The holiday gift-giving season overlays anxiety on top of an already feeling-filled month, when you have to worry about how to acknowledge co-workers, professionals who often put in time during your “non work” hours, and the occasional manager who was a gentle forcing function on your career, temper or trajectory during the year.
I have tended to give out Amazon gift cards, with a note to follow that indicates what book or music I’d buy for the recipient based on our last year together. It’s a step toward personalization and frequently introduces the person to something new.
Kiva Gift Cards ($25 and up)
I’ve been a Kiva microlender for 15 years next month, having been introduced to the platform in the waning days of Sun Microsystems. My grandfather basically provided this same kind of non-bank local loan service through his general store, and while he wasn’t always paid back in full he was a force for good in the community. Kiva works with field lenders around the world and you can fund a loan for as little as $25 — a great way to get someone introduced and started is to give a gift card. If you want the full backstory, read Bob Harris’s “The International Bank of Bob” that covers the Kiva mechanisms and the local impact the aggregation of $25 loans can have. I’m proud to have made over 300 loans in 60+ countries. Here is an introduction to the platform (disclaimer: this is my personal invitation link; I get no credit or compensation but it does let me see how my friend-of-friends network expands, anonymously). If your gift recipient doesn’t use the Kiva gift card within a year, it becomes a donation to their platform.
Patr(e)on Of The Arts ($1 a month for $12 and up)
Along with providing banking services where the classical transaction costs are prohibitive, I also enjoy supporting local artists from comic and book creators to podcasts and music projects. I use the Patreon platform to provide direct support, without the implicit taxes of the iTunes or Google Play stores or classical publishers. This year I found that one of the YouTube “isolated bass track” (MiguelBass) musicians I track has a Patreon with tour notes, non-public content, and good insights into his appreciation for some of the same progressive rock musicians I’ve idolized for five decades. You can’t gift a Patreon sponsorship, but you can send someone PayPal funds with a note to explore Patreon and perhaps check out the artists for whom you are a direct support patron.
Fable ($10 and up)
Not the genre but the new Fable app for managing book lists, finding book clubs and locating like-minded readers. For the past decade I’ve used the Locus and Hugo award nominees as my reading list seeds, but as I’ve achieved closure of established authors’ works I want to find more music biography, history of science, and fiction that I’ll like. (2nd disclaimer: Fable’s head of enterprise sales is an old friend but I received no compensation or credit for this endorsement, which is my personal stance and not that of any employer, industry group or board of which I am a member). Again, you can’t gift a premium membership, but buy an Apple or Google gift card with a note to “check out Fable and join my club”. Yes, it’s tantamount to buying book-loving friends, but you’ll be surprised at what your work friends read and the views they bring to the virtual table.
TSA-Approved Multitool (about $10)
Serious nerd alert. I travel with a variation on the Gerber Shard tool that provides a small pry bar and screwdrivers. You never know when you’ll need to make a quick fix while on the road (even if traveling to a client meeting), and you can keep this clipped to the keychain ring in your backpack and go through airport screening without concern.
Sugarfina Bento Boxes (from $10 to $100)
(Disclaimer 3: I am a Reg CF investor in Sugarfina, which is like saying your personal seat license at MetLife stadium means you own part of the stadium. But if many people buy their products, there is a chance that in several years I will see a small financial benefit). I invested in Sugarfina because I frankly love their small boxes of candy - I don’t go for chocolate (gasp, especially with the number of trips to Belgium and Switzerland in my schedule) but love gummy, chewy, and highly textured candy. Non-pareil coated gummy bears are my sugary downfall. You’ll find Sugarfina in some high end retailers (Neiman Marcus, the Prudential Center in Boston, the Occulus in New York City), and their web site lets you curate small collections of candy that tell the recipient you put some thought into their sweets.