Everything about this year has been different, and that includes how we show our appreciation for the people we love and the organizations we care about throughout the holiday season. Since in-person holiday gift exchanges aren’t recommended, many people are looking to the internet to send gifts to their loved ones near and far. Significantly, after much time spent online this year, a lot of people have a greater appreciation of tech toys. We have compiled some trending gifts and resources to inspire your gift giving.

The end of the year also brings a rise in donations from end-of-year giving. We looked at some expected giving trends for this year and new ways you can support artists and arts organizations.

Gifting: VR, Streaming Services, Subscriptions, and More

1. VR: With so many more events taking place using VR and day-to-day settings not changing very much, you may be more tempted to buy a VR headset as a gift for someone (or yourself). The Oculus Quest 2 has a completely wire-free design and doesn’t require a gaming PC. Curious about what it’s like to try VR for the first time? Read one AMT Lab writer’s experience here.

2. Streaming: One activity that people are still going to be able to enjoy in the new year is steaming. A year (or whatever duration) subscription to a streaming service can make a great gift for those who have never tried streaming or for those who have exhausted the library on their current go-to platform. Recent additions to the streaming industry include Disney+ ($69.99 a year) and HBO Max ($14.99 a month). Two niche streaming services you might want to investigate are 1) The Criterion Channel ($99.99 a year or $11 a month) for the cinephile in your life, and 2) Marquee TV ($89.99 a year) for the performing arts lover. Marquee TV also offers 40% off for arts professionals and currently has a holiday special: 30% off your first year.

If you’re thinking of gifting a streaming service, Vulture has a handy guide here.

And, you can read in-depth about each service’s value propositions in our recent white paper, The Streaming War During the Covid-19 Pandemic.

3. Gift subscriptions: Other fun things to give remotely are subscriptions to different products your loved one enjoys, which can also help them not have to purchase them in-person. Examples include:

• A coffee subscription from Blue Bottle Coffee

• A monthly beer subscription from Craft Beer Club

• A monthly wine subscription from Winc

• A sock subscription from Sock Fancy

4. To make someone laugh: If you’re looking for a gift to make someone laugh in a year that has been far from funny, the New York Times created a “Gifts from Cyberspace” guide—an “alternative” gift guide to “delight and surprise.” Featured gifts include $0.60 silicone sneaker covers, a refreshing drink key cap for $34.60, a lace computer cover for $13.01 to $14.50, and more.

5. Hosting a virtual gift exchange: To provide a fun way to exchange gifts remotely, Camp has created a completely virtual “white e-lephant” gift exchange to play with friends, family, or co-workers. While the gift swapping takes place completely online, the gifts are real. The screenshot from the website below gives an introduction to how it works.

Giving Trends

1. Giving back to artists: Because artists have often fallen between the cracks of Covid-19 assistance, supporting artists directly is a good way to give back this holiday season. Some ways to do that are giving through artists’ Patreon accounts or buying directly from them instead of through secondary channels. B addressed this topic in our most recent Let’s Talk episode. 

2. Digital fundraising: As end-of-year giving for 2020 wraps up, it remains clear that digital engagement is key. According to the Blackbaud Institute, arts organizations will “want to be sure that [they] are speaking to [their] stakeholders through the channels and platforms that they are embracing.” To help with this, here’s a look back at AMT Lab’s posts focusing on digital fundraising:

Conclusion

Hopefully this guide gave you some ideas for adding a bit of normalcy into your holidays. No matter how you’re celebrating, we wish a happy and healthy holiday season to all of our AMT Lab readers. We’ll see you in the new year with new research, new trends, and new ideas.