Spirit wear fundraiser ideas

Ideas that work

• Open the store before term starts and before holidays
• Show the fundraising goal and progress
• Offer a hoodie, a tee and a cap, not twenty items
• Deliver to the school in one batch

What a spirit wear fundraiser is

A spirit wear fundraiser sells clothing with a school, club or group's name and logo, and adds an amount to each item that goes back to the group. Families get something they want to wear, and the PTA, PTO, booster club or friends group raises money without selling raffle tickets or cake. Run online, with a store that opens and closes on set dates, it needs very little work from volunteers. This guide is written for both sides: the school or club running the fundraiser, and the decorator who prints it.

12 spirit wear fundraiser ideas

• Back to school store: open it before the new school year so families buy with uniform.
• Leavers hoodies: a hoodie with every leaver's name on the back is a favourite for final years in UK schools.
• Senior and graduating class shirts in the US, with the class year on the front.
• House colours tees for sports day, one colour per house.
• Staff and teacher wear, so staff can match on trips and events.
• Homecoming, game day or derby day shirts for school and club sport.
• Winter hats, scarves and fleeces for outdoor fixtures and cold playgrounds.
• Christmas jumpers or holiday sweatshirts with the school crest, sold before the end of autumn term.
• Event shirts for fun runs, fairs and charity days, with sponsors on the back.
• Family name personalisation: let buyers add a name or initials for a small extra charge.
• Pet bandanas and dog jackets with the club logo for supporters.
• Water bottles, bags and caps alongside clothing, for families who already have a hoodie.

Keep the range short

It is tempting to offer everything. Resist it. A short range of a tee, a hoodie, a sweatshirt and a cap, each in one or two colours, is easier to choose from, easier to promote and easier to produce. Long lists lead to people saving the link for later and forgetting. You can rotate items between terms or seasons to keep it fresh.

Set a goal and show it

People give more when they know what the money is for. Name the goal: new sports equipment, a trip, a playground project or new kit. Show the target and the progress on the store, and update families as it grows. Decide the fundraising amount per item in advance, and keep it simple, such as a fixed amount on every item rather than a different amount on each.

Choose garments that last

Families judge the whole fundraiser by how the hoodie looks after a few washes. Pick mid-weight garments from a reliable brand, in colours that match the school or club well, and order a sample before the store opens. Offer children's and adult sizes, so parents and staff can buy too.

Pick the right dates

Open the store for two to three weeks. Good times are the start of the school year, before winter, before the holidays, before sports day and in the final term for leavers. Avoid opening right after a costly school trip or during exams. Tell families the close date in every message and send a reminder a day or two before it closes.

Delivery to school in one batch

The simplest model is to close the store, produce every order together and deliver it to the school or club in one delivery, packed by child or by class. There is no postage for families, and the decorator can price more keenly because everything runs at once. Agree who will hand the orders out and when. Bags labelled with the child's name and class make this easy.

Rules to check first

• Get permission from the school or club to use its name, crest and colours.
• Check whether the school has rules about uniform items and approved suppliers.
• Be careful with children's names and photos. Only ask for what you need to print and deliver, and do not show names publicly.
• If the group is a charity or registered nonprofit, check how fundraising income should be recorded.

How to promote it

• A short launch message with the link, the goal and the close date, sent by the school or club.
• Photos of real samples worn by staff or pupils, with permission from parents.
• A post in the school newsletter, class groups and social media.
• A reminder halfway through and on the last day.
• A thank you message with the total raised once the store closes.

For decorators: making spirit wear pay

Spirit wear stores are a steady source of work, and schools come back every year. Set up a template store you can copy for each new school, with your standard items and prices. Price the garments at a level that leaves room for the fundraising amount and your margin. Agree in writing how and when you pass the money raised to the group. Ask schools to book their store dates early so you can plan your production calendar around them.

Spirit wear stores in Dyenzo

Dyenzo gives each school, house or class its own store with open and close dates, shows the fundraising goal on the store, delivers to the school and turns every order into one print batch when the store closes. The organiser sees orders and money raised from their own login.