Selling products is one of the few fundraising channels that gives supporters something to keep. A t-shirt from your 5K, a wreath from your holiday sale, or a membership card in someone's wallet keeps your organization in view long after the purchase, and more nonprofits are adding a store to their fundraising mix as a result.
This list covers 25 product ideas across seven categories, with notes on effort and inventory for each, plus how to pick your first few products and track what sells.
In This Guide
- Why more nonprofits are selling products
- Three inventory models to know first
- Apparel and wearables (1–5)
- Everyday branded goods (6–10)
- Mission-made products (11–14)
- Seasonal and holiday items (15–18)
- Digital products (19–20)
- Experiences and raffles (21–23)
- Memberships and sponsorships (24–25)
- How to choose your first products
- Frequently asked questions
Why More Nonprofits Are Selling Products
Sources: Omatic Software's 2026 Nonprofit Technology Ecosystem Trends Report (ecommerce). PPAI's 2025 consumer research on branded products (design and branding).
Omatic's 2026 survey of more than 800 nonprofit professionals found that 25% of organizations now use ecommerce as part of their fundraising strategy, up from 16% the year before. Products bring in revenue that doesn't depend on a single campaign or grant cycle, and they give supporters who aren't ready to make a gift another way to participate.
Design matters as much as the product itself. In 2025 research from PPAI, the promotional products trade association, nearly 90% of consumers said design plays a role in whether they keep a branded item, and 44% preferred subtle branding over big, bold logos. Keep that in mind for every item below: a well-designed shirt gets worn, and a logo-heavy one tends to end up in a drawer.
Three Inventory Models to Know First
How you source a product shapes your margin, your upfront cost, and how much risk you take on. Most ideas in this list fit one of three models:
| Model | Upfront cost | Margin per item | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Print on demand | None | Lower | Testing designs, wide size ranges, small audiences |
| Bulk order | Moderate to high | Higher | Proven sellers, event merchandise, seasonal items |
| No physical inventory | Low | Highest | Digital products, experiences, memberships, sponsorships |
Many organizations start with print on demand or no-inventory products to learn what supporters buy, then move proven items to bulk orders for better margins.
Apparel and Wearables
1 T-shirts
The default nonprofit product for good reason: wide appeal, easy to design, and visible every time someone wears one. Event-specific shirts (your 5K, gala, or anniversary year) sell well because they mark a moment.
2 Hoodies and sweatshirts
Higher price point than t-shirts, and often a higher margin per item. They sell best in fall and winter and make a strong year-end gift option.
3 Hats and beanies
One size fits most, which simplifies inventory. Embroidered logos read as premium and suit the subtle-branding preference many buyers have.
4 Mission-themed socks
A playful design tied to your work (paw prints for an animal shelter, waves for an ocean group) turns a small, inexpensive item into a conversation starter.
5 Enamel pins and patches
Low cost to produce, light to ship, and collectible. A new design each year or for each campaign gives returning supporters a reason to buy again.
Everyday Branded Goods
6 Tote bags
Used weekly for groceries, books, and errands, so your name travels with them. A strong fit for environmental and library organizations.
7 Mugs and water bottles
Daily-use items that sit on desks and kitchen counters. Insulated bottles carry a higher price point and suit outdoor and health-focused missions.
8 Stickers
Inexpensive enough to sell in packs or add to other orders. Laptop and water bottle stickers reach younger supporters well.
9 Photo calendars
Twelve months of photos from your programs, animals, or community. Calendars sell best in October through December and double as an annual impact story.
10 Notecards and stationery
Cards featuring artwork from your community or program participants. They work well as bundles and as a lower-priced option alongside bigger items.
Mission-Made Products
Products that come directly from your work often tell your story better than anything with a logo on it.
11 Products made by program participants
Baked goods from a job-training kitchen, ceramics from an art program, or crafts from a skills workshop. Each purchase supports the program and shows its results.
12 Co-branded products from local partners
A local roaster's coffee, a farm's honey, or a brewery's limited release with your name on the label. Partners handle production, and both organizations reach new audiences.
13 Community cookbooks
Recipes collected from staff, volunteers, and supporters. Contributors buy copies for themselves and their families, which builds sales from the start.
14 Seed and plant kits
A natural fit for environmental, garden, and food-access organizations. Native wildflower seed packets are light, inexpensive, and easy to ship.
