Funding the Future: Fundraising Success Stories

This December, we’re focusing on what it means to give back—whether that’s by supporting our communities, helping a favorite content creator get a new venture off the ground, or creating custom rewards for supporters of your dream project. 

You can use Custom Ink’s online fundraising platform to raise money and awareness for just about anything—it’s easy and completely free. Simply create your design, tell your story, and share it with your network. We offer hundreds of different products to choose from, and each campaign can feature up to six different products or colors. Best of all, we’ll handle all the logistics, from inventory to shipping, so that you can focus on your cause!

We love celebrating our customers’ successful fundraising campaigns and seeing how they use their custom gear to raise awareness for important causes or promote their businesses. Read their inspiring stories, then start your own fundraiser—or check out existing campaigns and pledge your support. 

Caring for California Condors

The Peregrine Fund’s Condor Program Director, Tim Hauck, raised over $4,000 to benefit the Condor Recovery Program in Arizona and Utah. The program’s efforts support the reintroduction of these unique birds back into the wild, as well as monitoring a 110-bird flock year-round. 

“Our custom items have created an identity for the program in a new and exciting way,” Tim told us. “We are reaching our existing condor enthusiasts and a new group of people who didn’t even know about The Peregrine Fund or our recovery effort to reintroduce California condors.” The fundraiser featured a design contest for The Peregrine Fund’s custom t-shirts; the winner, Tatum Talbot, had drawn inspiration from seeing the condors in their desert habitat during a trip to Marble Canyon. 

“Custom Ink’s fundraising campaign makes it easy to reach the public and share the story of the condor and the work we are doing to recover the species,” Tim says. “It is also a great way to get t-shirts that commemorate this occasion into the hands of our supporters with ease. Not to mention, it allows the public to donate directly to the condor program. Custom Ink makes it easy!”

Benefiting Bulldogs in Florida

After Shug and Bruce—a pair of charismatic bulldogs—went viral on TikTok, their owner, Rachel Givens, decided to create custom t-shirts and hoodies featuring the dynamic duo to fundraise on behalf of the Florida English Bulldog Rescue (FEBR). 

Shug and Bruce

Custom Ink’s Design Services team helped Rachel bring her design to life using sketches she provided. The campaign raised more than $1,000 for FEBR, assisting the organization with its mission to provide medical attention, food, and care to neglected and abused bulldogs. “Custom Ink made me realize how easily I could use our platform to help others,” Rachel says. “It made me emotional […] because it was this “ah ha” moment of not only will people be wearing stuff with my dogs on it, but they’ll be helping a great organization.”

Shug and Bruce can wag their tails, knowing that the gear bearing their logo will continue to have a pawsitive impact over time, raising awareness and boosting visibility for the cause.

#GratefulAF For Good Health

Alysia Pope, a health coach and lifestyle consultant, wants to ensure quality healthcare is accessible to all. That’s why she decided to start a fundraising campaign to benefit the Black Women’s Health Imperative, a program dedicated to increasing access to health insurance, decreasing death rates, eliminating health disparities, creating accessible reproductive health options, and making Black women’s health an imperative for the government and community. 

Alysia, working under the online handle PurelyPope, had an established brand rooted in gratitude as a central pillar of wellness. The design for her fundraising gear featured the hashtag “#GratefulAF” to emphasize her message, with all proceeds going directly to the Black Women’s Health Imperative. 

“[Custom gear] allowed me to spread my message and remind my community of the lessons and practices we need to carry on with us throughout our day,” Alysia tells us. “My hope is that when anyone is wearing my gear, they’re reminded of the message.”

Advocating for the AAPI Community

Law student Joy Kim wanted to fight against hate crimes targeting the AAPI community. Her fundraiser, featuring apparel designed with the phrase “Unapologetically Me,” was the perfect way to raise both money and awareness. The campaign’s proceeds benefited the Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus (AAAJ-ALC), a nonprofit that funds everything from legal assistance to voting rights to advocacy for media representation. 

Joy Kim

“[‘Unapologetically Me’] is my way of saying that I will no longer apologize for taking up space or feel bad for looking different, speaking a different language, or coming from a different culture than my non-Asian counterparts,” Joy explains. “I also felt like that phrase was something many could relate to, whether they are Asian or not. As more racial injustices come to light, minorities should not feel the need to apologize for wanting equality in this country.”

Going Green With Custom Gear

Content creator Savannah Toal is passionate about plants, a fact reflected in her popular blog, Plant Savvy, and TikTok presence. She wanted to create a fundraiser to use her network to raise money and awareness for the American Horticultural Society, creating opportunities for future gardeners.

Savannah Toal

Savannah’s custom merch features a modern leaf design and the Plant Savvy logo. “Custom ink helped me to bring to life an idea I had and I’m very glad that they wanted to work with me,” says Savannah. “I was really proud of everything we accomplished together.”

Merch for the MS Society

Content creators Jo Johnson and Matt Overby wanted to create merch for their business that would benefit a cause close to their heart. In honor of Jo’s mother—who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when Jo was only three years old—the duo directed a portion of the proceeds from their fundraiser to The MS Society, an organization devoted to raising awareness about the disease, funding research, and providing support to people with MS. 

The campaign’s custom gear featured references Jo knew would resonate with their audience. “The ideas for the designs came from a few different videos where Matt had some relatable one-liners and feedback from the people who enjoy following along with us,” she says. Custom Ink took those ideas and spun them into polished designs, and the end result was a successful campaign that will continue to raise awareness for an important cause.

Daring to Defy the Limits

Jacob Agnew was struggling with the decision to quit college when a friend introduced him to TikTok; soon after he joined, his video about his experience living with cerebral palsy went viral overnight. Finding himself with a sizable network—or, as Jacob puts it, “a beautiful community of 600k+ people”—gave him the opportunity to pay it forward.

“I believe it is important to show people no matter what life throws at you, you can always ‘Defy The Limit’ and that there’s no such thing as a disability, just ability,” Jacob wrote on his fundraising page. With funds benefiting the Cerebral Palsy Foundation, Jacob’s campaign contributed to a mission that funds research, supports individuals and families, and builds more inclusive and accessible communities for people with disabilities. The campaign’s supporters left impactful messages of encouragement, with some donating additional money beyond the cost of their gear. 

“Ever since the launch of my campaign, Custom Ink has helped me create merchandise for my community on TikTok and helped me give back to charity,” Jacob wrote. “I’ve always dreamed of helping people like me.”

Ready to get started? Begin your fundraising journey today.