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In a year when so many nonprofits lowered their fundraising expectations, the 24 Foundation exceeded theirs. Their landmark annual fundraiser, “24 Hours of Booty,” transitioned to a series of neighborhood efforts, dubbed “UnLooped,” and had more participants than ever before.

“It truly turned out to be a remarkable year for us,” says Lisa Dale, Vice President of the 24 Foundation. “We got creative and came up with ‘UnLooped,’ and leaned heavily on team captains to come up with ideas they thought would be fun and entertaining.” The teams rolled with the ideas, determined to do their part.

“Once they understood, we picked up momentum quickly and people were excited about it!” cheered Dale. Shifting to “virtual” celebrations allowed more people to take part, says Dale, resulting in teams participating from 32 states and 4 countries. In all, 1525 registrants raised more than $780,000!

And as they have since the very beginning, The Dunstan Group supported the fundraiser for cancer navigation and support services by providing top quality, branded merchandise and apparel as gifts and incentives. T-shirts, water bottles, and koozies marked the basics; but cool, creative branding is The Dunstan Group’s trademark. Add branded waterproof blankets, hammocks, Osprey backpacks, and winter vests to the unique incentives offered to top fundraisers.

“Scott Dunstan and his wonderful team are an integral part of our 24 Foundation family,” says Dale. “They are not only a steadfast partner that provides our 24 HOB swag and fundraising incentives, they actively participate as fundraisers and ‘walk the talk’ for our mission at 24 Foundation.”

Scott Dunstan has ridden in 24 Hours of Booty for several years and supported friends’ teams. Cancer is a cause near and dear to Scott since losing his mother to cancer when he was 10. The personal touch The Dunstan Group brings to every customer is even more heartfelt for 24 HOB and its virtual cousin this year. Ideas needed to be fresh and creative to meet this year’s new and unusual demands.

“The creative ideas that they present and produce are always of excellent quality and continue to take us to the next level,” agrees Dale. “We always receive high remarks from our participants about the quality of the swag, and the leading edge ‘cool factor’ that results in incredible branding and mission awareness for 24 Foundation.”

With branding from The Dunstan Group and a whole new way of approaching this year’s event, the message and awareness spread to new corners and communities where they had never been seen before. Expanding the 24 Foundation brand will allow the mission to grow, says Dale, and provide even more support to cancer patients and their families in coming years.

“Even in a pandemic, our cancer community needs us and we have to support it,” says Dale with a smile. “I couldn’t be more proud. There is such good in the world.”

Right now, fundraising is harder than ever. Between restrictions limiting the size of in-person events, to uncertainties about the economy, there are plenty of obstacles between nonprofits, sponsors, and donors. Creative nonprofits have turned to online pitches or virtual events to raise money and awareness. Branded merchandise from The Dunstan Group has helped them make that pivot.

“We want to help our friends and clients do good and keep businesses connected with their audiences even when we can’t gather in the pandemic environment.,” says The Dunstan Group Founder and President Scott Dunstan. “We knew we would need a unique approach that would require creativity.” Not a problem! The Dunstan Group has a track record of turning creative ideas into branded apparel and merchandise that gets results.

For nonprofits trying to continue their missions during such an unusual time, an extra dose of care and creativity is needed – since the clients ranged from a large, well-known event to the youngest of our neighbors, 12-year-old Emma Lyberg.

Emma needed to raise money for her Silver Award Project for Girl Scouts – similar to the merit progression for a Boy Scout Eagle Award. Part of the requirement is to create a community service project, and Emma chose to build two Little Free Libraries – one for her neighborhood, and one for the Camp Greene neighborhood in west Charlotte. But she also needed to raise money for it.

“Due to COVID-19 restrictions, most of the typical Girl Scout fundraisers were off the table, so Emma had to get creative,” says her dad, Basil Lyberg. “She landed on the T-shirt idea after coming across the ‘Bookmarks are for Quitters’ idea on Pinterest.” Emma made a pitch on Facebook and sold 126 shirts, but realized her original plan for making the shirts wouldn’t work. The Lybergs turned to The Dunstan Group to get it done right.

“MacLean (at The Dunstan Group) was so fast with the info and had several options for us in short order,” says Basil. “We went through our different options to hit the price point we needed so Emma could make sure she was able to meet her goal.” And did she ever! Emma raised $2,200 – enough to build both libraries and stock them with books, as well as provide books to other Little Free Libraries throughout the community.

“The Dunstan Group really came through!” reports the very proud dad. Congrats Emma!

