New ASI Report Says T-Shirts Now The Go-To Charity Fundraiser

The digital revolution and philanthropic efforts are making T-shirts a saving grace

TREVOSE, PA – October 28, 2013 – A new report from Wearables magazine says the digital revolution and philanthropic efforts have turned the perennial T-shirt into today’s go-to charity fundraiser.

According to Wearables editor C.J. Mittica, the golden age of charity shirts has arrived, fueled in large part by digital word of mouth and lightning-quick turnaround times on printing and shipping that give donors an instant reward for their good deeds.

Wearables® magazine is published by the Advertising Specialty Institute® (ASI), the largest media, marketing and education organization in the $19.4 billion promotional products industry.

“The rise of e-commerce, crowdfunding and social media have allowed both charities and the disadvantaged themselves to cut through societal layers to directly reach others who can donate with the click of a mouse,” said Mittica, whose magazine covered the trend in “Wear and Care.”

Recent examples of the trend uncovered by Wearables include:

“Boston Strong” T-shirt creators and Emerson College students Nick Reynolds and Chris Dobens sold 60,000 shirts, enabling them to donate nearly $900,000 to the Boston One Fund benefitting victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. “It’s always been about strength, obviously, resilience and that sense of community,” says Reynolds.
The “Eff Cancer” shirt created by Rachel Morell of Ramalama Enterprises to help fund treatment for Haley Bellows, a 21-year-old George Fox University student and cancer patient whose insurance was dropped. So far, the shirts have raised nearly $7,000. Click here for a video of Bellows shaving her head and click here to read her story in Wearables.
The Montreal-based Yellow Bird Project (YBP) features T-shirts designed by indie bands along with charities chosen by the band. One $30 T-shirt designed by The National benefits Safe Space, a New York-based charity that works with disadvantaged children to keep them from entering the foster-care system.

According to ASI, T-shirts represented $2.7 billion of the promotional products market in 2012, or 13.8% of the total sold. All told, 44% of U.S. consumers surveyed for ASI’s 2013 Global Advertising Specialties Impressions Study own a promotional shirt.

About ASI The Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) is the largest media, marketing and education organization serving the promotional products industry, with a network of over 25,000 distributors and suppliers throughout North America.

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