Fundraising Campaign Merchandise & Rewards

Donor fatigue isn't a giving problem — it's a design problem. The campaigns that consistently outperform aren't the ones asking harder, they're the ones giving supporters something worth giving for: a hoodie that says who they stand with, a collectible worth completing, a product that keeps their cause visible long after the campaign ends.

Novelli designs and manufactures the custom-branded merchandise that makes fundraising and cause-related marketing campaigns work - for charities running direct appeals, and for corporates and retail partners building cause-related marketing programmes with a nonprofit partner. We're a branded merchandise manufacturer, not a catalogue reseller. Every product is designed from scratch to your brief and delivered to your stores, warehouses or supporters across New Zealand, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe.

We've built fundraising merchandise programmes for Ronald McDonald House Charities, Cure Kids, the Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, Movember, St John Ambulance and Children's Miracle Network Hospitals - often in partnership with the retail and corporate brands backing them.

If you're planning a fundraising campaign, a cause partnership, or a corporate giving initiative - this page is for you.

THE PROBLEM WITH THE STANDARD DONATION ASK — AND WHAT WORKS BETTER

A collection bucket gets loose change. A cause worth wearing gets loyalty.
The difference isn't the size of the ask — it's whether supporters get something back that means something.
Here's why reward-led fundraising consistently outperforms the ask-only model:

TANGIBLE REWARDS INCREASE GENEROSITY

Behavioural research consistently shows people give more — and give again — when they receive something tangible in return. A well-designed reward isn't a cost against your fundraising total. It's a multiplier on it.

VISIBILITY THAT OUTLASTS THE CAMPAIGN

A hoodie at a sporting event. A tote at the supermarket checkout. Every wear, carry or use puts your cause in front of new people — marketing that keeps working long after the appeal ends, without spending another cent.

RETENTION, NOT JUST A ONE-OFF DONATION

Getting someone to give once is the easy part. A quality piece of branded merchandise does the relationship-building work long after the campaign closes, turning a single donation into a returning supporter.

NovaBrix Macca's Makers building set for McDonald's McHappy Day fundraising campaign

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CUSTOM BUILD & COLLECTIBLE SETS

NovaBrix custom-branded building sets designed around a cause narrative — from the McHappy Day Macca's Makers set that helped drive a record AU$6.4M fundraising result, to the NovaBrix tugboat built for Ports of Auckland's NZ Coastguard partnership.

Bunnings x Movember hoodies - Novelli fundraising merchandise

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CO-BRANDED APPAREL

Hoodies, tees and workwear that pair a cause with a brand supporters already trust. Our Bunnings Trade x MATES in Construction hoodies sold out across Australia and New Zealand — proof that co-branded apparel can carry a cause and outsell as a retail product in its own right.

Ace Hardware reusable carry bag supporting Children's Miracle Network Hospitals

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REUSABLE RETAIL FUNDRAISING PRODUCTS

Carry bags, drinkware and everyday items sold through retail partners, with proceeds directed to a cause — like the Ace Hardware bag supporting Children's Miracle Network Hospitals across 5,000+ US stores, and the Foodstuffs Pink Ribbon bag for Breast Cancer Foundation NZ.

Cure Kids Red Nose Day merchandise produced by Novelli

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LIMITED-EDITION COLLECTIBLES

A collectible built around a single campaign moment — like Cure Kids' Red Nose Day, where we've produced and distributed over 100,000 units annually since 2010. Simple, affordable, and built for mass participation.

Plunket and Water Safety NZ co-branded bath mat

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AWARENESS & EVERYDAY PRODUCTS

Practical items that carry a safety or awareness message into everyday life — like the Plunket and Water Safety NZ bath mats designed to keep child water safety top of mind at home.

Foodstuffs Pink Ribbon reusable carry bag for Breast Cancer Foundation NZ

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EVENT & COMMUNITY MERCHANDISE

Merchandise built for a specific fundraising event or appeal window - sized, packaged and distributed to hit a fixed campaign date, from a single regional appeal to a simultaneous multi-territory launch such as the Breast Cancer Foundation NZ Pink Day bags.

Bunnings Trade x MATES in Construction co-branded hoodie — a cause-related marketing product by Novelli

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CORPORATE CAUSE-RELATED MARKETING

Corporates backing a charity partner through a product-led campaign - this is cause-related marketing in its classic form: a commercial product with a fixed donation attached, giving customers a reason to buy while generating a measurable contribution to the cause. Apparel, GWP-style rewards or retail products that align a brand with a cause while driving real commercial results for the retailer.

Relevant formats: Co-Branded Apparel, Custom Build Sets, Retail Fundraising Products

Cure Kids Red Nose Day merchandise — a charity fundraising campaign by Novelli

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CHARITY-LED CAMPAIGNS

National appeals and annual fundraising moments where merchandise is the core mechanic - collectibles, counter-top displays and point-of-sale product managed end-to-end, including online ordering and distribution to hundreds of retail partners.

Relevant formats: Collectibles, Point-of-Sale Product, Event Merchandise

Ace Hardware reusable carry bag being scanned at checkout, supporting Children's Miracle Network Hospitals

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RETAIL-CHANNEL FUNDRAISING

Fundraising product sold through major retail networks - carry bags, seasonal collectibles and counter items distributed across thousands of stores simultaneously, with full logistics and inventory management handled by our team.

Relevant formats: Reusable Bags, Collectibles, Ranged SKUs

MCDONALD'S & RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITY (AUSTRALIA) - RECORD RESULTS FOR MCHAPPY DAY

Find out how our big idea, a lot of persistence and some world-leading product innovation contributed to a record AU$6.4M McHappy Day fundraising event for Ronald McDonald House Charity.

