Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve
Custom T-Shirts for Nonprofit Organizations
Whether you’re a charitable organization, religious group, or any other nonprofit, you’re out there changing the world. So why not wear your heart on your sleeve with custom nonprofit t-shirts for your whole team?
T-shirts are an effective and classic way for nonprofits to raise money and awareness. Hey, everyone wears a t-shirt at some point. Even pets sometimes rock cool clothes. This is one nonprofit idea that will never go out of style.
In this article, we’ll give you some ideas for designing rocking nonprofit t-shirts that get noticed. You’ll also find out how to get the right gear for your nonprofit while saving time and money.
Make Your Nonprofit Stand Out
With the right design, shirts get a lot of attention. For your nonprofit, you can use this to:
- Reward your team. T-shirts for nonprofit organizations are a great way to say “thank you” to your volunteers, employees, donors, and everyone else who’s helping you save the trees, rescue animals, or make a difference.
- Fundraise. Sell or raffle off nonprofit t-shirts to create new programs or funnel more cash toward a worthy cause.
- Build a community. Whether you’re out there cleaning up the environment or marching at a protest, when your whole team is wearing the same gear, you’re all visually part of the same team. Inspire your volunteers and staff to pull together with t-shirts everyone will be proud to wear.
- Get conversations started. Imagine this: someone is wearing your cool t-shirt on a plane, and the traveler in the next seat says, “Neat shirt. What does it mean?” Your shirt can get people talking and can get your message far. A cool design also gets people curious about your organization and what you do.
- Launch a big event. Have a marathon coming up or a fundraising drive? T-shirts can bring more attention, donations, and volunteers to your efforts by creating walking ads for your event.
- Build brand awareness. Make people aware of your nonprofit and your mission. Brand awareness is the first step in gaining momentum to make big changes!
Design Unique Shirts for T-Shirts for Nonprofit Organizations
Consider the T-Shirt Style
You want everyone to proudly wear your message. Classic, unisex T-shirts are a good option because most people can wear them. They also come in a ton of sizes, from children’s and even toddler sizes all the way up to 6XL and beyond.
Another option is to get t-shirts in different styles, such as women’s t-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, hoodies, and more. This way, each wearer can choose their preferred style. Offering a choice is more inclusive, too. Not everyone may feel comfortable wearing a t-shirt that reveals the arms, for example. When you offer a choice, more people can wear your message.
Select a Fabric
Every detail counts, and you can make a big impact with your choice of fabric. For example, choosing t-shirts made with 100% organic cotton or sustainable manufacturing processes shows you care about Mother Nature and others. If your shirts are for a marathon, moisture-wicking fabric keeps your team cooler and more comfortable.
Choose a fabric that’s easy to wash and maintain, too. You want donors and team members to wear your t-shirt for a long time, and that’s easier if your t-shirt stays looking new. TeamShirts brings you durable and easy-to-wash shirts that last. We even have a free guide you can check out on how to wash t-shirts to help your team keep their shirts sparkling.
Think About Your Message
So, what do you put on your t-shirt to draw the right kind of attention to your nonprofit? It’s best to have one goal for your shirt, such as getting people to volunteer or raising awareness about an issue. Here are a few ideas for messages you might want to include:
- Your logo and nonprofit name to raise awareness about your group
- The name and date of your upcoming fundraiser or event
- Your URL to drive more traffic to your website
- A memorable catchphrase to remind everyone of the importance of your mission
- A pun or statement you want people to link to your nonprofit
- A message asking others to do something—such as donate, volunteer, or adopt a pet, for example
When you’re thinking about what to put on your shirts, consider what your ideal audience is. Who would you want to see your shirt? What kind of message and wording would get their attention? If you’re not sure, get out there and start testing a few messages, or run a few surveys to find out!
Put Together a Design
Have fun with this, and paint with all the colors of the rainbow! You want people to remember your shirts, and for that, you’ll need a fresh look.
Nobody wants to stare at someone’s shirt for an awkward time, so make your design and message simple. Your t-shirt design needs to be something that someone can glance at and understand right away, so use lots of white space. Less really is more here.
You could put your nonprofit logo on the t-shirt or a picture of something important to your mission — like an image of a child in need, an animal at an adoption center, or a tree. You can also use a word cloud with a few words related to your mission. Another option is to have one stylized statement in an eye-catching font.
As you design, think about these design elements to create an amazing-looking t-shirt that proudly shows off your nonprofit:
- Color. Bright colors can help capture attention. Using your organization’s colors can help reinforce your brand, too.
- Shape. Simple, clean lines are easiest to see and remember. Go for simplicity where possible. Some successful nonprofit shirts are just a memorable statement or pun with the charity logo on the back or in the corner.
- Contrast. Contrasting dark and light colors can make your message and images pop. You don’t have to go just black and white, either. Red and green, white and blue, yellow and purple, green and pink, orange and blue are just a few color combinations that look best together.
- Typography. Choose a font and type size that matches your nonprofit brand. Try different positions of letters and different sizes and fonts to see what looks best. And don’t be afraid to bold specific words on your shirt so they stand out.
