Spectrum Designs Foundation
Spectrum Designs Foundation is a 501(c)(3) social enterprise that produces custom apparel and promotional products via screen printing, embroidery, DTG, and DTF while employing adults on the autism spectrum through a structured Natural Support Model across facilities in New York, New Jersey, and Florida.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersPort Washington, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Spectrum Designs Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Spectrum Designs Foundation
- Legal name
- Spectrum Designs Foundation
- Website
- https://spectrumdesigns.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Spectrum Designs Foundation is a 501(c)(3) social enterprise that produces custom apparel and promotional products via screen printing, embroidery, DTG, and DTF while employing adults on the autism spectrum through a structured Natural Support Model across facilities in New York, New Jersey, and Florida.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Spectrum Designs Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Custom Apparel Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Apparel Manufacturing (315), Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (813990)
- SIC
- Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Modular & Portable Display Systems (Pop-Ups, Tension Fabric, Kits) (THAHAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Autism-Specific Schools & Programs (EDAKAAAA)
Keywords
Where Spectrum Designs Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Port Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Spectrum Designs Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Custom Apparel Sales: Production and sale of custom t-shirts, outerwear, headwear, accessories, sweatshirts, and polos through screen printing, embroidery, DTG, and DTF. Revenue generated from per-order project work based on quantity, colors, and product selection.
- Promotional Products: Sale of customizable promotional products including bags, drinkware, office supplies, and event display materials. Minimum quantities vary by product.
- Licensing and Franchise Fees: Licensing model for expanding Spectrum Designs locations nationally. Organizations pay licensing fees to replicate the business model. Partnership with Global Connections to Employment for Florida facility.
- Kitting and Fulfillment Services: Ongoing or temporary webstores and fulfillment services for corporate clients and organizations.
- Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations supporting the mission. Grant funding from foundations including Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation ($75,000 for electric delivery van).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Custom Quote-Based Pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Spectrum Designs Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Spectrum Designs Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise that manufactures and sells custom-decorated apparel (T-shirts, outerwear, headwear, accessories, sweatshirts, polos) and promotional products (bags, drinkware, office supplies, event displays, corporate gifts). It operates multiple production facilities using screen printing, embroidery, DTG, DTF, and heat transfer decoration methods, and offers kitting, fulfillment, graphic design, and custom webstore services. The organization's mission is to create meaningful paid employment for adults on the autism spectrum, with approximately 72% of its 80+ employees being neurodiverse.
Product overview
Spectrum Designs Foundation operates as a nonprofit custom merchandise company offering two primary product lines: Custom Apparel and Promotional Products. The Custom Apparel line includes T-shirts, outerwear, headwear, accessories, sweatshirts, and polo shirts, all decorated via screen printing, embroidery, DTG (direct-to-garment), DTF (direct-to-film), and heat transfer methods. The Promotional Products line encompasses bags, drinkware, office supplies, event displays, team spirit items, and corporate gifts with kitting and fulfillment services. Both lines are supported by in-house graphic design services and custom webstore capabilities. The company operates four production facilities in Port Washington NY, Pleasantville NY, Hackensack NJ, and Pensacola FL (via GCE Designs partnership), offering the same products and decoration methods across all locations. Additionally, sustainable sub-brands offer eco-conscious alternatives for environmentally-focused clients.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- GCE Designs: Licensed Spectrum Designs location in Florida operating in partnership with Global Connections to Employment
- Spectrum Suds
Products and services
- Custom Apparel Custom-decorated apparel including T-shirts, outerwear, headwear, accessories, sweatshirts, sweatpants, and polo/sports shirts decorated via screen printing, embroidery, DTG (direct-to-garment), DTF (direct-to-film), and heat transfer methods. Offered to enterprise clients, schools, and organizations through sportswearcollection.com.
- Promotional Products Customizable promotional merchandise including bags, drinkware, office supplies, event displays, team spirit items, and corporate gifts with kitting and fulfillment services. Offered to corporate and organizational buyers through shopspectrum.org.
- Spectrum Suds Enterprise laundry service providing garment care and textile maintenance, operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Spectrum Designs Foundation.
- GCE Designs Licensed Spectrum Designs location in Pensacola, Florida, operated by Global Connections to Employment (GCE) under the Spectrum Designs licensing model, offering custom apparel and promotional products production.
- Bioworld x Spectrum Designs Apparel Line Neurodiverse-designed apparel line created in collaboration with Bioworld, representing Spectrum Designs' first retail partnership with products available at T.J. Maxx stores nationwide.
Quantifiable outcome
- 80,000 hours of paid employment for neurodiverse individuals in 2025
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Spectrum Designs Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Spectrum Designs Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Spectrum Designs Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, minor and core.
- Global Connections to Employment (GCE)strategicLicensing partnership to create GCE Designs in Florida, expanding direct impact and creating new job opportunities for people with disabilities. Facility located in Pensacola, FL.
- Discover Long IslandminorPartnership to produce new destination-branded merchandise for Discover Long Island tourism organization.
