If everyone gave a dollar to a cause, the world would change. At least, that's the premise behind Z Kit, a new type of gift that keeps on giving.
"It inspires people," said Z Kit creator and founder Melanie Corey-Ferrini. "It's a giving circle. It keeps going round and round, and we want that circle to get bigger. We can all have an effect on something."
After the product's lunch a couple weeks ago on-line and in Fireworks stores in Bellevue and University Village, more than 100 Z Kits have been sold.
The 'gift of giving'
The premise of the Z Kit is giving the gift of giving. The "Z steps" start with purchasing one of the four themed Z Kits: Arts & Animals, Community & Health, Women & Children and Kit for Kids. The giver then includes a written donation on the Z Tag and any additional gifts that they would like to give.
Then the person who receives the Z Kit chooses the cause they wish to donate to and tells the giver, and finally, the gift giver makes the donation in the receiver's name.
To Seattle resident Corey-Ferrini, who mulled over the idea for the last few years, the Z Kit acts as a reminder to give and makes the act of giving a little more unique and special.
"It's a token, a memento," Corey-Ferrini said. "Some people need that in their busy life. They don't think about it until they see it somewhere. It kind of jump-starts giving in people's minds."
And the idea of giving does not end after the initial transaction either. There are two parts to the Z Kit.
"First is the gift package, where it highlights your donation in an interesting way," Corey-Ferrini explained.
"And then the person you give it to, they're able to keep the Z Kit, sign their name inside on the Z Log and re-give the tin again with another charity theme."
Basically, the original receiver becomes a giver. Because each Z Kit tin has an ID number, as long as receivers sign in and share their story on Z Kit's Web site (givezkit.com) the Z Kit's story of giving can continue and can be followed by the original buyer and anyone new to the Z Kit circle. Z Fills can be purchased to re-give the tin.
"Every time you get a Z Kit you fill in your name and the city and go online, put in your Z Kit number and share your story," Corey-Ferrini said. "It's never the amount that matters. It's more just the idea and planting the idea."
Z Kit highlights several local charities, but donations are not limited to those listed on the Web site. For now, Corey-Ferrini is focused on gathering feedback and tweaking the system as needed, but she said there's been a lot of excitement about the Z Kits with the holidays around the corner, especially the Kit for Kids.
"We're just trying to keep people donating," Corey-Ferrini said. "We'd like in the future - once we move from start-up mode - to give a percentage of our profits to all charities we highlight."[[In-content Ad]]