Don’t dread the blank page! A free program like Canva has free templates and image editing options so you can create the look you want. And TeamShirts has a library of free designs you can use, upload, and edit right on the online platform. You can create a brand-new t-shirt design in just minutes!
Test-Run Your Shirts
There’s a lot your nonprofit might worry about, such as the survival of old-growth forests or the need for more medical funding. You don’t need to worry about what your nonprofit t-shirts will look like.
Create a mock-up of your t-shirts and survey your team to find out whether they love the look. When you work with TeamShirts, you can even order a free sample, so there are no surprises!
Create a Follow-up Strategy
Imagine your t-shirts are printed, and someone’s spotted one of them in your city. Score! But now what? Are you encouraging people to look up your charity website, call your organization, or donate? Whatever you’re asking them to do, make sure you’re set up to handle the extra traffic. Get your website into tip-top shape, make sure your phones are staffed, and get ready to make the most of the extra attention to do some good in the world!
You’re Done!
Once you’ve chosen your shirts and carefully thought about and designed your perfect t-shirt, it’s time to hit “send” and get your t-shirt idea to a printer who can put together your order. Consider how many T-shirts you’ll need and order a few extra. You might qualify for a bulk discount, and a few spares are always handy just in case you get a chance to give a few away. Make sure you order a range of sizes, too. You don’t want anyone feeling jealous because they can’t wear your amazing T-shirt!
Lots of Options
Let’s be real: T-shirts for nonprofit organizations are just the start. With TeamShirts, you can put your logo and message on a range of products, including:
- Corporate shirts
- Water bottles
- Mugs and water bottles
- Aprons
- Dog scarves (perfect if you’re a nonprofit supporting animals!)
- Hoodies and long-sleeve shirts
- Hats and caps
- Baby bibs
- Sleeveless shirts
- Baby clothes
- Sweats and athletic apparel
- Bags and backpacks
- Socks
- Scarves
- Plush toys
- Magnets and promotional items
- Mousepads
- Polo shirts
- … and more!
This range of choices can really set your imagination free! Come up with different products you can use for fundraising or awareness. Or select the right gear for your specific nonprofit. If you’re fighting hunger, for example, mugs or aprons with your logo can send a powerful message. Each time someone reaches for a coffee or throws together a dinner, they’re reminded to help you support the hungry.
Use TeamShirts to Design Custom Nonprofit Shirts
OK, now you have the basics on how to create a shirt worthy of your nonprofit logo and message. Who can you trust with this mission-critical project? TeamShirts, of course!
TeamShirts has been the trusted choice for nonprofits and other organizations since 2014. We know every dollar counts, which is why we offer price matching and a best-price guarantee, as well as fabulous discounts and bulk discounts. Place an order with us and expect VIP treatment, with free samples and free standard shipping. It’s our way of making sure your message gets further.
Need an order shipped fast? Our premium production options and express shipping have you covered. And while we can be speedy, we never cut corners. All our shirts are high-quality from the top brands you know and trust, including Adidas, Under Armour, Hanes, Champion, and more!
Our options include 100% recycled polyester shirts, 100% organic cotton shirts, and shirts that are certified and triple-audited to make sure they’re ethically made. We’re also always adding to our sustainable and conscious options, so you’ll have tons of choices.
TeamShirts premium shirts have double-stitched collars, shoulders, sleeves, waists, and side seams for durability. After all, saving the world is tough work, so we want a t-shirt that can keep up with you!
We’re also always testing and developing new features to make designing and ordering t-shirts easier. We’re passionate about saving you time, effort, and money.
Part of our secret is our production, printing, and customer service facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. This allows us to print all our shirts in the USA and to offer fast service and affordable prices. We’re not only helping create jobs and contributing to the Las Vegas community, but our facility means we can offer more customization, including our screen printing, photo printing, and embroidery services.
The other part of our secret? Our team. Our experts know how to create amazing shirts that last. We can even help you select the right printing technique to get just the look you want. Need help with an order? You’ll talk to a real person who’s committed to answering your questions and resolving any issue.
How confident are we that you’ll love your nonprofit t-shirts from TeamShirts? We offer a 30-day return policy and a 100% satisfaction guarantee. We want to make sure you’re thrilled to start using your t-shirts to make a difference!
No matter what kind of nonprofit you run, start putting the power of custom t-shirts behind your message. Create today with the TeamShirts design platform and start transforming your community and the world!
Delivery was on time
Delivery was on time, and communication was great—they helped me edit the T-shirt design background before production and included friendly notes with the shipping.
Nils Kurre
Team shirts UK
Easy website to use. Shirts good value. Be aware if ordering from UK shirts are shipped in from Germany and may be subject to import duties. My order was hit with 40% additional costs. Team shirt UK do however promise to refund customs charges and did so in a few days.
shaun powell
Fantastic Customer Service
What fantastic customer service this company has! I cannot compliment them enough, and the product I received was very well done. I highly recommend this company.
Jane Maday
I absolutely love the activewear
I absolutely love the activewear! The fit is perfect, super comfy, and the fabric is really breathable. I’ve been wearing it for my workouts, and it holds up great! Highly recommend for anyone looking to elevate their active wardrobe!
Georgann Gonzalez
Shirts fit well and look amazing
Shirts fit well and look amazing. thank you
David Sisneros