GUIDELINES FOR SELLING T-SHIRTS

These guidelines are based on the experiences of students at the Claremont Colleges in Claremont, CA. After designing the shirts in fall 2004, students from several campus organizations began selling them on campus and in the local area.

HOW TO BUY

Sizes: American Apparel shirts run small. We find that a women's small is equivalent to youth larges in other brands. For college students, women's smalls and mediums and men’s mediums and larges are the most popular sizes.

Colors: All shirts are printed in white ink with a single design on the front. Popular shirt colors are brown, kelly, teal, and black.

Quantity: We have sold as many as 150 shirts in a week at our five-college campus dining halls (our campuses have a total population of just over 5,000). At large events (e.g., film screenings, prominent speakers, international festivals, etc.) you could sell 100+ shirts in a day. Because t-shirts cost less in higher quantities, you might consider making a single large order for the semester or year. Many groups have also been successful collecting orders and money in advance, then placing an order - with the advantage that people can specify the size and color of shirt they want upfront.

Funding: We used our club's funds to cover the initial cost of purchasing t-shirts, poster boards, letter writing materials, etc. We then used some of the cash from shirt sales to replenish our budget and buy more shirts. You might be able to get a grant from your school or organization to cover some or all of the shirt costs. Alternatively, individuals in your group can purchase the shirts and be reimbursed using cash from shirt sales.

HOW TO SELL

We've found that the t-shirts are very popular and easy to sell. We've been selling them for $12 each in our dining halls and at campus events, and in town at the local farmers market. We usually table with a tri-fold poster board, with color photos and information about the situation in Darfur, ourselves, and the organization that will be receiving the proceeds. The poster board attracts potential buyers and helps to raise awareness about the continuing genocide. We also provide letter-writing materials and petitions for Darfur-related political activities. This approach has worked well for us, but by all means—get creative!

WHERE TO SEND THE PROCEEDS

We donate the money we raise to various organizations working on Darfur-related issues. For a list of suggested organizations, click here.

© 2004-2007 Students Against Genocide