There was a time when giving someone a gift meant handing them a box with a bow on it. But, so many things in the world are going digital to make our lives easier. And, gifts are no exception. In fact, virtual gifts are not only here, but they’re proving very popular!
So, what are virtual gifts exactly?
If you haven’t heard of them or you’re not quite sure how they work, you’re in the right place. In this post, we’ll discuss:
- What are virtual gifts?
- What are the benefits of virtual gifts?
- How do virtual gift cards work?
- How to send a virtual gift card?
What are virtual gifts?
Before the digital age, gifts had to be given to each other in person. Or, at least posted to each other. You would go out and buy the gift, wrap it, and get it to the recipient.
But, the internet stepped in and helped us bring this process into the modern age. Enter: the virtual gift!
A virtual gift is a gift that you send digitally instead of physically. You order it online and send it straight to the recipient’s inbox.
This type of format works really nicely for charitable gifts, especially as more and more people are starting to ask for charitable donations instead of gifts for special occasions.
For example, at The Brain Tumour Charity, we offer virtual gifts that act as donations on the part of the recipient. More on this later.
What are the benefits?
Virtual gifts are fantastic for all sorts of reasons! For example, the virtual gifts that we offer have all these great benefits:
1. They’re instant
No more having to brave the weather and crowds in the high street. No more having to post your gift and wait for shipping times. You can simply order a virtual gift from your computer or mobile device and it’ll be sent immediately to your friend or loved one’s inbox. Just. Like. That!
2. They’re personalised
You have the ability to choose the design you want and even add a special message when ordering our virtual gifts. So, you can show your someone special exactly how much you care.
3. They’re great for people who have everything
Gift shopping for someone with no obvious hobbies or interests, or who seems to have everything they want and need, can be really difficult. Or, rather, it used to be. Thanks to virtual gifts, you can give them a gift that means a lot to them and makes a difference in someone else’s life. And, you know it won’t sit gathering dust at the back of a drawer.
4. They’re environmentally friendly
Virtual gifts are so much kinder to the environment. You don’t need to travel to and from the shops to get them, you don’t need to wrap them in paper, you don’t need to deliver them, and they’re not covered in plastic that’ll create landfill. Everything is done digitally, from the creation of the gifts to the delivery.
5. They’re great last-minute gifts
We mentioned that they’re instant, right? So, if your gifting plans have been derailed in any way, all is not lost. You can order a virtual gift mere seconds before you need to give it and it’ll go straight into the recipient’s inbox (and they never need to know it wasn’t your plan all along!).
How do virtual gift cards work?
This might depend on the actual virtual gift being given. But, they all work pretty similarly. Our virtual gift cards work like this:
- Someone you know says they’d prefer charitable donations to be made in their name instead of receiving gifts. Or, you know them well enough to know that they’d prefer a donation to be made.
- You go onto our charity shop and find our virtual gifts. You can then choose how much you’d like to donate in their name, picking from set amounts.
- You choose the e-card design that you think they would like and write a personalised message for them, which will be included.
- We send the e-card to their inbox and put the donation into the work we do towards accelerating cures for brain tumours. They get the fuzzy feeling that comes with giving people affected by brain tumours the gift of hope.
How to send a virtual gift card
Sending a virtual gift is easy. We’ll walk you through the steps below.
Navigate to our online shop
You can go straight to the virtual gifts section of our shop by hitting the button below.
This will take you through to a special page where you can see the type of gifts available. We’ve laid out your choices and given you a brief of explanation of the good that your gift could do.
Simply choose the amount that you’d like to give as a gift and hit the ‘Personalise’ button.
Step 1: Choose your gift
If you clicked on the wrong option or you’d like to give a different gift, you can click on the drop-down to select one of the other options.
Each option will tell you the size of the donation and the text under the drop-down will change to tell you more about where your donation could help.
The gift of a hug in a bag could pay for a Brainy Bag and teddy bear to be sent to a child affected by a brain tumour. The gift of a helping hand could pay for one of our brain tumour info packs to be created and sent to someone who needs it. And, the gift of knowledge could pay for 20 awareness cards to be created, which contain potentially life-changing information on signs and symptoms.
Under this section you can choose how you would like to give your virtual gift. You can download a PDF to send on yourself or you can have us send an e-card to the person you’re treating. You can also choose not to send a card if you’d prefer.
If you choose to send an e-card, we’ll ask you to enter the email address that you’d like it sent to.
Step 2: Choose the virtual card design
Next, you can choose the card design.
These designs may differ depending on the season. So, at Christmas you’ll see some fantastically festive designs pop up.
To select the design you’d like to send, simply click on it.
Step 3: Personalise it
Now it’s time to get personal! Here’s where you get to add your personalised message.
Start by entering the name of the person you’re buying the gift for.
Next, add a special message for them. You have 200 characters to use here, so you can really say how much they mean to you.
Then, enter your own name in the ‘From’ field.
Lastly, hit the ‘Add to cart’ button and the personalised gift will appear in your shopping basket at the top of the page. You can then view your cart and checkout. Easy peasy!
Send a virtual gift to someone special
So, now you know all there is to know about virtual gifts. And, hopefully you can see why they’re catching on.
Not only are they quick to send and great for the environment, but they give your friends and family the warm feeling of doing good for others. And, that’s a truly wonderful gift.
So, help us accelerate cures and give families affected by brain tumours the gift of hope. Send a virtual gift this Christmas!