How the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada Runs a Nonprofit Merch Store That Funds Its Mission
- Client:
- Jane Goodall Institute of Canada
- Use case:
- Nonprofit merch program
- Services:
- Warehousing, pick and pack, ship on demand
Supporters of the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada (JGI Canada) had been asking for merch for years. Their online store finally gave them a way in: every purchase helps fund the institute's work protecting animals, people, and the environment, and every item carries the message somewhere new. JGI Canada runs the store. We keep the inventory in our warehouse, and each order placed through their dashboard is picked, packed, and shipped by our team, so a small staff with a big mission never has to touch a shipping box.
What challenge was the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada trying to solve?
The Jane Goodall Institute of Canada wanted a nonprofit merch store that could do two jobs at once: fund the institute's work and give supporters a way to carry the mission with them. Jane Goodall has been a household name for decades. What many of her Canadian admirers didn't know is that a Canadian institute exists, working directly to protect animals, people, and the environment at home. JGI Canada set three goals: raise awareness of their programs, give supporters a meaningful way to contribute, and build a deeper connection to the mission. Merch could do all three, as a fundraising channel and a conversation starter, but only if every product lived up to the name on it.
“We wanted to create another way for people to support our work, and to do so with items that represent who we are and allow them to become advocates of our “Hope Through Action” message.”
Natalie N., Digital Marketing Manager, Jane Goodall Institute of Canada
Why is running a merch store hard for a small nonprofit team?
Because everything about a store is somebody's job. Sourcing products, vetting suppliers, holding inventory, packing orders, getting them out the door: for a small team, every one of those tasks competes with the actual work of conservation. And for JGI Canada the bar sat higher than most. Every product had to meet the standards of an environmental leader, because a store that funds conservation can't stock items that undercut it. Fulfillment had to be reliable and fast, because a small team with big goals has no slack for chasing shipments. And the products had to tell a story, not just carry a logo. Plenty of suppliers can print a logo. The store JGI Canada needed asked for more than printing.
How does the merch program work day to day?
The store is theirs. The logistics are ours. JGI Canada runs their online merch store: their brand, their supporters, their decisions about what belongs on the shelf. We source products against their standards, from suppliers who hold to them, and the inventory lives in our warehouse. When orders need to go out, their team submits a request through their dashboard and we pick, pack, and ship on demand. Live inventory means they always know what's on the shelf, so a reorder starts while there's still stock to sell. Their part of the day-to-day stays small on purpose: decide what the store carries, and send the requests. Ours is everything that happens after.
“Ethical Swag was a great choice for our merch partner: not only did they provide us with great products, but they came from suppliers who are aligned with our high standards. From ideation to delivery, the process is seamless and has sustainability in mind.”
Jane Goodall Institute of Canada team
What has the merch program done for the mission?
Every purchase helps fund JGI Canada's work protecting animals, people, and the environment, so the store earns while it educates. Some products do more than raise money. Plantable seed cards grow into pollinator habitat, and each one planted joins the Garden of Hope, JGI Canada's digital map of supporter impact across Canada. And the merch keeps working after checkout: supporters wearing it become everyday ambassadors, carrying the conversation places a campaign can't reach.
“Our supporters have always asked for merch, and we're excited to provide them with top-quality products that are beautiful and make a direct impact on our work.”
Jane Goodall Institute of Canada team
What can other teams take from this?
JGI Canada's program holds three lessons for any nonprofit weighing a merch store, and most of them travel just as well to corporate teams running an ongoing merch program.
- 1Step 1
Start with the story
Choose products that embody the mission. A seed card that grows into pollinator habitat isn't a giveaway, it's the work in miniature. When the product tells the story, every sale starts a conversation.
- 2Step 2
Make it operationally easy
A store is a commitment, but the heavy parts don't have to be yours. When a partner holds the inventory and handles every pick, pack, and ship, a small team can run a store without staffing one.
- 3Step 3
Engage through impact and advocacy
Show supporters what their purchase achieves, whether that's habitat planted or programs funded. Merch gets worn, shared, and talked about, and that visibility outlasts any single transaction.
“If another nonprofit organization is interested in strengthening their connection with their community, and doing so in a tangible and meaningful way, we would encourage them to take part in a similar kind of swag program.”
Jane Goodall Institute of Canada team
Questions about nonprofit merch programs
How does a nonprofit merch store work?
A nonprofit merch store is an online store where supporters buy branded products and the proceeds help fund the organization's work. The nonprofit decides what the store carries and tells the story; a fulfillment partner can hold the inventory and handle shipping so the store doesn't become a second job. Done well, every item works twice, once as revenue and again as a conversation carried into the world.
Who handles fulfillment for a nonprofit merch store?
Whoever the nonprofit chooses, and it doesn't have to be the nonprofit. JGI Canada runs their store while the inventory sits in our warehouse. When orders need to go out, their team sends the request from their dashboard and our warehouse team picks, packs, and ships it. The store stays theirs; the boxes, labels, and carrier pickups stay ours.
Can a small team run an ongoing merch program?
Yes, when running the store is the team's only job and the logistics are somebody else's. JGI Canada's store is run by a small staff whose real work is conservation. They choose products, tell the story, and send shipment requests; the storing, packing, and shipping happen in our warehouse. The program has run this way for years without adding headcount to run it.