A nonprofit choosing a print-on-demand company is really choosing how much of every shirt sale ends up funding the mission versus funding the platform. Fundraiser apparel has a specific set of needs: no upfront inventory risk if fewer people buy than expected, a shop that can stay open past a single event, and pricing the organization controls so it can set the fundraising margin itself. Here is how the commonly compared platforms handle that.
A one-time walk or awareness month tee is different from an ongoing membership shop, but the underlying need is the same: no unsold inventory sitting in a storage closet after the event, and a clear number for how much of each sale goes to the cause. Bear Grips Pro Shops prints only after a supporter buys, so a nonprofit never pre-pays for shirts it might not sell out.
| Platform | Best for | Minimum order | Nonprofit sets retail price | Ongoing shop or one event only |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Grips Pro Shops | Ongoing or single-campaign fundraiser shop | None | Yes, full control | Both |
| Custom Ink | A single fundraiser walk, run, or awareness shirt order | Historically built around group/bulk quantities | Set within the quoted order | One event, typically |
| Etsy | A nonprofit shop selling to broad marketplace browsers | None | Yes, minus listing and transaction fees | Ongoing |
| Bonfire | Cause-specific fundraiser campaigns | Varies by campaign type | Set within campaign tools | Typically campaign-based |
On a marketplace, every sale is reduced by listing and transaction fees before the nonprofit sees the proceeds. On a bulk quote tool, the nonprofit typically prices the shirt after the group order cost is known, which works for a single run but does not scale to an ongoing shop. Bear Grips lets the organization set the retail price directly against the base cost (a tee starts at $19.88 VIP base) and keep the difference in full, with no marketplace cut taken out first.
Many nonprofits actually need both: a single design tied to an annual walk or awareness month, and a standing shop for logo gear supporters can buy year-round. A platform with no minimum order supports both from the same account, since a limited campaign design and an evergreen logo tee can live in the same catalog without any pre-committed inventory. The team and school comparison covers a closely related use case for booster clubs and PTA groups.
A nonprofit can start on the free plan ($0/mo, 3 live products) to test a single campaign design, then move to Self-Service VIP ($59/mo, 200 products) if it wants a full year-round catalog. Every account also carries a built-in affiliate link, so a nonprofit that refers a partner organization earns 10% of that organization's subscription plus $1 per unit sold, an extra revenue stream on top of the fundraiser margin itself.
No minimum order, no unsold inventory risk, and the organization keeps the full margin on every sale. Free to start.
Start FreeCustom Ink is commonly used for single fundraiser events like a walk or run shirt, priced around a bulk quote. It is less suited to a shop that needs to stay open and restock over the full year.
Etsy charges listing and transaction fees on every sale, which reduces what reaches the organization compared to a platform with no marketplace fees.
Yes, on a no-minimum platform a limited campaign design and an evergreen logo product can sit in the same catalog without any pre-committed inventory for either.
No. On Bear Grips and similar print-on-demand platforms, each shirt is only printed once a supporter buys it, which removes the risk of unsold fundraiser inventory.
Bear Grips Pro Shops