Merch Store Guides for Schools & Nonprofits

Shipping, delivery & returns

Can a bulk custom apparel order ship directly to each team member's address?It can — though the simplest route isn't a bulk order at all. With a free team store, each member picks their size, pays, and gets...Read → Can supporters return or exchange items they bought from our fundraiser store?Because every item is printed to order, returns and exchanges for fit or preference generally aren't offered — that's standard across print-on-demand. Items that arrive damaged,...Read → How far in advance should we order custom shirts for an event?Count back from the day you need shirts in hand, not the event date, and remember the timeline has two parts: production, then shipping. As a...Read →

Gifting & store programs

Can our company run a merch store for a charity or workplace giving campaign?Yes. Companies run Print Your Cause stores for charities and workplace giving campaigns, and Costco is a working example — employees get merch, and the cause...Read → Can our organization pay for merch orders instead of making members pay at checkout?Yes. Stores default to shoppers paying at checkout, but yours can be configured so orders are billed to your organization instead — with prices shown or...Read → How can our organization give every staff member or volunteer a free item from our merch store?Yes — that's exactly what a free gift store is for. Each person receives an emailed link, picks one item from a selection you curate, and...Read → What's the difference between a gift code and a discount code for an online merch store?A gift code belongs to one person: it works like a gift balance or a voucher for one free item, and it can be limited to...Read →

Getting started

Can our school spirit wear store stay open all year instead of a two-week sale?Yes. You decide how long your store runs — some organizers open one for a few weeks around an event, while many leave theirs open continuously,...Read → Do we need to buy inventory upfront to sell custom merch for our school or nonprofit?No. Nothing is printed until a supporter orders it, so there's nothing to buy upfront, nothing to store, and no way to sell out. Starting is...Read → How can our sports team or booster club sell spirit wear without collecting cash?Open a free online spirit wear store and let supporters pay at checkout themselves — no envelopes, no order forms, and no cash passing through a...Read → How do I set up a school spirit wear store online for free?It really is free — the Starter plan is $0 a month, and your school pays nothing until products sell. You don't build it alone, either:...Read → How long does it take to set up a merch store with Print Your Cause?Setup is quick: submit the store request form, and a real person replies — usually within a business day — then builds the store with you...Read → How much does it cost a nonprofit to start an online merch store?Nothing upfront. The Starter plan is $0 per month, there are no minimum orders and no inventory to buy, and you pay only when products sell....Read → Is print on demand a good option for company swag?Yes — print on demand is one of the cleanest ways to handle company swag, because it removes the part that usually goes wrong: guessing sizes...Read → Is there a minimum order to print custom shirts for our school or nonprofit?No — your organization's online store has no order minimum. Every item is printed on demand when a supporter buys it, so one shirt prints and...Read → Should our organization place a one-time bulk t-shirt order or open an online merch store?It comes down to three questions: who pays, who chooses, and who receives. One payer, one design, one hand-out moment — that's a bulk order. Members...Read → What does a parent volunteer actually have to do to run a spirit wear store?Surprisingly little — we build the store with you in about a business day, and your part is choosing products, approving designs, setting prices, and sharing...Read → What results do organizations actually see from their online merch stores?Most organizations see results in the form of steady participation rather than a single big moment. Supporters keep coming back: 86% of organizations that make sales...Read →

Money, tax & payouts

Do we have to collect and remit sales tax when our school or team sells spirit wear online?Generally, no. Purchases run through our platform, and any applicable sales tax is calculated at checkout and handled where required — so your school or team...Read → How and when does our organization receive the profits from its online merch store?You keep 100% of your store's profit — the difference between each item's base cost and the price you set. We send profits every quarter or...Read → How should we price products in our school or nonprofit merch store?Start from your goal, not a number. Price at cost if the aim is getting gear on as many people as possible; add a markup if...Read → If we offer a discount code on our merch store, who pays for the discount?Your organization does. A discount comes out of the markup you set on each item, and if a code is worth more than that markup, you're...Read → Our nonprofit is tax-exempt - do supporters still pay sales tax when they buy from our merch store?Usually, yes. A nonprofit's tax exemption covers its own income taxes — it doesn't make purchases from your store tax-free for supporters, because sales tax is...Read →

Bulk orders & quotes

How do reorders of custom apparel work - can we just get the same shirts again?Usually, yes — just treat the old order as a starting point rather than a locked contract. Garment styles and colors get discontinued, so availability and...Read → What information do I need to get a quote for a bulk t-shirt or custom merch order?Come with the specifics: product, garment colors, a size breakdown, total quantity, your artwork file, the placement, the date you need everything in hand, and the...Read → What should we do with leftover fundraiser t-shirts?Put them to work: sell them at your next event, thank volunteers and donors, hand them out as prizes or welcome gifts, or donate them locally....Read → Which custom products can be printed on demand, and which need a bulk order?Nearly everything in the standard catalog — apparel, hats, bags, and other merch — prints on demand, one item at a time, with no minimums. Screen...Read → Who can print t-shirts, tablecloths, and banners for our event in one place?Print Your Cause can. One free store covers the gear people wear and use — t-shirts and other apparel, hats, bags, drinkware, and engraved recognition items...Read →

Artwork & printing

Should our logo be embroidered or printed on our custom apparel?Let the item decide. Embroidery belongs on structured pieces — polos, fleece, hats, bags — at small placements like the left chest, while printing wins on...Read → What is a DST file, and why does embroidery need one?A DST file is the instruction set an embroidery machine follows: where each stitch goes, in what order, and when to change thread. Ordinary logo files...Read → What is screen printing, and when is it right for custom shirts?Screen printing pushes ink through a fine mesh stencil onto the shirt, one color at a time, then cures it with heat — the result is...Read → What kind of logo file do I need for custom t-shirts and merch?A vector file — .ai, .eps, or a true vector .pdf — is best, because it stays sharp at any print size. A high-resolution .png with...Read → What's the difference between DTF and DTG printing?DTG (direct-to-garment) sprays water-based ink directly into the fabric, while DTF (direct-to-film) prints the design onto a film that is then heat-pressed onto the garment. DTG...Read → Why doesn't my logo meet print requirements, and how do I fix it?Almost always it means the file, not the logo: the image is too low-resolution to print sharply at product size (under 300 dpi), the background isn't...Read → Why don't the printed colors on our shirts match our logo on screen?Screens make color with light; shirts make it with ink and thread. The brightest screen colors sit outside what ink can physically reproduce, so printing shifts...Read →

Straight answers for organizers.