoming and spirit weeks, with a second hoodie window before winter break. Plan your order form around those dates.

• Size the form for kids and adults. Include youth XS through XL plus adult sizes, because teachers and parents buy too.
• Get the design approved. Many schools have rules about how their name and mascot are used, so run the mockup past the principal or office first.
• Add variety without extra setup. A grade-level tee, a teacher shirt in a different garment color and a cap can all carry the same design, and setup is charged once per design, not per product.
• Use the school's channels. Take-home flyers, the PTA newsletter and an online form reach more families than a table at pickup.

Our school spirit wear collection has tees, hoodies and caps in youth and adult sizes.

Nonprofit Event Shirts and Donor Gifts

Branded event shirts turn participants into walking billboards. Put the event name and cause on the front and sponsor logos on the back, and print volunteer shirts in a high-visibility color so attendees can spot help quickly.

For donors, apparel works as a thank-you gift rather than a product. Tier it: a tee at the entry level, an embroidered cap in the middle, and an embroidered quarter-zip or knit sweater for major donors. Embroidery reads as a keepsake, not a giveaway.

When nonprofits compare apparel vendors or online stores, the same questions apply as for any buyer: Is there a minimum? Are setup fees listed? Do you see a proof first? Can you reorder next year without paying setup again? With us, the answers are no minimum, fees listed up front, a preview of every design (in our 3D Custom Designer, or a free mockup for 100+ pieces), and setup charged once per design.

Affordable Options for Fundraising Events

The most affordable custom apparel for fundraising events comes from a few deliberate choices, not cheaper garments that nobody wears:

1. One color, one placement. On screen-printed runs, every extra color adds another screen and more press time.
2. Match the method to the quantity. Screen printing pays off on 100+ piece runs of a one- to three-color design. For small runs or full-color art, DTF has no setup fee.
3. One garment color. It simplifies ordering, sizing and the order form.
4. Reuse the design. Setup is one-time per design, so next year's reorder or a hoodie version of this year's tee carries no new setup.
5. Let sponsors pay. A sponsor-funded back print can cover the cost of every shirt.

Do Personalized Names and Numbers Boost Fundraiser Sales?

Often, yes, for team and family audiences. A player's name and number on a parent's hoodie turns a generic item into a keepsake, and buyers usually accept a higher price for it. The catch: a personalized piece can't be resold, so offer names only on pre-orders and price the option to cover the extra decoration.

Collect spellings in writing (have buyers type the name, number and size themselves) and check the list against the roster before you send it. Printed names and numbers via DTF carry no setup fee, which keeps one-off names simple. On the back of a hoodie, a name about 2 to 3 inches tall across the shoulders with a larger number below reads clearly from the bleachers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best custom apparel for fundraising?

A soft tee, a hoodie or an embroidered cap with a simple design supporters would wear anyway. Tees sell the most units, hoodies raise the most per sale, and adjustable caps avoid leftover sizes. Keep the design to one or two colors, sell on pre-orders, and price at roughly double your all-in cost per piece.

Which custom apparel works best for fundraising?

It depends on the audience. Schools do best with spirit tees and hoodies in youth and adult sizes. Booster clubs sell fan gear to parents, especially personalized hoodies with a player's name and number. Nonprofits do well with event shirts carrying sponsor logos, plus embroidered caps or quarter-zips as donor gifts.

How much profit can a shirt fundraiser make?

At a 2× markup, half of every sale is profit. Sell 100 shirts priced at double their all-in cost and you raise as much as you spent on the shirts. Pre-orders protect that margin because you only buy what's sold. Include setup fees, shipping and payment fees in your all-in cost.

What are popular custom apparel options for fundraisers?

Tees, hoodies and adjustable caps are the core, followed by crewneck sweatshirts, beanies and long-sleeve performance shirts for outdoor events. Seasonal options include ugly Christmas sweaters and knit sweaters. Animal rescues can add pet apparel, and embroidered, PVC or leather patches make a low-cost add-on for backpacks and jackets.

Do online fundraiser stores work better than order forms?

Neither wins everywhere. Online stores suit supporters spread across the country and need less volunteer work, but each piece usually costs more and ships individually. Order forms suit schools and teams with a close-knit group: one bulk order costs less per piece, and the finished order can be picked up and handed out locally.