How Your Brewery Can Host A Community Giving Tree
The holiday season is a time for generosity, reflection, and community. If you're looking for a meaningful way to engage your patrons while making a positive impact, hosting a Community Giving Tree at your brewery is a fantastic opportunity. This event allows you to combine the spirit of giving with the warmth of your brewery’s atmosphere, bringing your community together to support those in need. Here's how you can organize a successful and impactful giving tree event at your brewery.
1. Understand the Concept of a Giving Tree
A Giving Tree is a way to collect donations (often gifts or essential items) for individuals or families in need during the holiday season. Typically, a tree is set up with tags that describe the wishes or needs of the recipients. Patrons select a tag, purchase the item listed, and return the gift to be distributed to those in need.
Who benefits: You can partner with a local charity, shelter, or family service organization to identify recipients—whether it's underprivileged children, seniors, or families facing hardship.
2. Partner with a Local Charity or Organization
The first step in hosting a successful Giving Tree event is to partner with a reputable local charity or non-profit organization. This could be a children’s charity, a homeless shelter, a food bank, or any group that serves vulnerable populations during the holidays.
Selecting your partner: Choose an organization that aligns with your values and has the capacity to manage the distribution of gifts. Reach out to them early to discuss logistics, recipient needs, and how they can support your event.
Get wish lists: Work with your charity partner to gather a list of specific items or gifts that are needed. This ensures that each gift is meaningful and truly helpful to the recipient.
3. Set Up the Giving Tree at Your Brewery
The physical Giving Tree will be the heart of your event. Choose a prominent spot in your brewery where customers can easily see it. Decorate the tree with festive holiday ornaments, twinkling lights, and most importantly—tags.
Creating the tags: Each tag should include information about a specific need or wish, such as “Winter Coat for a Child (Age 6)” or “Art Supplies for Teen.” Make sure to keep the details anonymous while still providing enough information for the giver to purchase the correct item.
Tree design: For a festive touch, incorporate your brewery's branding into the design of the tree or tags. For example, you could use beer-themed ornaments or create tags that resemble beer bottles.
4. Promote the Event
Once the tree is set up, the next step is to spread the word! Use your brewery’s social media channels, website, and email newsletters to promote the event. Highlight the local charity you’re working with, and emphasize the importance of giving back during the holiday season.
Engage your community: Encourage patrons to come in, grab a tag, and participate. You can share inspiring stories or testimonials from past recipients to show the impact their contributions will have.
Create urgency: Set a deadline for when gifts need to be returned, and remind customers of this deadline frequently so they have time to participate.
5. Encourage Participation with Incentives
While many people will want to give out of the kindness of their hearts, adding a little incentive can increase participation. You could offer a small reward or discount to customers who bring back gifts from the Giving Tree.
Incentive ideas: Give participants a discount on a pint, a free holiday-themed beer coaster, or a voucher for their next visit. You could also enter those who donate into a raffle for a larger prize, such as a brewery gift basket or a private tour.
Holiday events: Consider tying the Giving Tree event into a larger holiday celebration at your brewery, like a seasonal beer release party or a live music night, to draw more people in.
6. Collect and Organize the Gifts
As customers return with their gifts, you’ll need a system for keeping everything organized. Create a designated drop-off area for the gifts, and ensure that they are labeled clearly with the tag they correspond to. Work closely with your charity partner to schedule when the items will be picked up or delivered.
Gift wrapping: You can encourage customers to bring the gifts wrapped or provide a wrapping station at the brewery. This can add a fun element to the event—especially if customers can stay and wrap their gifts while enjoying a beer.
Gift tracking: Keep track of which tags have been taken and which gifts have been returned to ensure that no one is left out. If necessary, you can remind patrons to bring in their gifts as the deadline approaches.
7. Host a Gift Collection or Celebration Event
To close out the event, consider hosting a special evening where the community can gather to celebrate the success of the Giving Tree and the spirit of the holidays. You could even invite representatives from the charity to speak, sharing how the gifts will impact the lives of those they serve.
Thank your patrons: Take the opportunity to thank everyone who participated, and acknowledge the collective impact your brewery and its patrons have had on the community. You could offer a free pint to everyone who participated or make it a festive night with live music, holiday decorations, and seasonal brews.
Highlight the results: Share how many gifts were collected and how they will help, whether through social media posts or in person at the event.
8. Follow Up with Your Community
After the Giving Tree event, follow up with your community to show the outcome. Post pictures (if appropriate) of the gifts being delivered to the charity, share a message of thanks, and express how their donations made a difference. This not only closes the loop but also helps to build excitement for future charitable events at your brewery.
Share stories: If your partner charity is able to share impact stories, consider highlighting them on your social channels or in your newsletter, which helps bring the effort full circle.
Final Thoughts
Hosting a Community Giving Tree at your brewery is more than just a holiday event—it’s an opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of people in your community while bringing your patrons together for a shared cause. The warmth, generosity, and camaraderie that come from a Giving Tree will strengthen your relationship with your customers and demonstrate your brewery’s commitment to supporting the local community. With thoughtful planning and execution, your brewery can become a hub for holiday cheer and community goodwill year after year.
