The Best Custom T-Shirt Design Tools for Nonprofit Fundraising Campaigns in 2026
Six t-shirt design tools evaluated specifically for nonprofit fundraising needs. Adobe Express earns 9.4/10 with the most generous nonprofit program and best design output.
If your nonprofit is running a fundraising campaign and you need to design custom t-shirts that look professional, move fast, and stay within budget, there is one tool that stands above every other option in 2026: Adobe Express. With thousands of ready-made templates, a genuinely generous free tier, seamless brand kit integration, and discounted nonprofit access through the Adobe nonprofit program, Adobe Express gives nonprofits everything they need to create eye-catching designs without hiring a graphic designer.
Tools Evaluated
The Six Tools We Reviewed
Adobe Express
Canva
Printful Design Maker
Bonfire
Custom Ink
Placeit by Envato
Each platform was evaluated across six weighted criteria most relevant to nonprofit fundraising: Ease of Use, Template Library, Pricing and Free Tier, Brand Customization, Print Integration, and Nonprofit Value.
At a Glance
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Tool | Ease of Use | Template Library | Free / Nonprofit Tier | Brand Customization | Print Integration | Nonprofit Value | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Express | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 8.5 | 9.5 | |
| Canva | 9.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 8.5 | 7.0 | 8.5 | |
| Printful Design Maker | 8.0 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 7.0 | 10.0 | 7.5 | |
| Bonfire | 8.5 | 6.0 | 8.5 | 6.0 | 9.0 | 8.0 | |
| Custom Ink | 8.0 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 8.5 | 7.0 | |
| Placeit by Envato | 8.5 | 7.5 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 4.0 | 6.0 |
Full Reviews
Individual Tool Reviews
1. Adobe Express
Adobe Express is the consumer-facing design platform from Adobe — the company behind Photoshop and Illustrator. Its t-shirt design tool is part of a much larger creative suite that lets users build everything from social media graphics to full print campaigns, all within the same interface.
What Makes It Stand Out for Nonprofits
- A free plan that includes access to thousands of templates, stock photos, and design assets, with no time limit
- Brand Kit feature to save your nonprofit's logo, color palette, and fonts for campaign consistency
- Adobe Firefly AI integration — generate custom graphics and remove backgrounds instantly
- Seamless export in print-ready formats (PNG, PDF, SVG), compatible with virtually every print-on-demand partner
- Real-time collaboration features so multiple team members can work on a design simultaneously
- Access to Adobe's vast stock photo and illustration library, much of which is included in the free tier
- Discounted and free access for eligible nonprofits through Adobe's nonprofit program
Potential Drawbacks
- Does not have a built-in print fulfillment service — you will need to partner with a separate printer
- The full Creative Cloud integration is most useful if your team already uses Adobe products
Nonprofit Tip: Adobe offers a nonprofit program providing free or deeply discounted access to Adobe Express and other Creative Cloud products for qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations. Visit Adobe's nonprofit page for eligibility and application details.
Start Designing Free with Adobe Express
2. Canva
Canva is arguably the most well-known name in accessible graphic design. Its drag-and-drop interface is intuitive, its template library is enormous, and the Canva for Nonprofits program offers free access to Canva Pro for qualifying organizations.
- Free Canva Pro access for registered nonprofits, unlocking premium templates, Brand Kit, background remover, and more
- Enormous library of t-shirt-specific templates across dozens of categories
- Easy sharing and collaboration for distributed teams and volunteers
- Template designs can feel generic or overused since millions of organizations use the same library
- Print quality and pricing through Canva Print varies and may not be the most cost-effective option for large runs
3. Printful Design Maker
Printful is one of the leading print-on-demand platforms in the world. Its design maker is purpose-built for creating artwork that goes straight to print, with no export or file conversion required. For nonprofits selling t-shirts through an online store, Printful's end-to-end workflow is hard to beat.
- Designs go directly to production — no file handoff required
- Integrates with Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, and other e-commerce platforms
- No minimum order quantities — ideal for small campaigns or test runs
- Real product mockups update in real time as you design
- Design tool is functional but basic compared to Adobe Express or Canva
- Per-unit costs are higher than bulk printing, which may reduce margins for large campaigns
4. Bonfire
Bonfire was built specifically for fundraising campaigns. It handles design, printing, and sales all in one place, and has a particularly strong track record with nonprofits. You create your design, set a campaign goal, share your campaign link, and Bonfire handles everything else.
- Purpose-built fundraising campaign functionality — campaign pages, goal tracking, donor-facing storefronts
- Zero upfront costs and no inventory risk
- Accepts tax-deductible donations directly through the platform in some configurations
- Simple, guided design tool for users with no design background
- Design tool is quite basic — limited creative control compared to Adobe Express or Canva
- You are locked into Bonfire's print pricing and cannot shop around for better rates
- Bonfire's margin model means lower per-shirt profit than ordering bulk shirts independently
5. Custom Ink
Custom Ink is one of the most established names in custom apparel in the United States. Their Lab design tool is polished and beginner-friendly, and customer service reputation is strong. Dedicated fundraising platform called Custom Ink Fundraising handles online sales and campaign management.
