Don’t Buy That Gift: How to Deepen Your Connection With Those You Love
The better way to gift: What is group gifting and how to use it
If you’re looking for a more meaningful way to show love rather than spending on gift that‘s destined for the trash bin, then this article is for you.
Gifts have been a part of a multitude of cultures since basically, the dawn of time. We as humans always look for ways to feel connected to others and the most powerful way to do so is by giving.
Gifts have been a part of a multitude of cultures since basically, the dawn of time. We as humans always look for ways to feel connected to others and the most powerful way to do so is by giving.
Good gifting is about showing how much someone means to us — except, 82% of us are not natural gifters. The result? Last-minute buys from the nearest CVS, overly expensive gifts that break our budgets, and miscommunications that result in duplicates of the same gift.
But there’s an easy fix. While the time-old tradition of giving gifts is not going away any time soon, it is changing — and for the better! With our world being more connected than ever before, we have options for more convenient, efficient, and meaningful ways to show our love to family and friends.
If you’re reading this article, you’ve already found one way to make the gifting experience as fun and exciting as the celebration: group gifting.
If the term ‘group gifting’ is new to you, below is everything you’ll need to know from what it means to group gift how to choose the perfect one.
🎁 What is group gifting?
We all know what it feels like to want to celebrate with someone who’s too far away. Group gifting makes it easy and fun to celebrate a special occasion from anywhere.
A group gift is a single gift that a circle of friends, family, or coworkers can all pitch in on. Group gifting allows all parties involved to gift bigger, better gifts and do so more sustainably and socially, without breaking the bank. And, these gifts don’t have to be physical: they can be experiential too.
If your love language is not gifting, group gifting is perfect because it has elements of other love languages, such as the act of coming together and the affirmations in your group card. With group gifting, you are gifting beyond a convenient gift, don’t have to figure out what to give to ‘someone who already has everything’, and are using the power of community to show someone they are appreciated.
After all, we all want to be seen, heard, recognized, appreciated and acknowledged!
🙌 When should I give one?
Sometimes, it makes sense to set up a 1:1 gift (sorry, we probably can’t get you out of buying your partner an anniversary gift). For the times where gifting turns into a more social effort, group gifting is the way to go!
When there are a lot of people in a group — such as an extended friend group or an office, setting up a group gift removes the logistics heading and makes it easy to bring everyone to one platform to celebrate. It removes the awkward Venmo requests and excel trackers and enables the group to afford a higher-ticket item that the recipient otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford on their own. How awesome does a big surprise gift from a giant group of your best friends or coworkers sound?
The same goes for a huge family dynamic! Instead of receiving 20 small gifts from each one of your cousins, think about encouraging the family to set up a group gift for the present of your dreams.
🎉 How it works
First, nominate an organizer to organize the gift on a group gifting platform. If you’re reading this piece, the organizer may be you! You’ll choose the recipient, the gift, and date.
Then, invite your circle to contribute. Share it across your entire network and contributors can seamlessly pitch in toward the gift and drop a message for the group card.
Finally, the recipient receives the gift and a personalized group card with a special note from everyone who participated.
🥳 What occasions can I use it for?
The possibilities for group gifting are endless! Here are some of the most common ways group gifting can bring joy to celebrations:
The best birthday ever
Your loved one may be turning 1 or 100 this year, and even though age is just a number, a group gift will help make their day special! Gather friends and family from near and far to get an awesome gift that they will remember for years to come.
Holiday gifts…minus the waste!
The holiday season is the most wonderful time of year, and it is best spent showing our loved ones how much they mean to us. Group gifts reduce the clutter and waste of gifting without compromising quality.
Office appreciation
Gather an office for an unforgettable retirement gift or to celebrate a manager who deserves extra appreciation. No more awkward Venmo requests — with the transition to remote work this year, it has never been easier to get a great gift for your manager or team member!
Any occasion!
Group gifting is perfect for every celebration. We have seen group gifting for graduations, congratulations, baby showers, weddings, and even simple thank you’s. If you have another celebration in mind, we can handle it!
🙋 How do I pick a gift?
- Browse a gift guide: Here’s a curated page dedicated to gift ideas, with options for everyone on your list from baby cousin to grandma. You can find a gift for any recipient (or any occasion).
- Invite a co-organizer: Managing the group gift becomes even more of a group effort once you invite a friend to help. This makes the process of watching the funds (and the funny card messages) roll in that much more exciting!
- Put out a poll: Instagram’s poll feature allows for your entire circle (literally) to weigh in on the best gift option! If it’s a surprise group gift, there are plenty of other platforms with polling features that the group can also use without the giftee’s knowledge.
- Select a gift after the funds are raised: Do you have a really enthusiastic group in mind, but just don’t know what on earth you want to raise money for? If you set up your group gift and decide after the funds are raised, you have the ability to use your wildest imagination to pick a gift that fits within your big group budget.
Being able to see a smile on someone’s face or to know that you made someone feel loved is one of the most meaningful things in life. Beyond just a show of affection, gifts also tell others about the relationship we share with them. And that sort of connection is what birthdays and celebrations are all about.
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