By Ainsley Harris
Catalyst NZ gives its staff the gift of giving throughout the year with The Good Registry.
On their birthday, each staff member receives a Good Gift Card from The Good Registry — which they can use to make donations to their favourite causes.
We asked a few of the team at Catalyst how good it felt to give on their birthday, and our hearts were warmed by their feedback!
Adam Lynam is passionate about supporting and empowering communities within developing countries.
With the Good Gift Card he received for his birthday, he chose to donate to ADC Microfinance.
ADC empowers budding entrepreneurs in Myanmar and Malawi through microfinance. Its loans help entire communities to work their way out of poverty through business development.
“It felt nice that it was a gift that will benefit people other than me — and people that really need it.”
Adam said he enjoyed his Good Gift Card, even though it wasn’t a traditional gift.
“It’s a much better idea than something consumable. Chocolate or wine — you consume that and it’s not lasting. This is has a lasting effect.
“It felt rewarding, and it was just a really positive experience.”
Adam says for him, the hardest part was choosing which charities he wanted to donate to.
“It’s a really good system.”
When Maia Miller received her Good Gift Card for her birthday, giving to her chosen charity InsideOUT was a no brainer. Maia wishes there was more support and safety for LGBTQIA+.
“I have several queer friends and I know how important queer issues are,” says Maia.
InsideOUT is a charity that works with communities to decrease and prevent homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying. They also provide safer spaces, and help improve the health and wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ youth.
“I really like the work InsideOUT does, so it was empowering to be able to support them.
Maia said she’d never received a gift like this before, and thought the Good Gift Cards were a good initiative from Catalyst.
“Companies spend money, so it’s nice to see them make a difference. This is a small thing that makes us feel empowered to make a difference our community.”
Maia said it felt good to give to a charity she knew personally, and has told several friends about how she used her Good Gift Card.
Jason Ryan is a huge supporter of animal welfare and wildlife conservation, especially in light of the devastating Australian bushfires this year.
When Jason received his Good Gift Card for his birthday, he chose to split his donation between SPCA and Wellington Womens Refuge.
“It’s great to be able to help animals, and Wellington Women’s Refuge are a deserving cause too.”
The SPCA prevents animal cruelty through education, as well as rescuing, rehabilitating, rehoming and reuniting animals. They help protect more than 40,000 of our furry friends in New Zealand every year.
Wellington Women’s Refuge supports survivors of domestic violence, walking alongside and empowering them to make safe decisions for their future. They also provide a safe-house and support women and children in the community.
Jason, who originally hails from Aussie says it’s not in their corporate culture to give gifts, so the Good Gift Card was a novel experience.
“It felt terrific, it really felt good.”
Jason says he supports the good giving initiative from Catalyst, instead of traditional consumable gifts.
“I prefer that Catalyst staff are empowered to help people and animals.
“It’s just a really good pay-it-forward notion.”
You too can have the joy of giving with The Good Registry!
Anyone from small kids to big businesses can choose kindness instead of stuff, using charitable gift cards or charitable registries:
- Create your own Good Registry for a special event and ask friends to donate to a charity you choose, instead of buying gifts.
- Give Good Gift Cards instead of traditional gifts (like Catalyst NZ does), to avoid unwanted gifts, reduce waste, and enable others to make donations to charities they care about.
We have 65 partner charities that our Good Sorts can choose to support!
You can hear from people and businesses who have used Good Registries and Good Gift Cards to give more simply and sustainably, and to help causes they care about, on our inspirational Giving Wall.
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