Promotional items for nonprofits give brands a boost

By Laurie Frees

The teams from more than 80,000 charities across Canada opens in new window are hard at work making the world a better place. They’re assisting on an array of fronts—from helping people access clean water to providing resources to young families. No matter the cause, raising awareness is important to their mission. Here are four organizations that, with an assist from a 4imprint one by one^® grant, found creative ways to boost their brand using promotional items for nonprofits.

Giving youth and families resources for mental health care

Acts of Kindness for Mental Health Foundation—aka The AOK Project—provides wellness grants to youth and their families who have been affected by mental health challenges and financial barriers. In turn, recipients are encouraged to pay it forward with acts of kindness for a person or organization of their choice. Wellness grants can be used for a variety of needs, such as purchasing essential items or registering for recreational or vocational classes.

A one by one promotional products grant provided fidget spinners that—along with personal hygiene products, hats, gloves, socks, umbrellas and snacks—were packed into “kindness bags.” The bags were distributed during the holiday season to youth with mental health challenges.

Supporting young families

Centre for Young Parents supports pregnant teens and those with young children in the community of Grande Prairie, Alberta, and surrounding areas. It offers an array of services, including a free childcare centre, nutrition support, parenting education, transportation, counseling, mental health services and more. Often its services enable young parents to finish their education so they can raise their families independently.

A one by one grant provided hot/cold packs that can offer postnatal relief, help with aches and pains, or be used to keep food cool during a work or school day. The packs were added to diaper bags that Centre for Young Parents gave to families. The bags also included baby shampoo and lotion, washcloths, towels, diapers, wipes and other hygiene supplies.

Providing a safe haven for cats

Chilliwack Animal Safe Haven began more than 20 years ago when a group of like-minded people purchased a piece of farmland in Chilliwack, British Columbia. They founded Chilliwack Animal Safe Haven as a no-kill animal sanctuary dedicated to caring for cats and providing adoption services. They have since helped more than 1,250 cats find furever homes.

A one by one grant provided reusable tote bags. The branded bags were filled with adoption paperwork, food samples, toys and other items and given as promotional thank-you gifts for new adopters. The grant also provided a tabletop display to improve the look of the team’s booth at public outreach events.

Helping global citizens gain access to safe water

H2O4ALL is on a mission to help people around the world gain access to clean water. While many of us take it for granted, more than 2 billion people are without safe water. H2O4ALL is involved in projects that include solar power, UV purification, rainwater harvesting, sustainable farming practices and greywater recovery, which involves the treating of wastewater for reuse.

A one by one grant provided water bottles for swag packages given at an annual golf tournament. The fundraiser supported a project in Uganda aimed at helping more than 6,000 people gain access to drinkable water.

Interested in receiving promotional items for charities?

If you’re on the board of directors or employed by an accredited school, registered Canadian charity or religious organization and working to improve your community, the one by one grant program can help. Visit onebyone.4imprint.ca to learn more about how to receive in-kind promotional items for nonprofits.

Laurie Frees

Laurie Frees is a merchandising category manager at 4imprint who specializes in apparel. With over 25 years of experience in merchandising and product development—plus four years in the promotional products industry—she brings deep expertise in fabric construction and logo application. Laurie manages the product assortment across all apparel categories, including T-shirts, polos, outerwear, dress shirts, sweatshirts and more. Her role includes tracking trends, building supplier partnerships and analyzing data to guide decisions. With a strong focus on products made from sustainable materials, Laurie helps drive innovation in core apparel offerings that customers rely on to showcase their brands.

All marks are the property of 4imprint or their respective owners.

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