Read the full McHappy Day case study

NovaBrix Macca's Makers custom branded building brick set — McDonald's Australia McHappy Day fundraising campaign raising AU$6.4 million

ACE HARDWARE & CHILDREN'S MIRACLE NETWORK (USA) - WORKING MIRACLES ONE BAG AT A TIME

Learn more about the reusable carry bag we designed for Ace Hardware and how it has created a win-win-win situation benefiting their stores, enhancing the Ace Hardware brand, and supporting the Children's Miracle Network (C.M.N.) Hospitals.

Read the full Ace Hardware case study

Ace Hardware staff member scanning a Novelli-designed reusable carry bag that raises funds for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals

BUNNINGS TRADE & MATES IN CONSTRUCTION (AUS / NZ) - LOOKING OUT FOR YOUR MATES

When Bunnings Trade wanted to support men's mental health through Movember and MATES in Construction, Novelli developed co-branded hoodies that sold out across both Australia and New Zealand - turning a simple apparel item into a fundraising vehicle that resonated with their tradie customer base.

Read the full MATES X Bunnings case study

Two tradies wearing co-branded Bunnings Trade and MATES in Construction hoodies developed by Novelli for the mental health fundraising campaign

ASB & ST JOHN AMBULANCE (NZ) - TURNING LITTLE AMBULANCES INTO BIG AMBULANCES

The results of this enormously popular campaign over a number of years impacted many communities across New Zealand. For Novelli, this campaign also saw the birth of our NovaBrix building block brand.

Read the full ASB x St Johns Ambulance case study

NovaBrix toy ambulance and station building set developed by Novelli for the ASB and St John Ambulance fundraising campaign across New Zealand

WHY BRANDS CHOOSE NOVELLI

Nearly 100 Years of Experience

Fundraising and cause-led merchandise is one of our core specialisms, not a side offering.
End-to-End Capability

Concept, design, manufacture, compliance, logistics. One supplier, one relationship.

Global Reach

NZ, Australia, US, UK and Europe, with the ability to run simultaneous multi-territory campaigns.
Sustainability Built In

Recycled content, FSC-certified packaging and compostable options available via our n-viroloop programme.

"A lot of vendors can get into our warehouses and sell their products, but it takes a special vendor to go above and beyond and support the ACE Foundation and CMN hospitals - and that’s what Novelli did with this bag. They went above and beyond, and we appreciate it".

Kelli BrouderAce Foundation Manager at Ace Hardware Foundation

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT NOVELLI'S FUNDRAISING MERCHANDISE CAMPAIGNS

Everything you need to know about working with Novelli on merchandise for fundraising campaigns. For more information, our 'What We Do - Fundraising' page. If we have missed something, please reach out to us -Contact Us

What's the difference between fundraising merchandise and cause-related marketing? Fundraising merchandise is typically charity-led - a product sold or given away to directly raise money for a cause, like a collectible or an appeal-day item.

Cause-related marketing is usually corporate-led - a commercial brand attaches a donation to a product it already sells, aligning itself with a cause while driving its own retail results.

Novelli works across both models: from charity appeals like Cure Kids' Red Nose Day, to corporate cause-related marketing partnerships like Bunnings Trade x MATES in Construction and B&Q's Christmas jumpers for Shelter.

What makes a fundraising campaign merchandise idea work? The best-performing fundraising products are things supporters genuinely want to own — not an item with a logo added as an afterthought. We start with your cause and audience, then design the product and mechanic together.

Can Novelli manage a fundraising campaign that runs through retail stores? Yes — several of our fundraising programmes run through major retail networks, with full logistics, distribution and inventory management handled by our team.

How long does a fundraising merchandise campaign take to produce? Most programmes run 12–20 weeks from confirmed brief to delivered stock, though sourced and lightly branded products can move faster. Get in touch early to protect your campaign date.

Do you only work with charities? No - we work directly with charities, corporates backing a cause partner, and retail brands running cause-led retail programmes.

FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN MERCHANDISE & REWARDS

DONORS AREN'T TIRED OF GIVING. THEY'RE TIRED OF GIVING FOR NOTHING BACK.

Trusted by leading retailers, charities, corporates and cause campaigns

THE PROBLEM WITH THE STANDARD DONATION ASK — AND WHAT WORKS BETTER

THE RANGE OF FUNDRAISING MERCHANDISE WE DESIGN & MANUFACTURE

CAUSE RELATED INSIGHTS FROM THE TEAM THAT BUILDS THEM

WHERE THESE CAMPAIGNS RUN

WHAT THESE CAMPAIGNS LOOK LIKE IN PRACTICE

MCDONALD'S & RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITY (AUSTRALIA) - RECORD RESULTS FOR MCHAPPY DAY

ACE HARDWARE & CHILDREN'S MIRACLE NETWORK (USA) - WORKING MIRACLES ONE BAG AT A TIME

BUNNINGS TRADE & MATES IN CONSTRUCTION (AUS / NZ) - LOOKING OUT FOR YOUR MATES

ASB & ST JOHN AMBULANCE (NZ) - TURNING LITTLE AMBULANCES INTO BIG AMBULANCES

WHY BRANDS CHOOSE NOVELLI

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT NOVELLI'S FUNDRAISING MERCHANDISE CAMPAIGNS

THE BEST FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGNS DON'T JUST ASK. THEY GIVE SOMETHING BACK.