Seasonal and Holiday Items
15 Wreaths, trees, and poinsettias
A long-standing favorite for schools, PTOs, and community groups. Buyers order online and choose pickup or local delivery, and many come back year after year.
16 Holiday ornaments
An annual design creates a collectible series. Supporters who buy one year often want the next to complete the set.
17 Holiday cards
Boxed cards featuring art from your community. Businesses and board members often buy in volume for their own mailing lists.
18 Gift bundles
Combine a mug, a tote, and a calendar into a ready-to-give package at a slightly higher price than buying separately. Bundles lift average order value during the holiday season.
Digital Products
19 Guides, reports, and courses
If your organization has expertise, package it: a caregiver's guide, a training course, a research report, or a toolkit for other nonprofits. There's nothing to ship and no inventory to manage.
20 Printables and digital art
Coloring pages, phone wallpapers, educational worksheets, or prints of artwork from your community, delivered as downloads at checkout.
Experiences and Raffles
21 VIP experiences and behind-the-scenes tours
A tour of your animal care facility, a meet-and-greet with an artist, or a seat at a rehearsal. Limited availability creates urgency, and costs are mostly staff time.
22 Workshops and classes
A cooking class at your kitchen, a birding walk with your naturalist, or a skills workshop led by your staff. These bring supporters on site and into closer contact with your work.
23 Raffle tickets
Sold in single tickets or discounted bundles, online ahead of an event and in person on the night. Raffle rules vary by state and locality, so check what applies to your organization before you launch.
Sell Online and at Your Events
Soapbox Engage Shop shares one inventory across online and in-person sales.
Memberships and Sponsorships
24 Memberships
Sell membership levels with clear benefits at each tier, such as member pricing in your store, early event access, or a welcome gift. Memberships bring recurring revenue and a reason to stay in touch year-round.
25 Business sponsorship packages
Sell sponsorship tiers for your events or programs the same way you sell any other product. Offer invoicing as a payment option, since corporate buyers often can't pay by card.
How to Choose Your First Products
Use these four steps to narrow the list:
- Start with five to eight products. A focused store is easier to promote and easier to manage. Mix one or two apparel items, one everyday item, and one no-inventory product to test demand.
- Tie at least one product to your mission. Mission-made and mission-themed products give buyers a story to share.
- Price for margin. Add up production, shipping, and payment processing, then price to leave meaningful margin for your organization. Our step-by-step guide to setting up a nonprofit online store covers pricing, sales tax, and shipping in detail.
- Sell where supporters already gather. Galas, races, community days, and your front desk are often your best sales channels. Plan to sell the same products in person as online, so a supporter who misses the table can still buy later.
Track what sells, and who buys. A purchase tells you something about a supporter. When store orders sync to your CRM, your team can see which donors also buy merchandise, which products bring in new supporters, and which campaigns drove the most sales. Our post on syncing nonprofit ecommerce to Salesforce walks through what that looks like.
If you're comparing store platforms, our roundup of the best nonprofit ecommerce software in 2026 compares options side by side. Soapbox Engage Shop handles most of the products on this list in one store, including apparel with size and color variants, seasonal items with pickup or delivery, digital downloads, raffle tickets, memberships, and sponsorship packages with invoicing. With Soapbox Engage Onsite, staff can sell the same products in person from a phone or tablet, and orders sync to Salesforce in real time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best products for a nonprofit to sell?
Apparel like t-shirts and hoodies, everyday items like tote bags and mugs, seasonal items like wreaths and calendars, and no-inventory products like digital downloads, experiences, and memberships are all common choices. The best fit depends on your audience and mission, so start with a small mix and expand based on what sells.
How can a nonprofit sell merchandise without buying inventory upfront?
Print-on-demand services produce items only after they're ordered, so there's no upfront inventory cost. Digital products, experiences, memberships, and sponsorships also require no physical inventory.
What merchandise sells best at nonprofit events?
Event-specific t-shirts, raffle tickets, and lower-priced impulse items like pins, stickers, and socks tend to sell well in person. Accepting card and contactless payments, not only cash, helps capture purchases from attendees who don't carry cash.
Do nonprofits pay sales tax on merchandise?
It depends on your state and what you sell. Nonprofit status doesn't automatically exempt merchandise sales, so confirm your obligations with a tax professional or your state's department of revenue before you launch.
Open Your Nonprofit Store
Soapbox Engage Shop sells merchandise, memberships, and more in one store.
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