by Chiara Sbrizzi – Party4Purpose Founder
A few years ago, my daughter received a birthday invitation with a twist—her friend wasn’t asking for toys or games, but donations to her favourite charity instead. I thought, “Now that’s genius!” Teaching kindness and celebrating? Sign me up.
Inspired, I started doing the same whenever my kids had birthdays. Since they were still getting spoiled by family (grazie, Nonna!), they didn’t feel like they were missing out. The idea was beautiful… in theory.
In reality? Let’s just say, it didn’t always go as planned.
Despite the warm praise from other parents (“What a lovely idea!”), guests kept turning up with something—usually a last-minute, budget-friendly toy that was destined for the dark depths of the toy box (or worse, landfill). Some guests even slipped a donation receipt into the card like it was a birthday IOU.
There was also a hiccup with the warm-and-fuzzies—people wanted to leave a message with their donation, but there was no easy way to do it. And while the idea of giving to charity tugged at everyone’s heartstrings, many parents admitted their kids weren’t ready to give up on gifts entirely—even for a good cause.
Fast forward to my big 4-0. I doubled down and asked for no gifts, just charity donations. The result? A small mountain of wine bottles. Very generous, but… I’m a teetotaller!!! So I was left with a lovely collection of unopened pinots and the thought: There has to be a better way to celebrate.
That’s when the lightbulb moment happened. I took all the feedback and Party4Purpose was conceived!
It’s a simple, joyful platform that helps hosts manage invites and RSVPs while offering guests an easy way to contribute to one meaningful gift and a charity of choice. No awkward receipts. No panic toy shopping. Just more purpose, less waste, and happy hearts all around.