Angela Calver: Why you should ditch the wasteful corporate gifts and keep Kiwis fed this Christmas
KiwiHarvest CEO Angela Calver.
Across every job I’ve worked at, the common question when calendars flick over to November is, ‘What the **** are we going to give for Christmas gifts this year?’ Whether it’s for staff, clients, or partners, businesses always want to ensure no one misses out on that holiday magic.
But for so many Kiwis, it’s getting harder to capture that magic as they try to survive a cost of living crisis and growing food insecurity. Food prices increased by 8 per cent in the 12 months to September 2023 (Stats NZ Food Price Index). Not to mention the added costs that crop up over Christmas (i.e. presents, travel, overpriced hams).
Food support organisations grow because the need in the community is growing. Demand is not solely from working low-income earners, but it’s increasingly hitting the middle class.
This presents an opportunity for corporates to rethink their Christmas gift-giving.
By ditching the alcohol, stationery and various logoed paraphernalia - which often end up adding to our country’s shocking 17.5 million tonnes of waste per year - and choosing to support meaningful causes instead, companies can boost the feel-good factor and their ESG credibility in one go.
With the wider movement towards greater corporate responsibility, there has been a shift in thinking from employees and customers regarding their expectations. Corporate gifting is a great way to give back to the community you operate in and can be done in several ways - food donations, cash donations, and donations of time.
The first step is to find a cause that aligns with the values and mission of your business and team. With today’s socially and environmentally conscious generation, employees will be excited by the prospect of their employer making the effort to be part of the solution.
Since joining KiwiHarvest, I’ve seen first-hand the impact that businesses have had on addressing food insecurity, food waste levels, and climate change - our core targets. Every year, approximately 105 million kilograms of wasted food goes to landfills, with 60 per cent still edible.
But, I’ve also seen the positive impact that corporate support has on employee morale, whether they’re coming in for a team volunteering session or simply knowing their employer is putting their money where their mouth is and taking action to bring their corporate values to life.
The gift of food, money, and time
Most charities have several ways for you to support them, so you can find something that works best for you. For KiwiHarvest, food corporations can help by donating food. It can be food past its best-before date but is still edible, food that does not meet export requirements or excess inventory.
Cash donations help us to continue operations and distribute the food we source. It costs us $1 to rescue and redistribute 1kg of food. But for $5, we can feed a family of four three meals per day. A recent return-on-investment study found that the good done with each dollar has an impact valued at $5.16. Meaning, that for every $1000 donated, KiwiHarvest will return $5160 worth of good to the community. It’s also worth mentioning that corporate charitable donations are tax deductible.
Volunteering is a great way to bring your team’s gift to life. Many people working today are aware of the scale of the social issues happening in their backyard - but volunteering shows them what it looks like on the front lines with the gift of time.
KiwiHarvest frequently hosts corporate volunteers who have been paid by their employers to donate their time and labour. For example, volunteers could help out with food repacking - which means assembling bulk food packages for delivery to KiwiHarvest hubs - or going out with our drivers on the road to see the front line of the work we do.
Make your gifts go further these holidays
Many corporates only talk about their values. Charitable giving shows your employees that you are walking the talk. We let anyone who donates know how many meal equivalents their donation has funded.
So this Christmas, think twice before you fork out for the same old staff pressies, and consider gifting the corporate Christmas spend to KiwiHarvest - we’ll make sure it goes a long way and has a real impact on the lives of Kiwis in need.
Angela Calver is the CEO and Executive Director of KiwiHarvest, Aotearoa’s largest food rescue organisation, dedicated to diverting good, edible food from landfills and into communities facing food insecurity. Her career in the supply chain, operations, and business consulting spans over two decades.