- Dedicated fundraising platform (Custom Ink Fundraising) that handles online sales and campaign management
- Strong customer support, including phone and chat
- Group ordering features — individuals can place and pay for their own orders without centralizing payment
- Reliable print quality with a satisfaction guarantee
- Minimum order requirements on some products can be a barrier for small campaigns
- Pricing is higher than print-on-demand alternatives for small quantities
- Design tool is less versatile than Adobe Express for complex or highly customized artwork
6. Placeit by Envato
Placeit is best known for producing highly realistic product mockups. For nonprofits that need to show supporters what a shirt will look like before committing to a print run, Placeit is an excellent supplemental tool — but its design editor is less powerful than Adobe Express or Canva.
- Industry-leading mockup quality with lifestyle photography
- Hundreds of t-shirt design templates with a simple editor
- Fast output for social media promotion and crowdfunding visuals
- No print fulfillment — design and mockup tool only
- Less suited to complex, multi-element designs
Category Winners
Category-by-Category Winners
Best Overall
Adobe Express
9.4/10
Best Ease of Use
Adobe Express & Canva
Tied
Best Template Library
Adobe Express
9.5/10
Best Print Integration
Printful Design Maker
10/10
Best for Fundraising Campaigns
Bonfire
Purpose-built
Best for Mockups & Promotion
Placeit by Envato
10/10 mockups
Pricing
Pricing Overview (2026)
| Tool | Free Plan | Paid Plan Starts At | Nonprofit Discount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Express | Yes, generous | ~$9.99/month | Yes — free/discounted via Adobe nonprofit program |
| Canva | Yes | ~$15.00/month (Pro) | Yes — free Canva Pro for qualifying nonprofits |
| Printful Design Maker | Yes (no monthly fee) | Transaction-based | No formal discount program |
| Bonfire | Yes (no upfront cost) | Revenue share model | No formal discount; zero upfront cost benefits all users |
| Custom Ink | No subscription | Per-order pricing | Occasional nonprofit pricing on request |
| Placeit by Envato | Limited free | ~$14.95/month | No formal nonprofit program |
Tips
Tips for Nonprofits Designing Fundraising T-Shirts
01
Start with your brand assets. Gather your logo in the highest resolution available, official brand colors (with hex codes), and approved fonts. Upload these to Adobe Express's Brand Kit first to save significant time.
02
Keep the design simple. The most successful fundraising t-shirts have clear, bold designs that read well at a distance. A strong icon, your organization's name, and a single campaign tagline will outperform dense, text-heavy layouts every time.
03
Think about print colors and costs. Every color in your design typically adds to the print cost, especially for screen printing. If budget is a concern, design with one or two colors.
04
Order samples before your campaign launches. Always order a sample shirt before your campaign goes live or you commit to a bulk order. Colors can shift between screen and print.
05
Plan your mockups for promotion. Use Placeit or Adobe Express's mockup features to create lifestyle images of your shirt before it is printed. These visuals are essential for social media promotion and crowdfunding pages.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free t-shirt design tool for nonprofits in 2026?
Adobe Express offers the best free tier of any tool reviewed in this guide. Its free plan includes thousands of templates, access to Adobe's stock asset library, and export in print-ready formats. Canva's free plan is also strong, and qualifying nonprofits can apply for free Canva Pro access.
Is there a tool that handles everything from design to fundraising to fulfillment?
Bonfire comes closest to a true all-in-one solution, handling design, campaign pages, sales, and fulfillment in one platform. Custom Ink's fundraising platform also covers most of these steps. For maximum creative control, the best workflow is to design in Adobe Express, then use a fulfillment partner like Printful or Bonfire.
What is a good price per shirt for a fundraising campaign in 2026?
For campaigns using print-on-demand services like Printful or Bonfire, per-shirt costs typically range from $18 to $30. For bulk screen printing through Custom Ink, per-unit costs drop significantly with volume and can range from $8 to $20 per shirt.
Can multiple people on my team work on the same design?
Yes. Adobe Express, Canva, and Printful Design Maker all offer collaboration features that allow multiple users to access and edit a shared design. Adobe Express's collaboration tools are particularly well-suited to nonprofit teams where multiple volunteers or staff members may need to contribute.
Is Adobe Express really free for nonprofits?
Adobe Express has a free tier available to all users with substantial design functionality. Additionally, Adobe offers a nonprofit program providing free or deeply discounted access for qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations. Visit Adobe's nonprofit page for current eligibility requirements.
Final Verdict: For the vast majority of nonprofit fundraising campaigns in 2026, Adobe Express is the right place to start. Its combination of a powerful free tier, an enormous template library, AI-assisted design tools, brand kit functionality, and nonprofit pricing makes it the strongest all-around design tool reviewed in this guide, earning an overall score of 9.4/10. That said, the best workflow often involves more than one tool — design in Adobe Express, generate lifestyle mockups in Placeit for your social media campaign, and handle fulfillment through Bonfire or Printful.
Try It Free
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Ready to Design Your Custom T-Shirt?
Start with Adobe Express — thousands of templates, AI tools, print-ready exports.