BeCause It's a Good Thing
Shoppers are more willing to open their wallets and spend when the gift purchase is attached to a special cause.
By Bessie Nestoras -- Gifts and Dec, 9/1/2009 12:00:00 AM
Charities are nothing new. But there is more of an awareness these days — especially in the gift industry. Everywhere you turn a vendor is offering a product or series of products that benefit a cause. People are much more in tune with what is happening in the world and more and more people want to make a difference. And what better way than with a gift?
But it's not just vendors that are getting involved. Retailers, too, are making donations through special events to help a favorite cause. And make no mistake, customers are more than happy to spend a little money when they know the money is going to benefit a good cause.
Getting Involved
"Part of our store's philosophy is giving. When ABC's Extreme Makeover Home Edition came to Pittsburgh, we were the store that donated most of the furnishings for the house. Giving back is very important to us," said Lora Sigesmund, owner of PerLora, Pittsburgh, PA. In addition to the donations, Sigesmund hosted a party for the family. She also hosted a debut party for Riverside Design Group's Plates with Purpose Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) plate and just recently, another for the PA Organization for Women in Early Recovery (POWER). There was also a raffle at the POWER event to which PerLora donated something from the store as one of the prizes.
As a retailer, you have the perfect platform to bring awareness to a cause and make a difference. You can work alone or with the organization. It's all about bringing people together and raising awareness — and money — for a good cause.
Sigesmund was approached by Riverside Design Group to host both events and the preparations are fairly simple. "Each of the organizations took care of the invites, but we also invited our own customers," said Sigesmund. As host, PerLora served food and drinks, and for the POWER event, there was also a DJ present and local celebrities made appearances. A portion of the sales of the evening were donated to each organization.
Melissa Haberstroh, owner of The Burlap Horse, Boerne, TX, hosts her own charity event — a "Save the Ta-Tas" (maker of T-shirts and accessories that support breast cancer research and education) party in her store every February, a month before the closure of registration for San Antonio's Komen Race for the Cure teams; The Burlap Horse has its own team.
"For several years we have hosted a 'Shop for the Cure' party at our store. I decided last summer that I needed to reinvent the event as it had become too common and lacked energy. At the summer California Gift Show last year, I found Save the Ta-Tas gear and decided to have a Save the Ta-Tas party instead of the typical benefit," she explained.
Haberstroh promotes the event to the store's direct mailing list and also sends out pre- and post-event press releases to the local newspaper. For the party, Haberstroh works with her local baker who donates petits fours decorated with pink ribbons fas refreshments. This event is close to the store owner's heart as her grandmother suffered from the disease twice. "It was because of my vivid memories of her fight that I chose to participate with my friend Stephanie in the local Komen Race for the Cure. That was two years prior to opening my store and it was a tradition that I incorporated in my store once we opened. Our store is now known for our dedication to breast cancer awareness," she said. Haberstroh contributes 10 percent of the sales to the San Antonio Komen Foundation.
Customer Care
When Mandy Becker, owner of Swagger Gifts, Cary, NC, found out that one of her customers' children was suffering with a rare neurological disorder she set out to help.
"The Fox Family has been shopping at Swagger Gifts for years. Wanda's son, Kevin, has a rare, inherited neurological movement disorder called Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation (NBIA). A few months ago the Fox family was told that one of the few labs that is dedicated to researching this disease is at risk of closing because funding from the National Institute of Health is at an all-time low. We want to do our part to help them keep the lab open," said Becker.
During the store's recent (September 15) Trollbeads Trunk Show customers had the chance to win a Flowers & Nature Trollbeads "starter" bracelet. Raffle tickets were priced at $10, with 100 percent of the price going to the NBIA Disorders Assn. "Hayflick Campaign." Moreover, 10 percent of store sales during the event went to the association.
In addition to hosting cause-specific events, Swagger Gifts recently launched its own in-house giving program whereby customers can select their favorite local cause to support each time they shop.
Not A Party Planner?
Even if you feel you are not equipped to host an event, purchasing cause-related products and selling them in your shop is a positive alternative. There are many vendors in the industry that offer products that benefit a variety of organizations. Riverside Design Group's Plates with Purpose benefit a number of causes. The company donates 15 percent of the plate sales to the respective organizations. Currently there are 11 plates in the series.
"We started the program in 2004 with the butterfly plate for Forbes Hospice. Since then we have done roughly a plate a year," said Cassandra Ott, creative director, Riverside Design Group. Ott has also designed several of the custom plates, which are made from recycled glass, for the collection. The company started out the program working with local Pittsburgh-area charities, but has since opened it up to national organizations. "We have been pretty selective with the organizations we choose to partner with. We are a family business, so we have focused on non-profits that have impacted our family. Our president, Mary Irwin-Scott, is very philanthropic. She is involved with Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force & Persad Center and that is one of the organizations we have partnered with," said Ott.
Riverside Design Group plans on continuing the program and is working on a platter and plate set, with the plates benefiting several organizations. "We're very excited about that. Our goal is to get this done for next year, in time for Mother's Day," said Ott.
Dogeared, a jewelry manufacturer, is another vendor that offers a selection of necklaces that benefit certain causes. "The owners Marcia Maizel-Clarke and Merlin Clarke are really involved in all kinds of causes. They went into this business because they believe in the power of words and wishes. Marcia's been involved with One Voice for 20 years. One Voice is a local Santa Monica organization that helps families, women and children on the edge," said Beth Hinckley, public relations consultant for the company. Dogeared currently offers five necklaces to benefit five different organizations. "We have a new piece in our line of a cuff bracelet that has the word Trust written on it in Braille. Ten dollars will go to a foundation that helps people with visual impairments," said Hinckley.
The company has also been approached for special pieces for organizations. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya saw Dog-eared's elephant charm in the Sundance catalog and wanted it for a fundraiser. Dogeared gifted the charms to the organization. "We do whatever we can that seems right for the time," said Hinckley.
Beneficial Sales
We all have certain charities or causes that are important to us. As a retailer you have the added luxury of being able to do something worthwhile by supporting a certain organization through your store. You can set up special displays with literature to raise awareness. "When you get involved, you not only get to meet amazing people, but you learn about resources in your city that you may not know about," said Lora Sigesmund.
Gifts like these have added benefits. Not only will they bring a smile to the recipient's face, but knowing that it helps someone in need makes it even more special. "When they buy this gift it has the added benefit of helping someone else," said Beth Hinckley. It also raises awareness and gets the message out there.
"We generally find that special events encourage purchasing by attendees. Cause events even more so. It is our belief that events in general provide a reason for people to shop in our store. If an organization or charity can benefit from that, consumers are even more willing to spend," said Melissa Haberstroh.
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