Fundraising support for community organizations and nonprofits has always been a core part of The Dunstan Group mission. To Dunstan, being in business carries the responsibility of being a positive part of the community. He and the company have been a part of some efforts, like the 24 Hours of Booty, since the beginning. In addition to fundraising incentives for the 24 Foundation’s virtual “UnLooped” ride this year, The Dunstan Group also supported the team led by Scott’s close friend, Josh Jones. Jones rides every year for Team LIBstrong, named after his daughter Libby who died of Leukemia at the age of 3.

For Josh and Team LIBstrong, The Dunstan Group created an ordering link and posted a custom trucker hat with the pink LIBstrong logo on its social channels. “We orchestrated the link to sell the caps to their network and generated lots of buzz around it,” says Dunstan. Unlike in-person events, the link and hats were able to reach out-of-town customers, helping Jones and Team LIBstrong make up for donations they would usually collect with their in-person events.

Claire’s Army also tuned-in to The Dunstan Group’s creativity. The group is named for Claire Ratliff, another of cancer’s youngest victims. Her parents and their support group created Claire’s Army to help families whose children are hospitalized for cancer. Claire’s Army brings meals, gift cards, and services to help families take care of their responsibilities so they can focus on caring for their children.

Instead of a traditional fundraising gala, Claire’s Army is raising money with “Resilience Week,” including a virtual house party and silent auction. Registrants for Claire’s Army Resilience Week could win newly-designed Claire’s Army T-shirts and ball caps produced by The Dunstan Group during weekly drawings. Party packages include deliveries in a custom, pink box with the Claire’s Army logo. This was the first year Claire’s Army – with its staff of one, Claire’s mom, Emily – worked with The Dunstan Group, and Emily loved how everything turned out.

“We came to Brian at The Dunstan Group with ideas to make the Claire’s Army event something unique,” Emily says, noting that it’s been a challenge to do everything virtually this year. “Brian was so creative, and helped us think through all of these options, with a quick turnaround.” Brian Young, The Dunstan Group’s Director of Business Development, suggested the box of party supplies like drinks, a tumbler, a Spotify playlist, and a gift card to Little Mama’s restaurant. Out of town participants would get hats or T-shirts instead of drinks and the restaurant meal. The extra care made the difference.

“Usually we just place an order with a supplier, and that’s it,” says Emily. “But this feels more like a brand relationship, and they’re going to get involved in what you’re doing and how to best use your resources to tell your story.” Emily also praises The Dunstan Group team for being upfront about supply chain challenges and how to compensate. “They kept track, and kept us posted!” she remarked.

Creativity, service, and relationships – helping Charlotte’s do-gooders, both big and small, even in a most unpredictable year.

Even if you’ve never ridden a bike further than your neighborhood, you’ve probably heard of the legendary Booty Loop. The loop of streets around Myers Park is a favorite place for cyclists to train, and host to the epic 24 Hours of Booty cancer fundraiser every year. Since the “24 HoB” began in 2002, it has raised nearly $21 million for cancer navigation services and support, including a record-breaking $1.4 million in 2019. How do you top that? In a pandemic?

In 2020, to turn a phrase, you “unloop” it. Because of COVID-19, and the health and safety of participants, this year’s 24 Hours of Booty is a virtual event. What does this mean? It means teams are encouraged to register, fundraise, and participate in their own events that they create. Welcome to the “UnLooped” 24 Hours of Booty.

“We’ve taken different components and found ways to bring it to your backyard,” says Executive Director Katy Ryan. “We’ve asked participants to organize events and have fun, within social distancing guidelines.” 109 teams have registered so far, says Ryan, and they’re encouraged to take pictures and tag @24Foundation on social media during the 24 hours the race would have taken place, July 24-25, from 7pm to 7pm.

And just like years past, participants will still get a goody bag of cool swag, provided by sponsors and the Dunstan Group. The Dunstan Group is in the business of making branded apparel and accessories, but their driving mission is to be an active part of the community by doing good. The company has been providers and brand-setters for 24 HoB for the past decade, because of Dunstan Group Founder and President Scott Dunstan’s experience with his own mother’s cancer battle.

“It’s part of who we want to be,” says Scott Dunstan. “Part of building a business is being a part of the community.”

Among the items participants will find in swag bags include a branded water bottle sponsored by PNC, sparklers for a memorial to cancer victims and survivors, and luminaries to set out at the curb just like the ones on the traditional route. The Dunstan Group is supplying T-shirts, pens, and card-holders for phone cases, and incentive items like hammocks for top fundraisers. The challenges of a virtual event were a chance for the Dunstan Group to show its creativity.

