Packed with Purpose | October 5, 2025
A box of chocolates can come with a story worth sharing. Perhaps the maker creates jobs for veterans, or the purchase supports employment for people with disabilities. Learning that story gives the recipient another reason to remember the gift and the person who sent it.
New 2026 corporate gifting research puts numbers behind that opportunity. In the 2026 State of Corporate Gifting Report, conducted by The Harris Poll for Packed with Purpose, 18% of recipients selected giving back to a charitable cause or having a positive impact as something that makes a gift feel thoughtful. In a separate question, 80% agreed that a gift supporting a cause is more memorable than a generic one.[1]
The two findings capture different parts of the recipient experience. One question asked people to select the attributes that make a gift thoughtful. The other asked whether they agreed with a statement about memorability.
Someone can value a gift for its quality, usefulness, or personal relevance and also appreciate the cause it supports. Giving back may not be the first thing people name when describing a thoughtful gift, but when a gift comes with a meaningful story, it stays with them.
For companies choosing client and employee gifts, the opportunity is to bring those qualities together: something enjoyable to receive, with a meaningful reason to remember it.
The report also looks at how gifts connect to business relationships. Recipients who said giving back makes a gift thoughtful had 3.2x the odds of saying a corporate gift strengthened their relationship with the sender.[2]
In other words, people who care about impact tend to feel closer to the companies that gift them. It’s a strong pattern, though not proof that the gift alone made the difference.
Explore the 2026 State of Corporate Gifting Report for the findings and the analysis behind them.
Start with the person. Consider what they enjoy, where they will open it, and whether they might share it with colleagues or family. A thoughtful assortment and a personal message make your appreciation clear.
Make the impact specific. Share who made the product, what the business supports, and how the gift connects to that work. A short story about a maker creating jobs gives the recipient something concrete to connect with.
Personalize the message. For a client, thank them for a specific project or partnership. For an employee, recognize a contribution or milestone. Your note explains why you’re celebrating them, and the impact story adds meaning to what they receive.
Packed with Purpose brings these stories into every gift: products from purpose-driven businesses and a Stories of Impact Booklet, that introduces recipients to the makers and Impact Partners behind each item.
Include a short story about who made the product and the cause or community it supports. A booklet or message card can help recipients connect the gift in their hands with the people behind it.
Bring these insights to your next gifting plan. Read the full report to explore what recipients value and how gifts that give back can fit into your approach.
Sources and Methodology
[1] 2026 State of Corporate Gifting Report, Chapter 1. Research commissioned by Packed with Purpose and conducted online by The Harris Poll from July 23 to 24, 2026, among 2,007 U.S. adults, including 1,133 corporate gift recipients. Percentages are weighted and rounded. The thoughtfulness question allowed multiple selections; the memorability figure combines strongly and somewhat agree.
[2] PwP analysis of PwP/Harris Poll survey data. Odds ratio derived from a weighted binary logistic regression model run on the full recipient base (n=1,133). Analysis conducted by Packed with Purpose. This is the analysis identified by the double-dagger footnote on the report page.