Equality Florida: Relaunching Their Online Store

Equality Florida is the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for the state’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community.  Building on previous grants from Progressive Multiplier, they are investing their current grant into relaunching their online store, which will allow them to build a pipeline for small dollar revenue. 

Overview

When the Florida legislature advanced six anti-LGBTQ bills in 2023, Equality Florida responded with a clear visual statement: merchandise featuring the rainbow flag emblazoned with the word "RESIST." The design captured the determination of a community refusing to be pushed out of public life.  Equality Florida developed a comprehensive merchandise strategy to optimize their online store and implement pop-up shops at in-person events. The initiative created a sustainable revenue stream while increasing visibility for their advocacy and providing supporters with a way to publicly demonstrate solidarity.

Key Strategies & Tactics

• Online Store Redesign: Reorganizing products into themed collections with improved photography and streamlined checkout, emphasizing that purchases directly fuel advocacy work
• Expanded Product Lines: Developing collections beyond RESIST to include "Not Going Anywhere" and "Love Wins, Ron Loses" designs that resonated with different Florida communities
• Dual-Booth Strategy: Creating separate spaces at Pride events for both advocacy petition gathering and merchandise sales, representing a significant cultural shift for the organization
• Strategic Marketing: Launching email campaigns to their 122,000-person supporter list and social media advertising timed to legislative sessions and Pride season
  
  

Lessons Learned

• Message Different Communities Differently: Merchandise themes that succeeded in St. Petersburg performed differently in Fort Lauderdale, while some items like the Rainbow Florida Pin found universal appeal
• Professional Expertise Accelerates Success: Working with a merchandise consultant who understood sourcing, pricing, and fulfillment operations significantly improved product quality and expansion speed
• Connect Purchases to Current Events: Merchandise tied to legislative battles and political resistance created urgency and meaning that drove supporter engagement and sales
• Consistent Marketing Maintains Momentum: Months without direct promotion saw significant decreases in performance, highlighting the importance of regular communication
• Sequential Implementation Reduces Delays: Building inventory and website infrastructure simultaneously created bottlenecks, suggesting a more phased approach would improve efficiency

By the Numbers

$32,985 in revenue generated, exceeding the $29,137 projection

682 online orders processed during the grant period

$11,009 generated by the RESIST t-shirt alone

The Multiplier Effect

Impact

The merchandise program accomplished more than generating unrestricted revenue for Equality Florida's operations. Supporters wearing RESIST and other branded items throughout Florida became visible advocates for LGBTQ equality during a challenging political environment. The program attracted new supporters through merchandise purchases, creating a pipeline for deeper engagement beyond initial transactions. The dual-booth strategy at Pride events allowed the organization to maintain their advocacy presence while demonstrating that generating revenue could complement rather than compete with their core mission.

This shift in organizational culture helped staff and volunteers understand merchandise sales as both a financial tool and an engagement opportunity. As Florida's political climate continues to present obstacles for the LGBTQ community, Equality Florida's merchandise strategy provides both the financial resources and visibility needed to sustain their advocacy work. The RESIST brand has become a recognized symbol of solidarity, worn proudly by community members throughout the state as a public statement of their commitment to equality.