T-Shirt Fundraisers - How to Derive Maximum Profit?

So I'm dipping back into this for a bit because I came up with an idea for something but I could use some help from the DPF group. I thought of a t-shirt idea that would involve a small logo on the front (our letters in a softball-type icon), and the back would list the "Ten Commandments of Softball". If you could list your "10 Commandments of Softball" (or your top 10 rules you'd want anyone interested in your team to know), what might they be? What I thought of is below (in no particular order):

- Thou shalt never look at a third strike. Ever.
- Thou shalt not commit unsportsmanlike behavior against an opponent.
- Honor thy umpires' calls, right or wrong.
- Thou shalt always run through 1st base when necessary.
- Thou shalt steal. As many bases as possible.
- Do not sin against the names on your jersey.
- Thou shalt run the bases like a bat out of Hell. (given to me by one of my players)
- Honor thy commitment to the game.
- Respect your teammates as you would have teammates respect you.
- Thou shalt have fun and love the game at all times.

I'm looking to make it fun and appealing but, at the same time, something that can be understood by all players/parents/coaches, etc.

gdc03120 said:

I think I'm subconsciously staying away from anything where I believe we'll be turned down because we're not a registered 501(c)(3) and nobody can get a write-off on us (such as going to big organizations/retailers like Dick's, etc., or places where we'd be asked for a Tax ID number that we don't have). Call it "grassroots" if you want, that's how it appears and I wouldn't say you were wrong.

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Our HS team had lots of big organizations/retailers support our team before we became a 503c3. Some companies do not worry about the write off and some classify it as an advertising expense (put their name on a banner).

That might be because of the HS component. We're not a HS team. We're like a bastardization of rec and travel ball. We're not a part of any group that would have multiple levels - we're just an independent 16U team as part of a summer rec-ball type league. So we're looking more for short-term donations/sponsorships where we can establish connections/reputations to where we can have consistent year-after-year sponsors while seeking new avenues of funds. In 2015, I had 7 businesses donate a total of $1720. In 2016, only 4 donated $770. So this year, I'm doing the donations (then it was letters, this year the girls and I are going door-to-door), a car wash, a youth kickball tournament (grades 4-8), and hopefully the t-shirt sale idea from above. Depending on what we make, we may not need one or the other(s).

Local eating establishments might participate, especially if you offer to have a team dinner night there and have everyone that can go after practice or a game.

In 2015, my sponsors came from 2 car dealerships, a pizza shop, an excavating company, a restaurant, a physical therapy place, and I'm not sure how to describe the 7th, but it's a business that owns/operates many smaller businesses in town.

In 2016, I had that 7th business, 1 of the car dealerships, and a lumber company, and a different restaurant. I've thought about doing things like that (team dinners, etc.) and we actually tried it one Sunday afternoon after a practice but only got like 5 out of the 10 to go just because A didn't have money or B and C had a family outing afterward. I can definitely consider that as part of our plea for donations (willingness to host team functions there for certain places) and see what that does.

Some are more flexible/approachable about things like that than others. I'm hoping having the girls in uniforms going around with me/parents to ask will work out a bit better. My girls are mostly around 14-15 (it's a 16U team), and I do believe I'll have 1 or 2 younger players joining, and who would turn down young players in their mission to gain financial attributes for a jolly good season? /sarcasm

I had a question for those who mentioned Nascar. What kind of fundraiser do you do at that type of event? That is intriguing to me.

nikkilugi said:

I had a question for those who mentioned Nascar. What kind of fundraiser do you do at that type of event? That is intriguing to me.

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Having been to the infield of Talladega on more than one occasion in my youth, I would be willing to bet you could sell 10K boxes of Krispy Kream donuts if you could figure out a way to get them there...

My wife and myself ran one of the t-shirt sales ourselves. I designed the t-shirt, team members and parents sold adds to local business which were featured on the shirts. I used a local printing company to print the shirts and we presold orders for the shirts. We live in a small town and we made about $12,000 which we used to purchase equipment and to pay expenses to play in the fast-pitch world series in Pigeon Forge, TN.

This was a few years ago, maybe 2006 I think.

I hadn't thought about pre-sales on our shirts. We've figured out that we can bulk-buy t-shirts for about $2/shirt, and I've found a screen-printing business in Albany that has quoted me around $2.80/shirt for a minimum of 100 shirts (+ 4% tax). So it will cost us around $500 (ish) for 100 shirts ordered and printed - less for more shirts ordered.

What I've done is printed up mini order forms that I can give my girls near the end of May or so and once they're given back, then they'll record it on a bigger order form they can use to keep track of things with. My biggest concern - I don't want to order any shirts until I have rough estimates of numbers and be stuck with too many AND I don't want to order too few and be stuck with a need for more that will take more time to order/process.