Church camp merch is one of the most predictable revenue streams in youth ministry. The purchase rate is near 100 percent because parents want the camp memento for their kid, and the margins are clean because there is no inventory or upfront cost. A 100-camper week at $10 margin per shirt clears $900 per session. Run six sessions over the summer and the line clears $5,000+ for the youth ministry budget. Here is the math.
Formula: campers x purchase rate x items x margin = session revenue.
| Campers | Purchase rate | Items per camper | Margin | Session revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 95% | 1.0 | $10 | $285 |
| 60 | 95% | 1.1 | $10 | $627 |
| 100 | 95% | 1.2 | $11 | $1,254 |
| 150 | 95% | 1.2 | $11 | $1,881 |
| 250 | 95% | 1.3 | $12 | $3,705 |
Camps running multiple sessions per summer multiply the single-session number:
| Sessions per summer | Avg session revenue | Summer total |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | $1,254 | $3,762 |
| 6 | $1,254 | $7,524 |
| 8 | $1,500 | $12,000 |
| 12 | $1,500 | $18,000 |
Many summer camps clear $5,000 to $15,000 in merch revenue from camp tees alone, before adding the year-round youth ministry shop.
Camps that also run a year-round youth ministry shop add $1,500 to $3,000 in additional annual revenue on top of summer camp merch. The year-round shop pulls steady purchases from families who attended camp and continue to engage with the ministry through the year.
Combined revenue from summer + year-round can reach $8,000 to $20,000 per year for medium to large youth ministry programs. For year-round shop details see youth ministry hoodies and tees.
Camp tees typically retail at $25 to $30 when included in the camp registration fee, or $28 to $35 when sold separately. Most families do not blink at $30 for a camp shirt their kid will wear for a year.
| Tee | VIP base | Retail | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airlume Cotton | $19.88 | $28 | $8.12 |
| Premium CVC | $24.88 | $32 | $7.12 |
| Comfort Colors Crop | $24.88 | $34 | $9.12 |
Sign up free, upload your design, project revenue against real session counts. No upfront cost, no inventory.
Start FreeA 100-camper session at 95% purchase rate and $11 margin clears $1,254. A summer running six sessions clears $7,500 from camp tees alone. Multi-week or multi-session camps clear $5,000 to $18,000 per summer.
Yes. With no upfront cost, no inventory, and purchase rates near 95 percent, camp tees are one of the highest-margin product categories in church youth ministry.
Including the tee in registration ensures 100 percent purchase rate but caps margin at what you bake into the fee. Selling separately typically clears slightly higher per-tee margin but with 85-95 percent purchase rate.
Bear Grips Pro Shops