How Corporate Gifting Can Advance Your Social Impact and Sustainability Goals in 2025

Leather artisan from Lazarus Artisan Goods

Corporate gifting is evolving. It’s no longer just about branded swag or holiday gestures—it’s an opportunity to lead with purpose. As companies continue prioritizing social impact and sustainability, every business decision—from suppliers to gifting—can reflect your commitment to people and planet.

But what about ESG?

While the term ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) once defined the standard for responsible business, it has become increasingly politicized in certain circles. That doesn’t mean the underlying motivations have faded. In fact, 2025 marks a growing shift: companies are still deeply invested in sustainability, equity, and ethical operations—whether or not they call it “ESG.” The language may be evolving, but the intent to do good remains strong.

Here’s how values-aligned corporate gifting can help you walk that talk.

Wasteful, one-time-use swag is out.

Choose gifts made from recycled, biodegradable, or renewable materials—and partner with vendors who prioritize climate-conscious production.

Examples:

• Bamboo utensil kits, recycled journals, or solar-powered tech accessories
• Brands that are Climate Neutral Certified, use carbon offsets, or ship plastic-free
• Products that plant trees, or support kelp forest restoration.

The impact: Lower carbon footprint, less landfill waste, and progress toward your sustainability goals.

Purpose-driven procurement means vetting your vendors—not just for cost, but for their impact.

Gifting from BIPOC-owned, women-led, disability-owned, and refugee-supporting businesses enables your brand to lead with inclusion.

Examples:

The impact: Supports marginalized communities and reinforces your brand’s social responsibility.

Your CFO wants receipts—and your stakeholders expect transparency.

Solutions like Gifts for Good’s GIFTforward gift platform allow you to track the real-world results of your gifting program, including metrics like:

• Trees planted
• Hours of employment created
• Plastic bottles diverted from landfills
• Meals provided to children in need

The impact: Create trackable outcomes for internal reporting, stakeholder engagement, and certifications like B Corp or Climate Label (formally Climate Neutral).

Your gifting program should reflect more than generosity—it should echo your mission.What that might look like:

• “Instead of gifts, we’ve donated to clean water efforts on your behalf.”
• “This journal supports women artisans in Peru.”
• “Each item in this box comes from a small business that employs people with barriers to employment.”

The impact: Builds brand trust, loyalty, and advocacy with clients, employees, and partners.

Gifting isn’t just a touchpoint—it’s a storytelling opportunity.

By working with partners who provide supplier spotlights and impact data, you can turn every box into:

• A marketing case study
• A feature in your annual report
• A mission-driven moment on LinkedIn

The impact: Amplifies the value of your gifting budget by generating engagement and reinforcing your brand purpose.

• 92% of business leaders say customers expect brands to lead with purpose
• 57% of employees prioritize working for values-aligned companies
• Sustainable gifting outperforms traditional swag in engagement and retention metrics.

Gifting doesn’t just need to “check a box”—it can become a strategic tool for moving your values-aligned growth forward. Whether you’re aiming to meet CSR goals, reduce your footprint, or simply gift more meaningfully— Gifts for Good can help you deliver impact with every send.