Last week, people globally Googled “holiday basket” 154% more times than the prior week. It’s a sign we’re approaching that seasonal ritual that, despite its beautiful intentions, often feels stale and meaningless: Holiday gift-giving between business relations.
Good news! Like all business functions, gift buying can be ignited with purpose, can be job purposed. For example, gift cards from Sudara will give recipients their choice of beautiful pajamas and loungewear made by Indian women escaping sex trafficking. I don Sudara pants so often below the Zoom screen, that they are my de facto business attire. They are both beautiful and comfortable.
Other ways to job purpose holiday gift-giving include:
- Going to QVC’s Small Business Spotlight to buy from retailers that are owned by individuals who are Black, Hispanic/Latinx, LGBTQ+, women or veterans.
- Buying from local businesses owned by disabled individuals. Find these local establishments (as well as those owned by Blacks, veterans and other underrepresented groups) on Intentionalist.
- Purchasing gift baskets from Packed with Purpose, a woman-owned company that fills baskets with products selected for their meaningful social impact.
- Ordering from Amazon’s Black-owned, family-
owned, Latinx-owned, sustainab le, women-owned or social-good marketplaces.
Like all job purposing, weaving social purpose into your gift giving will trigger all those happiness, health and performance benefits mentioned in chapters 2, 3 and 10 of Do Good at Work – for both you and your lucky recipients.
To be clear, I’m not recommending a gift that scraps the commercial goods/services entirely in favor of a charitable donation. When it comes to having your large-list gift-giving strengthen relationships, research suggests this is counterproductive (in more personalized gift-giving, though, straight charitable donations can be a good choice).
This holiday season, why not give what is both material and meaningful? Doing so will delight your recipients, strengthen your relationships and boost your image, all while making the world a shade brighter.
