Did you know the idea for Smiling Tree Gifts was actually born from a client who, year after year, would order custom ornaments for her church's holiday gathering?
Over time, we decided to expand upon the idea of an all wooden corporate gift line that targets corporations, businesses, and, of course, churches and other religious organizations.
This time of year, being so close to the start of a new one, I especially like to reminisce our humble beginnings that started with a single client and a dream. It's wild that in just a few short years we've exploded into the corporate gifting world and are *hopefully* making it a better, more sustainable place.
But no matter how "big" or "important" or "mainstream" some of the companies we've been so lucky to have worked with (Twitter, Chick-Fil-A, NetJets; I'm looking at you) are, I'll always be grateful for that local church and their annual ornament order that helped start it all.
So, with that, I wanted to pay homage to all the churches, bible camps and other religious organizations we've had the pleasure of creating custom wooden gifts for and help inspire your next event.
Here's a list of our most popular corporate gifts for religious organizations:
Core Value Statement Blocks
We recently fulfilled an order for these fully customizable, 2.25" square blocks for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and here's what Assistant Regional Director of International Advancement, Hannah Kao, had to say about why she chose these blocks.
"At the end of every year, I try to look for different "thank you" gifts for donors/ministry partners because of either (1) their involvement with our organization and/or (2) their financial support. I picked the block because the quality looked amazing & the reviews were great! As soon as I saw it, I realized I could print our Gospel presentation/method on it," Kao said.
Like Kao mentioned, each of the six sides can be laser engraved with your own logos, symbols, core values, ideals and more. The Core Value Statement Display Blocks are easily one of our most versatile options.
"I've given a wide variety of simple gifts like popcorn, cookies, Christmas ornaments, coasters, chocolates, hand-written thank you notes from kids, luggage tags, etc. -- But this year, I wanted to do something more meaningful, which is [also] why I chose the block," Kao said.
Brandon Rieb also ordered statement blocks for his team at Church At Viera.
"We purchased the display blocks because we want every team member to not only see our newly developed staff values properly displayed on their desk, but symbolically "hold on" to the values as well," Rieb said.
Core Value Statement Display Blocks are a stunning, tangible way to proudly show off your "why" each and every day.
Core Value Desktop Blocks and Trays
At STG we like to refer to these smaller, 1.4" square blocks with accompanying tray as the "older sister" to the aforementioned statement blocks. These blocks are a little more customizable (with three wood options; cherry, walnut and maple), come with either a large or small maple tray (which can also be engraved) and have the option to be gift wrapped. As with all our products, there's also the convenient option to have us drop-ship each item directly to the individual.
We had the pleasure of working with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes on these block sets as well for their top donors and ministry partners.
"I went with the block [sets] for a variety of reasons. It could be a nice thing to have on your shelf at home or work, it could start a conversation about the Gospel with those who see it, and it could be something they use to talk about faith and teach their children to share about Jesus easily," Kao said.
Gary Terranova, of Church of Jesus Christ, also ordered block and tray sets for his team, here's what he had to say:
"We were looking for a tasteful memento that could sit on the desks of our employees and remind them of five core focus areas within our work. The core value block and tray set met the need by providing a stunning representation of our focus areas," Terranova said.
"We were able to distribute our blocks to our employees in December as a token of appreciation. We also gave block sets to partners and plan to give them to each new employee during their onboarding to help remind them of our focus."
Keychains
If you're looking for a way to keep your church's or organization's beliefs and values top of mind, what better way than to have an item that attaches right to something you likely use everyday - your keys.
A brief passage, quote, inspiring word or symbol can be engraved on the keychain made from the wood of your choosing; maple, cherry or walnut. And the finishing touches are stainless steel hardware and organic oil finish.
These custom keychains are the perfect thing for young and old alike. Hand them out at bible camps, school, conferences, church retreats, as a thank-you and more; the options are endless!
Ornaments
The thing that started it all: ornaments!
Customized wooden ornaments are a great way to start an annual tradition or highlight a special event in a way your organization’s employees, volunteers, and clients will appreciate year after year. Individually personalize the front of each ornament for extra sentiment and engrave an emblem or symbol that will never wear off.
All age groups will love this special token and it serves as a reminder of a special event, project or accomplishment each and every holiday season.
So, the next time your religious organization or church has a need for wooden corporate gifts, it would be our honor to work with you and create something unique and meaningful.
