By Christine Langdon, Chief of Good - Every dollar we spend is a vote for the kind of world we want.
That's especially so with corporate gifts - because you're also making a vote for others - your staff and your clients.
At least with family and friends we have a pretty good idea what they care about.
But giving corporate gifts is extra tricky... And it's often corporate gifts, and workplace gimmicks that end up in under the stairs or in landfill, and that can have a negative impact on the planet - and on your brand.
Before your business gives any gift to your staff or clients, consider the following questions:
- Who are we giving to?
- What do they care about?
- What do we care about?
- How will our gift be used?
- How does our gift align with our values?
- What impact will it have on people?
- What impact might it have on our brand?
- What lifetime impacts will it have on the planet - from its production through to its disposal?
Consider these ideas for your gifts:
- Give experiences instead of stuff (things like vouchers for dinner, the theatre and sports events)
- Give upcycled, recycled, second-hand (especially if your workplace does Secret Santa). You could do a team activity to make up-cycled gifts.
- Consider giving consumables, made locally, and packaged sustainably.
- Consider products that create wider social benefits - for example through employing people with disabilities, or former refugees, gifts that re-use existing resources, or that donate profits to people in need.
- Or, give people the joy of giving to causes that they care about, through The Good Registry. With one of our Good Gift Cards, your staff and clients can donate to any of our 65 charity partners... so it is the gift that gives to whole communities.
There's no 'one-size-fits all gift', so a simple golden rule: look for gifts with a positive impact, that don't hurt the planet, and as much as possible, give your recipients choice.
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