Your purchase makes a difference: Here's what your support can actually achieve
When you buy a T-shirt, a hoodie, or a mug from the Sea-Watch shop, you’re not only showing your support for civilian sea rescue – you’re also directly helping to fund rescue operations.
To illustrate how much money goes to Sea-Watch after costs and taxes are deducted, we’ve calculated this for you using a few products as examples.
We are aware that producing sustainable clothing is incredibly difficult, as most materials and processes are fraught with numerous environmental, social, and ethical issues. As an NGO, we strive to use certified products and materials whenever possible and to work with fair-trade production facilities – ideally small and medium-sized businesses. We deliberately avoid animal-derived products in all our items.
As a shop team, our primary goal is to raise awareness for civilian sea rescue and to help finance rescue operations through our sales.
We also regularly collaborate with individuals, companies, and initiatives whose work demonstrates that freedom of movement should apply to everyone.
Example: For every T-shirt sold, approximately 11 Euro goes directly to sea rescue operations.
The T-shirts in the Sea-Watch Shop are generally Fair Wear certified, made from organic cotton, and produced using renewable energy. They are usually screen-printed in Germany.
Currently, a standard T-shirt in the Sea-Watch-Shop costs 30 Euro.
We deduct 19% VAT from the sales price.
An additional 15% goes to our logistics partner for processing your order and shipping.
It costs us approximately 10 Euro (varies depending on the design) to purchase the T-shirt, including screen printing of the design.
So, at the end of the day, around 11 euros remain, which are used exclusively for the work of Sea-Watch e.V.
Example: wall calendar – approximately 20 Euro goes directly toward sea rescue operations.
The Sea-Watch wall calendar, featuring artwork by 12 artists, is printed on 100% recycled paper using organic inks and powered by 100% green electricity.
It currently costs 33 Euro in our Sea-Watch-Shop.
Here, too, we first deduct 19% VAT and 15% for storage and shipping.
It costs us about 3.30 Euro to purchase, so in the end, approximately 20 Euro goes directly to sea rescue operations.
Example: For every Sea-Watch scarf sold, approximately 17 Euro goes directly to sea rescue operations.
The Sea-Watch scarf is made from 100% recycled polyacrylic.
It currently costs 35 Euro in our Sea-Watch shop.
Here, too, we first deduct 19% VAT and 15% for storage and shipping.
It costs us about 7.50 Euro to purchase, so in the end, approximately 17 Euro goes directly to sea rescue operations.
Where exactly is the support being used?
With 30 Euro, we can buy two warm blankets. Especially in winter, people rescued from distress at sea often suffer from dangerous hypothermia.
That’s equivalent to buying two T-shirts and two pairs of socks, for example.
With a donation of 50 Euro, you can provide hot meals for 100 guests. A typical meal includes rice, beans, and spinach.
That’s roughly the cost of buying two wall calendars and a T-shirt, for example.
With 100 Euro, we can provide three guests with a new set of clothes. That includes a warm sweater, pants, a T-shirt, socks, and underwear.
That’s equivalent to buying six fan scarves, for example.
As you can see, there are many ways you can support us, and every contribution goes directly toward sea rescue operations.
Sea-Watch is politically and religiously independent and is funded exclusively by donations. One thing is clear to us: as long as people are drowning at Europe’s external borders, we will continue our work.
Our vision is a world in which borders, racism, injustice, and inequality have been overcome, and all people can live and move about with self-determination, freedom, and safety. For us, solidarity without borders means supporting all people in their struggle for this vision.