Backpacks, bottles and a B-Corp business: turning merch into meaningful impact!
At A Good Thing, we love seeing businesses turn surplus stock into something meaningful – and our recent match with Project Merchandise was a perfect example of just that! The promotional products company has just donated an array of useful branded items (including wet bags, backpacks and water bottles) to three fantastic charities, proving that even the smallest items can make a big impact, especially to those who need it most.
The donor: Project Merchandise’s commitment to good
Project Merchandise is no stranger to generosity. As a paying subscriber of A Good Thing, the firm has donated a variety of items in the past, from duffel bags to sticky notes, always finding ways to repurpose excess stock for the benefit of others. But the company’s impact goes beyond donations. As a proud B Corp, Project Merchandise is committed to using business as a force for good, ensuring that its products and operations align with sustainability and social responsibility.
The company is also part of the British Promotional Merchandise Association’s (BPMA) ‘StepForward Pledge,’ which encourages members to take actionable steps toward ethical and environmentally-friendly business practices.
The recipients: three charities, three big impacts
The donated wet bags, backpacks and water bottles found new homes with three inspiring organisations, each using the items in unique and meaningful ways.
CAPE (Community Activities Project Ealing)
CAPE supports adults living with complex mental health issues, helping
them engage in community activities that promote well-being and resilience. The charity received 200 branded water bottles, which will be distributed at an upcoming wellbeing event. While CAPE hasn’t used the bottles yet, it shared that the donation process was straightforward and easy. The charity regularly checks A Good Thing’s platform for new opportunities, highlighting how businesses’ unwanted items can meet ongoing needs in the charity sector.
Blaze Trails CIC
For Blaze Trails, a national non-profit supporting parents and babies in the great outdoors, the backpacks were a perfect match! The 334 donated Exodus-branded backpacks are being given to the charity’s volunteer walk leaders, who dedicate their time to creating community spaces for parents through group walks in nature.
The backpacks serve as both a token of appreciation for volunteers and a recruitment incentive to grow the charity’s network – helping even more families to experience the benefits of time spent outside.
YMCA
The 199 Exodus-branded wet bags found a new purpose with YMCA’s charity shops, where they will be resold to raise funds for the organisation’s vital work. From providing housing to supporting young people with employment opportunities, the YMCA’s impact reaches across the UK, and donations like this help sustain its long-term mission.
Why it all matters
This match is a brilliant example of how businesses can extend the life of their products while supporting charities that make a real difference. Whether it’s a backpack helping a parent to find community, a water bottle supporting mental well-being, or a wet bag funding youth programmes, these donations are far more than just surplus stock – they’re tools for change.
Here at A Good Thing, we are exceptionally proud to be able to facilitate such matches and create meaningful impact.
Want to be part of the movement? If you’re a business with unused items, consider signing up to A Good Thing and letting your excess products find a new, impactful home. Because together, we can turn good intentions into even greater outcomes.