“The virtual element is a whole new world,” says Scott Dunstan, noting that giving participants T-shirts is literally “part of the fabric” of 24 Hours of Booty. But creativity is where the Dunstan Group really shines. “We listen, we understand what’s happening, and we come back with ideas within the budget we have.”

“Scott was such an integral part of growing the 24 brand, I don’t know where we’d be right now without his insight,” says Ryan. “We really owe a great deal to the Dunstan Group for all of that.”

And challenges? “Any time we have a group we want to reach out to, Scott has a solution for that,” says Ryan.

So even in a year when a celebrated event can’t take place in-person, the mission of raising money for cancer support goes on in neighborhoods across the Charlotte area. Every little bit counts, and any way the Dunstan Group can create a win-win proposal, they do it.

“It’s tough thing to do that this year, but everyone understands that,” says Scott Dunstan. “We don’t have as much to give this year, but the goal is to stay here and stay active, so we can give more next year.”

Aside from voting, there’s likely nothing more patriotic than buying American-made goods and services. Arguably, there is no better time than now to keep your money local. And yes, there’s an ever-expanding list of MUSA branded merchandise and apparel options to tell your story, build your brand, and make a lasting impression. Here are some of our year-round favorites here at The Dunstan Group. 

Coleman 16-Quart Wheeled Cooler

Social distancing doesn’t mean you can’t take it outside and keep your cool with even the most intimate group. This Coleman 16-Quart Wheeled Cooler is made from high-density foam insulation for maximum cold retention. With a big, bold, space for branding, too. Now that’s cool! 

SlingGrip Phone Grips 

Give ANY phone case secure, one-handed, easy-to-use grip with SlingGrip Phone Grips. SlingGrip uses a removable, non-sticky, adhesive for easy attachment. It’s “pocket friendly,” and comes in a variety of base colors that are sure to match your brand and logo. 

Grip Write Digital Full Color Wrap Pen 

You’ve heard the new saying: keep your germs AND the pen. These are some of the most popular wide-body pens in the marketplace— and for good reason. For starters, you get one of the LARGEST imprint areas available. Eversmooth ink in black or blue, and a great price create a proven winner! 

Bayside Canvas Tote 

Here’s an item that’ll get year-round use. These Bayside Canvas Totes are perfect for grocery runs, beach trips, or travel. Great colors and plenty of room for decoration, plus the 100% cotton canvas construction is built to last. That means they’ll carry around YOUR brand and logo for a long, long time. 

Shop these Made in the USA faves and more here: https://shop.dunstangroup.biz/sr/1841860

If a picture says 1,000 words, we’re pretty sure branded merchandise can say a whole lot more. Imagine that every time your client puts that product to use, the message you hoped to convey is repeated once more. And while we’re all still navigating in social distancing limbo, those messages are more important than ever. 

A most recent project here at The Dunstan Group bundled Fourth of July themed drinkware and a thoughtful “thank you” note from a financial services firm that wanted to let their customers know how much they appreciate the partnership. To further the “wow factor,” these surprise packages are being delivered “direct-to-client,” just in time for the holiday. 

Ordinarily, we’d share a few more details, but we don’t want to spoil our client’s surprise! But this same kind of experience is one that can be replicated across brands, across business lines, or across departments, and just about anywhere across the planet with direct-to-client shipping. 

Branded merchandise and apparel can say, “thank you.” Unless you’re a grocery store or gas station, you’re probably not transacting with your client on a daily basis. In between sales you can let them know you appreciate the business. 

Branded merchandise and apparel can say, “we’re thinking about you.” We get it; these are strange times, indeed. Most every brand and business is going through some kind of struggles. Let your clients know we’re all in this together, and that you’re just a phone call or email away.

Branded merchandise and apparel can say, “we support you.” Got employees still juggling the work-from-home life? Connect with a gift sent right to their door. Let’s be honest; getting the mail is kind of exciting these days. 

Branded merchandise and apparel can say, “let’s get together.” Even if you’ll never get closer than a zoom call these days, branded merchandise or apparel can be a unique personal invitation. 

And the list doesn’t end there. What do YOU want to say to clients, employees, or prospects? For every reason to communicate, there’s an effective and useful piece of branded merchandise or apparel that can do the talking. We’re here to listen— let us know how we can help!