Move Over Fortune 500
As in most things, Fortune 500 companies and corporations get all of the attention when it comes to challenge coins. They have all of the money and all of the prestige, so it makes sense that they also get most of the spotlight. But you don’t have to be a household name to benefit from custom coins. Nonprofits and charities make regular orders for challenge coins as well, and they often put them to quite unique uses.
In addition to the traditional uses and benefits of challenge coins — like showing employee appreciation or marking a major business milestone — nonprofits are often able to make use of challenge coins for fundraising and increased marketing efforts. Coca-Cola might not need to get the word out about who they are with custom coins, but when you’re a small organization trying to change the world, custom challenge coins can be just the kind of push you need.
Anything They Can Do, You Can Do Better
Custom challenge coins have been woven into the fabric of corporate culture. A Fortune 500 company deciding to commission coins is seen as perfectly natural. Ordering coins might not be the first idea nonprofits have, but there’s no real reason why it shouldn’t be.
Fundraising is a cornerstone of running a nonprofit. As the name implies, these organizations don’t have a steady stream of revenue coming in. The money they need to accomplish their goals has to come from other sources, and one of the easiest of those is fundraising. These efforts often take the shape of selling branded materials, auctioning off unique experiences, or hosting events and accepting donations. Branded materials serve the dual purpose of getting the organization’s name, mission, and logo out in front of people while also making money. But in a world where companies give away pens, mugs, bracelets, and t-shirts like they’re Halloween candy, more unique items better serve to capture people’s attention and get them talking.
Because of their perceived value, challenge coins not only make for a great talking point, they also make for a solid fundraising item. How much can you honestly sell a branded coffee mug for? Most people already have mugs and would only buy another one for the novelty of it, and chances are they aren’t willing to spend much more than $5 - $10. Challenge coins, however, with their precious metal plating and high-level craftsmanship, are worth so much more. You can easily charge $15 - $20 per coin, quickly make back the expense of ordering the coins, and still see a great profit. And the word of mouth you’ll create when people talk about the special coin they received while supporting a worthy cause is priceless.
Cost is often the first reason offered for why a nonprofit might pass on the opportunity to create their own custom challenge coins. But the truth is that the financial benefits of using coins for a fundraiser far outweigh the cost.
All the Cool Organizations Are Doing It
Signature Coins is dedicated to being the top custom coin manufacturer in the world. We wouldn’t be able to accomplish that goal if we couldn’t provide coins to every customer who might request them. Here are some examples of the coins we’ve made for different nonprofits and charities over the years.
These coins have been getting a lot of attention on our site and around the office lately. While the Miami-Dade PD might not be a nonprofit, they used the creation of their Going Pink challenge coins to raise money for breast cancer research.
Heroes in the Rough has placed a number of orders with us for everything from golf ball markers to patches. All of their products serve the dual function of raising funds to support their operation — all of the products can be purchased — while also signaling inclusion in the group, since the veterans who participate in Heroes in the Rough events can be given the items for free.
The Highground coin is also being employed for this dual purpose. The coins themselves aren’t for sale. Instead, every so often, and always at random, the people working with this fascinating project collect the names of their regular donors and send them a new custom coin in the series.
The nonprofit we’ve probably done the most work for over the years is the 501st Legion. They utilize challenge coins for a number of different reasons. If you’ve ever seen or attended one of their events, chances are we made custom coins for it.
Custom Coins Are For Everyone
One thing we want to impress upon people is that custom coins aren’t just for the military or for corporations with deep pockets — custom coins are for everyone. And if you have an event coming up or a general need to raise funds and spread awareness of your organization or your cause, consider using custom coins to accomplish your goals. Don’t give your donors yet another t-shirt they don’t need and might not even wear. Give them something they can be impressed with, proud of, and will talk about and remember for a long time.
