# Perfect presents? Never.

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2008/12/24/perfect-presents-never/
- Published: 2008-12-24T13:05:41+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

Every year the same thing. What to get our charity partners, what to get the team?

The former are tricky – no one-size-fits-all case of wine when you’re working with
charities, one of whose creeds is temperance … and is it appropriate to be sending
hampers of fine foods to development organisations whose beneficiaries are happy
to have any food at all?

Then there are the environmental issues – all that packaging, the fuel for deliveries,
the sheer consumerism (I write this as Zavvi goes into administration).

## Advertisement

And it’s a Christian festival isn’t it? The corporate cards hedge our bets around
issues of religious inclusion and atheism with ‘Season’s Greetings’ (anyhow, Merry
Christmas implies alcohol-related indulgence – see temperance above) but should 
we be delivering gifts at all? Then there’s the personalities – the charity may 
disapprove, but Callum has to have his single malt …

And it’s the same with the internal agency team. I think I know them well enough
but everybody has their own favourite beverage – we used to buy them Champagne but
many bottles lingered on their desks into Spring as some hankered for nothing more
sophisticated than a case of Stella.

Last year I went out with colleague Robin and we guessed between us. Hopeless. A
frenzy of swapping followed but nobody was entirely happy.

This year I thought I’d cracked it. I emailed the team to tell them I’d be blogging
on the subject and asked outright what their favourite tipple was. The majority 
replied with an Out-of-Office message because I’d left it so late. Hey ho ho ho.

But I think I may have found the ideal solution. Make it an SEP (Somebody Else’s
Problem). Between them, Nick and Diane and Rich sorted out the Christmas cards, 
the corporate gifts and the latter organised the booze. So blame them/him/anybody
but me.

Season’s greetings to one and all.

 * **[Let it snow](https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/02/02/let-it-snow/)** (2 February
   2009)
 * **[Charities don't speak to donors too often](https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/07/08/charities-don039t-speak-donors-too-often/)**(
   8 July 2009)
 * **[TW CAT to develop King's College Hospital Charity website](https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/09/01/tw-cat-develop-king039s-college-hospital-charity-website/)**(
   1 September 2009)