My company's holiday e-card

[treehugger]

This is the [edited] text from the e-card that just went out to our clients. It came complete with photos and links to read more about the project mentioned and our foundation. I love that our company does this!

"Season's Greetings and best wishes for 2013 from everyone at [company]

Instead of mailing you a card this holiday season, we are sending our holiday greetings by email. The money that would have been spent on cards and postage will instead be used to support a clean water project in rural [African country]- installing a well that will bring a safe water supply to one thousand local villagers in the [district]. This project, which was voted for by [company] staff globally, will also receive pro-bono technical support from our people as part of the [company] Foundation's pro-bono program.

The [company] Foundation (a non-profit organization) was established to enable [company] and its employees to support environmental initiatives that deliver a wide range of social benefits in our communities and around the world."

Kara

[decemberlov]

How wonderful!! Love it :)

[redfox]

Wow! What foundation is this?

[treehugger]

It's our company's foundation that employees can contribute money to and the company matches. Then we get to vote on what projects the money supports. I edited out the name since I don't want to post the name of my company, but, you wouldn't have heard of us anyway. It's a global environmental consultant, but we do not have brand name recognition.

Kara

[Amaranth]

Kara, that is really wonderful. The water projects usually lead to all sorts of other good things beyond clean water such as reduced health problems from carrying water long distances and more schooling opportunities for girls.

Would you ask your company to consider doing a press release on it? It would be a good article for this time of year and then also another article can be done when it is installed. It could give a lot of other companies ideas about doing similar projects.

[Gregg]

I like that alot.

[Stella]

That is so awesome!

[iris lily]

I'm assuming that your clients will completely share in your values and that's why this is a good idea.

I will try to say this diplomatically: if I got this card from a company I'd think: you mistake me for someone who cares. Please leave me off the list next yearsince I don't care about getting a card, don't care about why I don't get a card, and don't care about who benefited from me not getting a card.

But I understand if the clients are of the same mindset as you and it will probably make more people happy than unhappy.

This reminds me too much of those wedding experiences where the bride gives out notices that instead of favors they donated to X charity. Ok, whatever, to me it's completely unrelated to the marriage event and it makes me go "hunh?" And I do NOT want a silly favor.

[CathyA]

Great!!

[treehugger]

I'm assuming that your clients will completely share in your values and that's why this is a good idea...if I got this card from a company I'd think: you mistake me for someone who cares.

Well, there's no way to determine if all of our thousands of clients all over the world share our values. But if you send me your full name, I will make sure you stay off the recipient list. :)

We are environmental consultants, so sticking to an environmental cause is pretty safe. Hard to believe this email would actually make a client unhappy, but I guess anything could happen. It's a calculated risk worth taking.

I do know what you are saying about people who give to the charity of the giver's choice in lieu of a physical gift, and I agree with you in regards to gifts between friends and family. But I think the stakes are far less great when we are just talking about whether or not to mail a paper card in a business relationship.

Kara