Custom Merch for Nonprofits in Chicago, IL
Merch Mob makes fundraising tees and hoodies, volunteer shirts, and walk, run and ride shirts for nonprofits in Chicago, IL, at its shop in Montclair, CA, and ships them to Chicago. With a median age of 35.8, under the US 38.9 (Census ACS, 2020-2024), Chicago runs a little younger than the country, so a volunteer shirt with a design people would wear on a weekend does more than a plain logo.
Chicago by the numbers
Chicago's population has held steady since 2020, at 2,731,585 residents (Census estimates).
Cook County has 287 civic and social organizations with paid employees (Census County Business Patterns, 2023). That is 0.55 for every 10,000 residents, below the national figure of 0.72. 75% of them employ fewer than 10 people. The count is up 12% from 257 in 2018.
That Census category covers clubs, fraternal lodges, alumni groups and similar associations; many charities are counted in other categories.
Cook County as a whole has 5,194,625 residents, down 1.6% since 2020. Cook County has one civic or social organization for every 18,100 residents.
- Population, 2025
- 2,731,585
- Since 2020
- −0.6%
- County
- Cook County
- Civic and social organizations in Cook County, 2023
- 287
- Per 10,000 county residents
- 0.55 (US 0.72)
- Time zone
- Central
- Median age
- 35.8 (US 38.9)
- Warmest month, average high
- July, 85°F
- Coldest month, average low
- January, 19°F
- Days at 90°F or hotter, a year
- 20
- Nights at 32°F or colder, a year
- 106
- Rain and melted snow, a year
- 34 in
- Snow, a year
- 39 in
- USPS zone from the shop
- 7
Weather: Chicago Midway Airport station, 5 mi from Chicago's center (NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals); snow from the Chicago Midway Airport 3SW station. People: Census ACS 2020-2024. Counts: CBP 2023, by county, paid-employee establishments. Population: Census, July 2025.
What Chicago's weather means for nonprofits
Summer peaks run warmer than the winters suggest: about 20 days a year reach 90°F, so give runners a wicking shirt for a race in July, and hold outdoor events from May to September, when highs average 70°F or more. Year-end thank-you gifts arrive in the cold here: average highs stay under 45°F from December to February, so an embroidered beanie or fleece sent to donors will get worn. Highs stay under 65°F from October to April, half the year or more, so print the volunteer mark on a hoodie as well as the tee, and offer the hoodie as a fundraising item. About 39 inches of snow fall in a typical winter, so plan winter fundraisers for indoor venues and save the outdoor walk for the snow-free months. With about 106 nights a year at or below 32°F, early-morning volunteers in the cold months need a warm layer, so budget a hoodie or fleece for the setup crew as well as the event tee.
| Month in Chicago | Average high | Average low | Rain and melted snow (in) | What volunteers and supporters wear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33°F | 19°F | 1.5 | Donor fleece and beanies |
| February | 37°F | 23°F | 1.5 | Donor fleece and beanies |
| March | 48°F | 32°F | 1.9 | Volunteer hoodies and donor crewnecks |
| April | 60°F | 41°F | 3.6 | Volunteer hoodies and donor crewnecks |
| May | 71°F | 52°F | 4.1 | Walk tees and volunteer shirts |
| June | 81°F | 62°F | 4 | Walk tees and volunteer shirts |
| July | 85°F | 68°F | 3.6 | Wicking race shirts and volunteer tees |
| August | 83°F | 66°F | 4 | Walk tees and volunteer shirts |
| September | 76°F | 59°F | 2.8 | Walk tees and volunteer shirts |
| October | 63°F | 47°F | 3.5 | Volunteer hoodies and donor crewnecks |
| November | 49°F | 35°F | 2.4 | Volunteer hoodies and donor crewnecks |
| December | 38°F | 25°F | 1.8 | Donor fleece and beanies |
Made in So Cal, shipped to Chicago.
Orders ship to Chicago from the shop; there is no office or pickup point in Illinois.
Chicago is about 1,711 miles from Merch Mob's shop in Montclair, CA, a straight-line distance. From the shop's ZIP code, Chicago is USPS zone 7. Chicago is on Central time, 2 hours ahead of the shop's Pacific time.
From the production floor
Merch Mob production in Southern California.
Ordering from Chicago
Which participant shirt suits a charity walk or run in Chicago?
Long sleeves for most of the year, since highs average under 65°F from October to April; save short sleeves for a race in the warm stretch, May to September.
More for Chicago
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