Holiday Giving

This past holiday season, more Americans than ever made a charitable donation in someone’s name rather than give a traditional gift. And chances are it was well received. Believe it or not, three-quarters of Americans said they would prefer a charitable donation made in their name rather than a traditional holiday gift in 2006.[1]

We did the same thing. This season, we decided as a company to make donations on behalf of many of our clients in place of another trinket. Also, after years of foosball tables, Sky Chairs and remote control planes for the office, this year SDA employees contributed to the Women’s International Loan Fund on behalf of the company’s owners.

As the holiday cards and emails started to come in, we noticed that we weren’t alone. Several suppliers and partners were also making donations.

So have we all just maxed out on coffee table books and sweaters, or are we experiencing a surge in social responsibility? It’s likely, a combination of factors: first, charitable giving is easier than ever before. The Internet enables a consumer to research an organization and make the donation all in a few minutes. Products like KitchenAid’s Cook for the Cure® Stand Mixer or Starbucks Ethos™ water enable consumers to make a donation right along with their purchase. But let’s not credit it all to convenience. With the majority of Americans (69%) now considering a retailer’s social or environmental track record when deciding where to shop and 89% willing to switch brands based on a cause that is important to them[2], it seems we’re evolving into more compassionate consumers.

1. The 2006 Cone Holiday Trend Tracker
2. Research Alert 2006