Neighborly Gifts, a Rochester-based corporate gifting company founded by Sarah Richardson, is celebrating its five-year anniversary with a major milestone: the public launch of its locally focused gifting platform. Known for its commitment to supporting small businesses, Neighborly Gifts has worked closely with Mayo Clinic and other regional organizations to deliver meaningful, customizable gifts that reinvest in the local economy.
Since its inception in 2020 during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Neighborly Gifts has grown from a small idea into a community-powered success story. What began as a creative agency’s desire to support frontline workers and local businesses quickly turned into a dynamic gifting solution. Within the first year, the company saw 12,000% growth, thanks in large part to early support from Mayo Clinic and the Rochester community.
“We launched our first prototype in March 2020—just weeks after that initial brainstorming session,” said Sarah Richardson, founder of Neighborly Creative and Neighborly Gifts. “We were trying to figure out how to give back, and it just took off from there.”
Today, Neighborly Gifts partners with over 250 small businesses across five states, offering curated gift options for companies looking to show appreciation to their employees while supporting local economies. One of its most popular offerings is the Lunch Voucher Program, a redesigned gift card that includes a QR code linking recipients to food and beverage offers from over 40 participating local restaurants.
“Our mission is to create gifts people actually want, while putting dollars back into the businesses that make our communities special,” said Richardson. “It’s a win-win for everyone.”
As part of its five-year celebration, Neighborly Gifts has officially made its gifting platform available to the public for the first time. Businesses and individuals can now browse and purchase directly from neighborlygifts.com, with the ability to send gifts, vouchers, and curated collections to teams, clients, or loved ones.
“We’re asking business owners across Rochester and southeast Minnesota to support our mission by buying lunch for their teams,” said Richardson. “This is our official launch party for the public—and we couldn’t be more excited.”
Neighborly continues to grow by listening to the needs of the community and collaborating with small vendors to develop new products and programs. The team is focused on expanding its impact while staying true to its roots: creativity, community, and giving back.
This article was made with assistance from AI