Group gift and donation ideas for a happier planet. Let's get it together.

Question:
Is it tacky to organize a group gift for your child’s birthday?

Answer:
No, as long as it’s done in an etiquette-friendly way.

Here’s  the deal…
Inlu web invitations are designed to handle the gift giving of our favorite personal celebrations with the greatest etiquette and care.  As a result, we’ve seen guests, friends, family, and honorees absolutely LOVE Inlu for birthdays.  Here’s why…

1. Honorees receive something that they would not have otherwise been given because the item is either too expensive or no one knows what the person wants in the first place. Take my son, for example. He started saving for an iPad, but my husband and I knew that he wouldn’t be able to save enough in time for his birthday. It was all he really wanted. He was willing to not only work toward it, but to give up other gifts to have it.  If he used traditional birthday invitations he certainly wouldn’t have seen kids showing up with iPads for him!  Through such experiences, kids learn the value of saving to reach a goal.  And man, are they happy when that special gift is finally in their hands.

HINT:  Remember – Inlu is cash collection tool so if you have a child who has a few gifts on their wish list, you can use the funds to buy more than one gift!

2. Guests love Inlu too.  It just makes the birthday process soooooo much easier.  No shopping.  No guessing what someone wants.  No arriving late because they had to stop at the shop on the way – oh, and had to pick up wrapping paper and a card too.  (See our past blog: “Big Lesson From A Little Receipt”)  Sounds crazy, but we actually have Inlu users who contact us – to vent really – when they are invited to non-Inlu birthday parties and have to go through the grab-a-gift routine.  “Why doesn’t everyone just do an inlu?!” (We wish everyone would too!)

HINT: Creating an Inlu enables you to give people the option of whether or not to participate in the group gift.  If someone really wants to bring their own gift, they can RSVP without pitching in.  Language like this can help:  “Joey has been wishing for a new bike.  If in lieu of a gift you’d rather pitch in toward it he would be thrilled!”

INTERESTING FACT:  We love that guests really do use all of the options every Inlu offers:  When both a gift and a charity are offered, some give to just the gift, some to just the charity, and some give to both.  Some opt to keep their donation amount private, others do not.  Some add the credit card and transaction fee, some opt to subtract it.  (In fact we’ve heard from numerous guests how thankful they are that our system is so transparent and they are in control of where their money is going.)  The point is, Inlu invitations give your guests the information, options, and control they want when invited to participate.

3. Organizers’ lives are easier too.  We’ve seen it over and over again. Just like ‘getting into’ Facebook that first time, organizers can have a fear of the unknown.  However, once a person creates an Inlu for the first time, and sees the RSVPs, contributions, messages from their guests, they are delighted – and amazed at how easy it all is. (Not to mention they also receive great praise from guests for making their lives so much easier!)  Check out this former blog post with TESTIMONIALS.

HINT:  People like to use Inlu as a birthday reminder to family and loved ones too. This way birthdays aren’t forgotten and everyone gets to participate in a meaningful way. Your family will come to rely on you sending out that Inlu for each birthday and other special occasions.  They will, in fact, demand your Inlu!  “When are you doing Susie’s Inlu?! I don’t want to be left out!”  (We love family.)

4. The Planet loves when people use Inlu.  We just have to reiterate it.  When people pitch in for something that is truly wanted, less waste will go to the landfill.  Think about this stat from one of our favorite eco-friendly sources www.storyofstuff.org,  for every 1 can of trash you bring to the curb,  7 (seven) more cans of trash are used in the production process before you even bring your stuff home with you in the first place.

Reducing waste while giving what’s truly wanted is a win win for everyone.

5. Charities are happy too.  With every Inlu you have the choice to support a charity – either in lieu of a gift, in addition to a gift, or as the “overflow” option once your gift cap has been met.  Our users have supported over 100 charities of across the U.S.  Even small contributions matter and Inlu makes it simple and easy for you to make a difference.   (Check out these Inlu kids in action supporting the charities they care about.)

Here are some samples:
1. A birthday invitation with both a gift and a charity.
2. A birthday reminder announcement to family for a gift only.

For more information about how Inlu helps parents in general check this out:

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