Silicone bracelets, also called rubber band bracelets or awareness bracelets, are a unisex fashion craze and an excellent choice for raising money for school groups – or whatever the cause.
Lance Started it All
They sprang onto the scene when Lance Armstrong, world-renowned (and de-throned) cyclist and cancer survivor, designed and began selling them as part of a fundraising effort to assist other cancer survivors (LiveStrong).
Soon after, other charities embraced the personalized wristbands as the “perfect” wearable item to support their cause or organization.
People who shudder at the thought of wearing a ball cap or t-shirt, even for a good cause, are happy to wear their “heart on their sleeve”… or rather, “cause on their wrist”.
Your Own Message or a Generic One
With this money-making fashion accessory, you essentially have two choices: going with stock designs or with custom bracelets printed or debossed with your logo or message. Going with a stock design is less expensive, of course, and involves no mold or set up charges. But if you have a unique message to convey or you want support for a specific organization, you probably won’t find that in a stock design.
Lots of colors and designs to choose from
Suppliers usually have the items in stock and can ship them within a few days. Common themes such as “Support our Troops“, “Tree Hugger“, and “Class of 2023” are readily available from several suppliers and cost in the .85 to .99 cent range.
If you have more time to prepare and a little more money to spend, then the customized wristband may be a better bet.
Related: Katydids Candy Fundraiser
You have any number of bracelet colors to choose from, including new camouflage and glow in the dark versions.
If you plan to purchase 1000 pieces or more, you can usually get the mold charge waived and your cost will be anywhere from .75 to $1.15 each. Suppliers quote delivery times from 2 to 5 weeks.
Debossed, Embossed, Printed or Laser Engraved; It’s All So Confusing
Besides the choices you have for color and message, you must also choose the style of your wristbands. Here’s a brief description of each one:
- Debossed – With this kind, the wristband is made from a mold and your message is recessed so the letters are hollow, as if they were dug out of the bracelet.
- Embossed – This type is less common than debossed, though it’s also made from a mold. But rather than recessed down into the rubber, your message is raised up so the letters are solid.
- Printed – this is usually the least expensive choice. Your message is simply printed onto the surface of the bracelet. This doesn’t mean it will easily wear off though. Higher quality manufacturers these days produce ink that penetrates into the silicone rubber so it will last a long time.
- Laser Engraved – This is very similar to debossed because the end result is the same, with letters that are recessed. Although not always cheaper than debossed, some manufacturers charge less because a mold doesn’t have to be made first.
Where to Buy Rubber Bracelets
Silicone Bracelets at Reminderband – You Pick the Colors, Phrase / Logo, No Minimum Orders & No Mold Fees!, In Under 10 Days
What others say…
Bracelet Fund Raiser for Diabetes
My sister was diagnosed with diabetes. She is six and I felt I had to do something to help. So me and 2 of my friends made friendship bracelets and went around different neighborhoods selling bracelets and we were going to give the money to the diabetes foundation.
We made $207 in 2 months and we donated every penny of the money to the foundation. I felt really proud and was happy that I did something to help my sister. She is now slowly getting better and better.
Bracelets Everywhere
I work with so many social and religious groups, that I believe, fundraising is my appointed second job.
Those silicone bracelets, that everyone was wearing are such a great fundraising idea.
We just needed to have some extra money in the club for incidentals that the corporate office usually would not provide. We made it a habit to keep around $300 for things like a spur of the moment ice cream day, or barbecue. Our funds were getting low and we had no idea how to replenish them. It was then that one of the parents suggested we have those silicone bracelets made with the Boys and Girls Club imprinted on it and sell them. Wasn’t a bad idea we thought. Some of the teens were wearing them like bangles as it was. So we ordered 500, in various colors, and put them on display.
Normally, we could barely get a kid to buy one cookie, here they were, buying a bracelet everyday. We were out of bracelets by weeks end. We got a call from corporate, asking what it was we were selling that the other two clubs had called to get purchase order numbers to purchase some to sell. We told them, just bracelets.and that we,the parents and staff had invested our own personal money to get and we made it back on the first order. The President was floored. He had known that Westside was the smallest club in building structure ,with the largest population, and the biggest heart. Now he has come to realize, after 4 years, we are the most motivated. We are devoted to the children, and will do what it takes to help them grow up happy.
So if you see an organization selling those little silicone bracelets, buy one. Then go to your own organization and say, lets make some money, this will work.
Bracelets For a Cure
I do a Relay for Life event where all the proceeds go to the American Cancer Society to help fund a research for a cure for cancer. In a fundraising effort we sold pink breast cancer plastic bracelets. Before the day of the event I spoke to my gym, i go to a female only gym, I priced each one at $1, I totally sold them out there and had to order more.
All I did was talk to the managers of the gym, put up a simple sign saying Pink Bracelets $1 all proceeds go directly to the American Cancer Society. Maybe because it was a womens gym, or because cancer, expecially breast cancer is something that affects many women, and most people can relate in some way, either knowing someone, being a survivor or a friend of a friend. But we sold $750 worth of bracelets before the event even began.
Then the day of the event (Relay for Life) we also sold them at our booth, this time 1 for 50 cents or 3 for a $1 we raised an additional $200 that day. All in all it was an extremely successful effort. We were very proud and happy 🙂
This is a great fundraiser! I’m thinking of purchasing customized silicone bracelets as giveaways for my baby girl’s baptismal event.