- NYSID (New York State Industries for the Disabled)coreSpectrum Designs serves as trusted procurement source for NYSID apparel and branded merchandise. Patrick Bardsley serves as chairman of the NYSID board, which is responsible for more than 4,700 jobs for New Yorkers with disabilities who earned $79.8 million in wages in 2023.
- The Nicholas CentercoreCo-founded by Patrick Bardsley alongside Spectrum Designs Foundation in 2011. Organization dedicated to providing employment opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities.
- FourLeaf Federal Credit UnionminorProudly works with Spectrum Designs. Every order supports meaningful employment for individuals on the Autism Spectrum, helping create opportunity, independence, and purpose.
- Social GoodsminorCustomer partner that describes Spectrum as an amazing, mission-driven organization that provides real jobs to adults on the autism spectrum and a wonderful business partner.
- BioworldstrategicCollaboration with Bioworld to create neurodiverse-designed apparel line sold at T.J. Maxx. Bioworld x Spectrum Designs collaboration represents first retail partnership for neurodiverse artist designs.
- T.J. MaxxstrategicFirst retail partnership for Spectrum Designs. Neurodiverse-designed merchandise available at T.J. Maxx stores nationwide through Bioworld collaboration.
- HelpsyminorPartnership for textile recycling, diverting 10,000 lbs of textiles from landfills as part of sustainability initiatives.
- Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP)coreSGP certification for sustainable supply chain practices across energy efficiency, waste reduction, environmental compliance, responsible labor practices, process efficiencies, and operational excellence.
- Neurodiversity @ Work Employer RoundtableminorInternational collection of cross-industry employers and innovative leaders who run autism-focused hiring initiatives. Patrick Bardsley is a member.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Spectrum Designs Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- 4imprint: One of the largest North American promotional products distributors, offering branded merchandise across categories similar to Spectrum's promotional products line. Broader portfolio and scale make it an incumbent benchmark.
- Cimpress / Vistaprint: Mass-customization parent of Vistaprint and several custom apparel brands, operating at massive scale across print and apparel categories. Broad incumbent with overlapping decoration capabilities and SMB/enterprise reach.
- HALO Branded Solutions: Major promotional products and corporate gifting company with enterprise sales motion, kitting, and fulfillment services. Comparable in B2B customer profile and product breadth, though much larger and not mission-aligned.
Others
- Alphabroder / SanMar: Largest US apparel wholesalers supplying blank apparel to decorators including Spectrum. Comparable industry context but operates upstream as a supplier rather than a direct competitor in finished decorated merchandise.
Emerging players
- The Precisionists: Consulting and staffing firm focused on autism employment, including IT and business process outsourcing. Adjacent model — neurodiverse employment at scale — though service offerings differ from apparel decoration.
Direct peers
- Custom Ink: Large B2B custom apparel and merchandise platform serving enterprises, schools, and groups with screen printing, embroidery, and DTG. Closely comparable in core service mix, customer type, and quote-based ordering model.
- Boundless Network: Promotional products distributor with a social enterprise angle, employing individuals with disabilities at its Owings Mills MD fulfillment center. Directly comparable mission-aligned B2B model to Spectrum.
- AutonomyWorks: Nonprofit social enterprise providing employment for autistic and other neurodiverse adults through digital and merchandise services. Closely aligned mission and customer mix, though smaller and more digitally oriented.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Spectrum Designs Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceSpectrum Designs Foundation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Spectrum Designs Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Spectrum Designs Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Spectrum Designs Foundation subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Spectrum Designs Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Spectrum Designs Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Spectrum Designs Foundation
What does Spectrum Designs Foundation do?
Spectrum Designs Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise that manufactures and sells custom-decorated apparel (T-shirts, outerwear, headwear, accessories, sweatshirts, polos) and promotional products (bags, drinkware, office supplies, event displays, corporate gifts). It operates multiple production facilities using screen printing, embroidery, DTG, DTF, and heat transfer decoration methods, and offers kitting, fulfillment, graphic design, and custom webstore services. The organization's mission is to create meaningful paid employment for adults on the autism spectrum, with approximately 72% of its 80+ employees being neurodiverse.
Is Spectrum Designs Foundation a public or private company?
Spectrum Designs Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Spectrum Designs Foundation founded?
Spectrum Designs Foundation was founded in 2011. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Spectrum Designs Foundation based?
Spectrum Designs Foundation is headquartered in Port Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Spectrum Designs Foundation make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Custom Apparel Sales are the primary driver. The others are promotional Products, licensing and Franchise Fees, kitting and Fulfillment Services and donations and Grants.
Who are Spectrum Designs Foundation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are 4imprint, Cimpress / Vistaprint and HALO Branded Solutions. Alphabroder / SanMar is listed as an others. The Precisionists is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Custom Ink, Boundless Network and AutonomyWorks.
Does Spectrum Designs Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Spectrum Designs Foundation.
What industry is Spectrum Designs Foundation in?
Spectrum Designs Foundation's product category is Custom Apparel Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHAHAC, Modular & Portable Display Systems (Pop-Ups, Tension Fabric, Kits), with a secondary code of EDAKAAAA, Autism-Specific Schools & Programs. Its NAICS code is 315 and its SIC code is 2300.