School Team Fundraising That Raises Real Money
A 30-person school sports team needs to raise $3,000 for travel this season. Cookie dough and wrapping paper raise $800 and leave everyone exhausted. Here's a merchandise model that gets there with less door-to-door work.
The Fundraising Math
Sell 100 custom tumblers at $30 each to parents and alumni. TLC cost at the 50–99 tier (12% off $23.99 = $21.11/unit): $2,111 for 100 units. Revenue: $3,000. Net profit: $889 (30% margin). That's $889 toward travel costs from one online order campaign.
Pricing uses TLC's published volume tiers. Margin improves as order count grows — share the campaign link broadly to hit a better tier.
How It Works
- 1
Set up your store
Share your artwork, team colors, and product choices with TLC. We build a simple product page for your campaign.
- 2
Set your price and goal
You decide the retail price supporters pay. The gap between that price and TLC's cost is your margin. Set a unit goal and campaign close date.
- 3
Share the link
Send your campaign link to parents, alumni, and your community. TLC handles all payments at checkout.
- 4
We produce and ship
When the campaign closes, TLC produces every order. Standard production is 5–7 business days. We ship direct to each supporter's address.
- 5
You collect the margin
After the last order ships, TLC calculates your total margin and pays it out. No inventory, no cash handling, no leftover product.
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Steal This Announcement Message
Copy this template into a group chat, email, or newsletter. Fill in the brackets and send.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does our team get paid after the fundraiser?
After your campaign closes, TLC produces and ships orders directly to supporters. The margin — the difference between what supporters paid and TLC's cost — is calculated and paid to your organization via check or bank transfer. Typical processing takes 2–5 business days after the last order ships.
What if we only sell 20 tumblers instead of 100?
You still run a profitable fundraiser — the math just shifts tiers. At 20 units you're at the 1–24 pricing tier ($23.99/unit). Sell at $30 each: $479.80 cost, $600 revenue, $120.20 net. Smaller than the 100-unit scenario but real money for minimal effort. Set a stretch goal and share widely.
Can we have two different designs in the same fundraiser?
Yes. You can offer multiple designs (for example, home and away colorways, or varsity vs. JV logos) in the same campaign. Each SKU gets its own product listing in your store. Supporters pick the one they want at checkout.
How long does the fundraiser run?
Most school team campaigns run 2–3 weeks. That gives you enough time to reach the whole parent roster without letting the campaign go stale. We recommend setting a hard close date and sharing it in every message — scarcity drives last-minute orders.
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