Promotional merch helps commemorate experiences

Organizations find key revenue stream in souvenirs

By Laurie Frees

For many organizations, generating revenue is a priority—and often a challenge. Those offering an experience, whether it be an event, attraction or activity, can see a boost from selling promotional merchandise as souvenirs. The U.S. souvenir, novelty and gift industry opens in new window totals more than $20 billion annually, showing a demand for keepsakes. Two nonprofits, The Black Sheep Gathering opens in new window and Taliesin^® Preservation opens in new window, are getting creative with promotional merch to help visitors commemorate their experiences. Find out how each uses souvenirs to support its efforts.

Taliesin Preservation's gift shop is a hot spot

Tourist attraction stocks variety of crowd-pleasers

Taliesin Preservation’s mission is to preserve the cultural, structural and natural environments of the 800-acre Wisconsin property known as Taliesin, once home to legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright. While the estate is owned by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, the nonprofit runs all educational and cultural programming, events and tours.

Preservation of Frank Lloyd Wright’s 800-acre estate includes Taliesin - Wright’s home of nearly 50 years, and several other buildings. Taliesin Preservation is the nonprofit organization that runs the tour program, events, Riverview Terrace Cafe, and The Wright Gift Shop, welcoming more than 30,000 visitors from around the world each year. Those visitors often want a keepsake to remember their experience, making the Taliesin gift shop a popular stop.

The word “souvenir” originated in the French language and means “memory” or “remembrance.” opens in new window And that’s why a gift shop can be so powerful. Suzanne Powers, gift shop manager, said the assortment of branded merchandise and other souvenirs is hugely popular when visitors finish their tour. “When our guests first get to the gift shop, before the tour, they usually just walk around and look at things,” she said. “When they come back after being inspired at the house and hearing the tour guides, they come rushing back in like they’ve never seen the gift shop before and they’re so excited.”

Powers has found success with a variety of products. She said functional items, like h2go^® water bottles, embroidered caps, ponchos and quilted vests, are especially attractive. And traditional souvenirs, like mugs and magnets, never go out of style. Items are sold at a wide range of price points—from $1 to $3,000—to accommodate all shoppers.

No matter what promotional merch people buy, their purchases are helping sustain the nonprofit and move its mission forward. Their souvenirs are also helping raise brand awareness, allowing more people to hear about Taliesin Preservation and all its history and beauty. “People just love to bring a piece of the property back with them,” Powers said. “They want something that says they’ve been here.”

The Black Sheep Gathering upped its merch game

Festival store a welcome revenue stream

The Black Sheep Gathering is an Oregon nonprofit agricultural organization that celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024. The group hosts an annual three-day festival— The Black Sheep Gathering—for breeders and fiber enthusiasts to share knowledge, discuss breeding and raising colored sheep and angora goats, and enjoy the company of friends in the natural-colored sheep and wool community.

Mike Todd, store committee chair, said that though it’s a niche event, an estimated 10,000 people from around the world attend the three-day festival. Admission has always been free, but it costs thousands of dollars to put on the event, so fundraising is critical.

About six years ago, Todd was tasked with breathing new life into the festival store. He seized the opportunity, stocking a variety of custom-branded merchandise to give attendees all kinds of options to commemorate their experiences. It’s a strategy proven to be successful for many nonprofits, as selling merchandise can diversify fundraising portfolios opens in new window, making organizations less reliant on large grants or gifts.

“I’m always looking for things that knitters, spinners, farmers and ranchers would be interested in,” Todd said. “So we’ve sold things like tote bags, aprons, cotton pouches and tape measures.”

Among his successes is the creation of a grab bag, which included 12 small products and sold for $25. While each took time to prepare, they were popular and profitable. He also came up with a fun slogan to imprint on products next to the organization’s black sheep logo: “Every family has one.” The tagline quickly caught on, and the design has been used on caps, T-shirts, drinkware and more.

All this has led to an abundance of souvenir options for attendees and an important new revenue source for The Black Sheep Gathering. That means more stability—and many happy colored-sheep breeders and fiber enthusiasts, mostly from western North America.

Promotional merch can boost brands and bottom lines

Taliesin Preservation and The Black Sheep Gathering provide one-of-a-kind experiences. By offering a vast array of custom branded merchandise, visitors can find the right keepsake while supporting the organization that made their experience possible. Their stories are a great reminder for nonprofits and for-profits alike—that selling branded merch can be the cherry on top of a memorable experience. Learn more at blacksheepgathering.org opens in new window and taliesinpreservation.org opens in new window.

Trademarks