FAQ

CarePortal W-2 employees.

Swag is used to:

  • Build brand awareness and visibility
  • Recognize and appreciate volunteers and partners
  • Foster connection
  • Enhance experiences at events and gatherings

Swag should always support a clear purpose. Approved use cases include:

  • Awareness — introducing CarePortal to new audiences
  • Lead generation — moving conversations forward
  • Appreciation and relationship building — celebrating and maintaining relationships
  • Donor/investor engagement — strengthening key partnerships

Avoid swag when:

  • There is no clear business or mission objective
  • It is a random giveaway without a connection to CarePortal
  • It is for internal use and not tied to milestones or culture-building

Awareness

  • Budget: about $2 or less per item
  • Examples: pens, stickers, microfiber cloths, carabiners
  • Best for: large events with new audiences

Lead Generation

  • Budget: about $5 or less per item
  • Examples: lapel pins, USB chargers, fidgets, cord organizers
  • Best for: meetings and events with warm leads

Appreciation and Relationship Building

  • Budget: about $25 or less per item
  • Examples: cord organizer, MiiR traveler mug, CarePortal shirt, CarePortal hat
  • Best for: active partners, volunteers, and community members

Donor/Investor Engagement

  • Budget: about $80 or less per item
  • Examples: leather journal, MiiR traveler mug, CarePortal shirt, CarePortal hat
  • Best for: funding conversations or gratitude gifts
  • Large events: enough for about 20% of attendees
  • Meetings: enough for everyone attending
  • Appreciation gifts: as needed
  • All swag must be ordered through the Marketing Shopify Store
  • Inventory is managed through Marketing or the home office
  • Manager approval is required for most swag orders
  • Depending on the goal, swag expenses are paid from either the national CarePortal Marketing budget or each region’s individual budget
  • Marketing swag budget: for national awareness efforts such as national conferences and strategic partnerships
  • Regional swag budget: for network-building efforts such as local events, relationships, and fundraising

Home office manages the store and inventory, and Marketing selects the items. Field teams are responsible for:

  • Ordering appropriately
  • Staying within budget
  • Using swag strategically
  • Order status and shipping details
  • Contact or shipping detail changes
  • Missing or damaged packages
  • New items to be considered for the store
  • Questions not covered in this FAQ
  • CarePortal apparel, including shirts and hats for personal or team use, should continue to be purchased through GOEX via the CarePortal Collection site: goexapparel.com/pages/careportal
  • The swag store is intended to support field market efforts such as lead generation, engagement, and relationship building

Yes. Order standard shirts directly from GOEX using your CarePortal email.

For custom designs:

  • Email Marketing at marketing@careportal.org
  • Include the audience, use case, and concept
  • Marketing and Field Operations will review and coordinate with GOEX
  • Aligned with CarePortal branding
  • Timeless and reusable, not overly event-specific
  • Something people will want to wear or use again

All CarePortal team members are accountable for using the budget appropriately to meet goals and to be good stewards of funds.

Because field team members share a centralized budget for swag items, managers receive monthly swag purchasing reports. This visibility helps managers make informed recommendations about swag use in their areas, coach on effective use to achieve network goals, and address any misuse that may occur.

Swag store purchases are tracked by state.

Field team members share a centralized budget for swag items.

Please contact your manager.

Please use your best judgment, knowing that each CarePortal team member is accountable for using the budget appropriately to meet goals and to be a good steward of funds. Managers receive monthly ordering reports and can coach on effective use.

The available inventory shown reflects the number of items currently available to order. See “How much swag should I order?” for recommended quantities based on your needs, and reference the Swag Policy for additional guidance.

Knowing the level of investment involved in ordering swag can help you decide whether it is the best use of funds for achieving your network goals. Reference the Swag Policy for guidance on the types of swag and investment levels recommended for specific goals.

No.