Give yourself the gift of GIVING.

Giving is good for your health.

The act of charitable giving is good for you. There have been numerous studies that all point to the same key benefits of practicing charity.

In short – giving to a worthy cause makes you happy.

In a physiological sense, happy people have lower stress levels, which means lower cortisol and overall health benefits. Apart from these physical benefits, happy people are also more likely to experience gratitude and awareness of their own privilege and advantages in life. Giving also fosters human connection and promotes a healthy sense of self awareness.

Make the most of your boring end-of-year corporate gift.

Let’s be honest – nobody remembers every corporate gift. Mostly the edible ones are devoured before lunch, the swag bag is stuffed in a desk drawer and the coffee mugs simply add clutter to overstuffed office kitchen cabinets.

If you are looking for a fresh way to close out this year, why not donate towards a charity instead of spending money on yet another coffee mug or personalised note pad.

To help you reach your altruistic ideals and ensure that your charitable corporate gift hits the spot, we have found a fantastic local, non-political organization that can do with your support.

The High Five Fund.

The brainchild of Louise Cameron and Brent Lindeque, The “guy” from the fantastic blog, The Good Things Guy, the High Five Fund is  a unique South African Charity that takes a little but gives so much more.

“The High Five Fund, a charitable initiative born from a simple vision, aims to harness the power of small monthly donations from millions of South Africans to significantly impact five pillars of need, demonstrating that even the smallest contributions can create enormous positive change.”

The fund comes to fruition…

After a fruitful brainstorming session, they realized that the scale of this endeavour was beyond them. A couple of years later, Brent handed over his concept of small cumulative donations being used for good to Stephen Castle and Peta-Ann Lord who were perfect for scaling, and developing the fund into what it is today.

The fund has a broad scope and benefits five different charities across each of its five different pillars. (Animals, Children, Sustainability, Sports & Culture, and Social Impact.) These charities will change each month, allowing the fund to spread the impact of the cumulative micro donations.

Your “small change” can create massive changes.

“By supporting these causes, the fund aims to provide love, care, and protection to animals, empower children, promote sustainability, celebrate diverse cultural expressions, and uplift vulnerable communities. With a strong emphasis on raising awareness, advocacy, and collaboration, the High Five Fund invites individuals from all walks of life to get involved and make a difference in the lives of those in need”.

Together, we can create a brighter, more compassionate future for all.

We love people who are passionate about our country, the future and helping others, so this story resonated with the entire Homemakers team. 

Finally, for a full breakdown of some of South Africa’s most worthy and respectable charities, do yourself a favour and read this Daily Vox article.

We also like this extended list of charities compiled by Faithfull to Nature if you want an eco-friendly cause to champion.

This season, ditch the overpriced and undervalued flasks/pens/mousepads/lip-balm and rather put your brand (and money) to good use. Give the gift of Giving and we promise you, you will reap the rewards.

Your time is valuable.

If donating to charity in lieu of a corporate gift isn’t your style, you can still use these charities as inspirations to create a culture of giving in your company. Volunteering time can be a unique and rewarding way to grow relationships within your company. Many of these foundations and organizations will be as happy with your hands on help as they would be with a cash donation.

Maybe you can even make this outreach an annual thing…