Charity Walk T-Shirts: Are They Needed Anymore?

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Some of my favorite charity walk t-shirts

A long-term staple of charity walks is the t-shirt. Not just any t-shirt. This is a shirt that has a graphic advertisement on the front promoting the charity walk and many smaller ads (usually logos) on the back promoting the charity walk sponsors.

As walkers wear these t-shirts during the charity walk event and in their community after the walk, the shirt becomes a mobile billboard for promoting the cause, nonprofit organization, and sponsors. For many charity walk events, this shirt is sold as a big reason for potential sponsors to provide support to the event.

Imagine an army of people gladly wearing these t-shirts at the walk and around town throughout the year. It sounds great, right? Even fellow blooger, Lee Gaverick, recently wrote about the benefits of using walkathon t-shirts in her blog post And Now, A Word about Walkathon Sponsors. So why would I suggest that the use of the charity walk t-shirt needs to be reexamined?

Problems with Charity Walk T-Shirts

I am starting to see a trend at the charity walks I attend. It is not a good trend when it comes to the use of charity walk t-shirts. Although the issues I raise are based on anecdotal evidence, it is enough that I believe the topic needs discussing.

Here are some of the problems regarding charity walk t-shirts that I have observed at charity walks:

Walkers are not wearing the t-shirts at the charity walk event

At recent charity walks I attended, less people appeared to be wearing the charity walk t-shirt during the walk. Some of them are doing this because they are wearing custom t-shirts representing their fundraising team.

This is exciting because it shows teamwork and team pride in supporting the cause.What was surprising and disturbing was how many people (who weren’t wearing a team shirt) received the charity walk t-shirt and didn’t wear it during the walk.

Maybe wearing the charity walk t-shirt is no longer considered “cool” or maybe it is not convenient to change or pull it over whatever shirt is already being worn. Regardless, this defeats one of the main reasons for proving t-shirts for the charity walk event.

Walkers are not wearing the t-shirts after the charity walk event

Several years ago, I used to see people wearing charity walk/run t-shirts out in public from time to time. I almost never see someone wearing one of these t-shirts now. This is disappointing.

There is no sponsor promotion occurring as long as the t-shirt is folded in the bottom of a dresser drawer or being used as a cleaning rag.

T-shirts are not effective advertising for sponsors

It is hard for me to believe that anyone has done business with a sponsor because they saw the logo on the back of a charity walk t-shirt. I don’t believe I have. Have you?

I have thrown my business to companies because they supported a charity walk. However, I learned about that company and their charity walk support through other ways.

What Can You Do About the Charity Walk T-Shirt?

If your walkers are wearing the charity walk t-shirts, keep doing what you are doing. Depending on the location and demographics of your walkers, the traditional charity walk t-shirts may be just what is needed. However, if you are observing some of the issues I identified above, consider making a change:

Redesign charity walk t-shirts to eliminate the billboard on the back

There are many methods you can use to benefit sponsors. Use your imagination to come up with more effective ways to promote sponsors of your charity walk event than they are getting through a printed logo on shirts. Check out these blog posts to give your imagination a kick start:

With the sponsor ads removed, the t-shirt should now sport a design that people would be proud to wear at the walk and at many other times.

Offer other fundraising incentives

Is the main reason you are offering t-shirts to encourage fundraising? What other inexpensive items would your walkers value that you could use as an incentive for raising more funds for the cause? If you want it to continue to be a piece of clothing consider something like a baseball cap that identifies your charity walk or nonprofit organization on the front (or back).

Implementing a creative way to recognize the walkers who raise a certain amount of funds may be even more effective than offering prizes.

Sell t-shirts to walkers

One way to help eliminate t-shirts going unused is to provide them to only those who want them. One way to do this, and raise some additional funds at the same time, is to sell them. You can have the walkers order the shirts online and/or have the shirts available at the charity walk ready for the participants to purchase. If you do make them available to buy at the event, limit the supply so you are confident they will sell or design the shirt so it can be sold at other times.

What do you think of my ideas regarding charity walk t-shirts? Have you seen the trends I have experienced or do you believe the charity walk t-shirt is here to stay for the long run? Please let me know in a comment below.

Thanks,

Roger-Carr-Signature