The holiday season is meant to be a time of joy, love, and celebration… but it can also be a source of stress when it comes to gift shopping. Despite the jam-packed nature of malls and storefronts, Canadians still crave the joy that holiday gift-giving offers. So, how can we bring holiday cheer back to the gift-shopping experience?
Simple: turn the experience of shopping into one of Purchasing with Purpose, instead!
What’s Purchasing with Purpose?
Purchasing with Purpose is when consumers make purchase decisions that are fuelled by purpose. For some consumers, “purpose” means buying from brands that align with their personal values. For others, it means supporting a company that does “good” in the world, or one that follows ethical/moral practices. The great thing about Purchasing with Purpose is that the consumer gets to decide what “purpose” means to them, so it can look a little different for everybody.
How to Encourage Donors to Purchase with Purpose This Holiday Season
No matter the goal of your organization or the makeup of your donors/audience, chances are that your donors are feeling just as stressed as the rest of the country’s holiday shoppers. By highlighting the benefits of Purchasing with Purpose, you can help your donors/audience relieve holiday shopping stress while driving home the power of giving back.
1. Purchasing with Purpose Gives Beyond the Recipient
Typical gift-giving starts at a store and ends with the recipient, but some options ensure your gift keeps on giving. There are tons of ways to make your gift purchase go further, like the World Wildlife Foundation’s Adopt a Species campaign, for example. Each “adoption kit” comes with tangible gifts, like a stuffed animal and educational poster, as well as an “intangible” gift in the form of a conservation donation. If you’re more about symbolic gifts, you can also gift donations on behalf of your gift recipients. The Canadian Association for Mental Health (CAMH), for example, offers “Gifts of Light,” a program, offering “practical, meaningful gifts that mean the unique needs of patients at CAMH.” When you purchase with purpose, choosing gifts that give back, everyone wins; the recipient gets a meaningful gift and you make a difference that lasts well beyond the holidays.
Action item: If your organization doesn’t have a gift that gives initiative, consider setting up Wishlist Giving with FundRazr.
2. Purchasing with Purpose Allows Intentional Buying
Another way to encourage your donors/audience to Purchase with Purpose is to highlight the importance of intentional buying. According to Interac, two-thirds of Canadians are trying to spend with more intention, choosing to buy items that more closely align with their values (and finances), and holiday shopping is no exception. That starts with encouraging your donors/audience to find out what “intentional” means to them. For some, intentional spending can look like shopping exclusively from local, hand-crafted brands while for others, it’s gifting an experience instead of a “thing.” No matter what is at the top of someone’s priority list, intentional shopping and purchasing with purpose means making every purchase a value-informed one.
Action item: Check out the free samples of natural products at Social Nature to try out some great intentional brands.
3. Purchasing with Purpose Creates a Sense of Community
One of the greatest benefits of purchasing with purpose — and one you should absolutely highlight for your donors — is the difference it makes in the communities they live in. Valérie Roy, the Director of Sales and Recruitment at the One of a Kind Show, says the impact of shopping small is massive for business owners. Considering that, for every $100 spent at a local establishment, $63 stays in the community (compared to $14 at chain stores), there’s an obvious financial impact… but it goes beyond that, too. Roy says that, when you shop locally, “You know that you are supporting somebody; you are supporting their passion. It sounds cheesy, but you know, it’s made with love. It’s made with care.” And that’s what Purchasing with Purpose is all about. And beyond that, vibrant small business means vibrant community.
Action item: Connect with local businesses in your area to see if they will offer discounts to your donors, or if they want to donate to your organization anytime one of your donors makes a purchase. Hope Factory’s Cash Forward program can help you automate those partnerships!
At Hope Factory, we believe in making a difference with your transactions. Purchasing with Purpose over the holidays isn’t just an “activity;” it’s a mindset shift. When you encourage donors to approach holidays with a purpose-forward mindset you can confidently tell them they’re making the world a better place with every transaction. And if that isn’t the true meaning of spreading holiday cheer… we don’t know what is.