“What should we budget per gift?”
It’s one of the first questions that comes up when planning corporate gifting — and there isn’t one magic number that works for every company.
A $100 employee appreciation gift and a $250 executive client gift can both be completely appropriate. What matters is who you’re gifting, why you’re gifting them, how many gifts you need, and the impression you want the gift to make.
For companies looking for premium corporate gifting, a practical starting point is often $100–$250+ per recipient, with higher budgets for executive gifts, VIP clients, major milestones or more customized gifting.
Here’s how to determine what makes sense for your company.
Start With the Relationship, Not the Gift
Before deciding what to spend, think about the relationship.
Are you gifting:
- Employees or team members
- Long-standing clients
- VIP or high-value clients
- Referral partners
- Executives
- New homeowners or possession clients
- Event attendees or speakers
A company-wide employee gift may have a very different budget from a thank-you gift for a client who has worked with your company for ten years.
That’s why we recommend determining your recipient groups first and your gift budget second.
A Practical Corporate Gift Budget
There are no hard rules, but these ranges can help when you're starting to plan:
$100–$150 per recipient
A strong range for premium employee gifts, client appreciation, thank-you gifts and larger corporate programs.
$150–$250 per recipient
Allows for a more elevated gift with premium gourmet products, beautiful packaging, wine or specialty items, and additional customization.
$250+ per recipient
Well suited to executive gifting, VIP clients, major milestones, luxury gifts and situations where you want to make a significant impression.
The right amount isn't necessarily the highest amount.
The goal is to choose a budget that reflects the relationship and allows you to send something you are genuinely proud to put your company's name on.
Don't Forget the Total Gifting Experience
Your budget isn't only about how many products fit inside the gift.
Presentation matters.
A beautifully curated $150 gift can make a much stronger impression than a $200 gift filled with products simply to make it look bigger.
Consider the complete experience:
Quality of the products + Presentation + Packaging + Personalization + Branding + Delivery
Those details are often what separate a premium corporate gift from something that feels generic.
Consider Creating Different Gift Levels
If you're ordering for a large recipient list, everyone doesn't necessarily need to receive the same gift.
For example, your company might create:
Employee Gift — $125
Client Gift — $175
VIP / Executive Gift — $250+
This allows you to recognize different relationships while still keeping the entire gifting program organized.
And from an administrative standpoint, three clearly defined gift levels are much easier to manage than trying to select an individual gift for every person.
Work Backwards From Your Total Budget
Sometimes you're given a total number instead.
“We have $20,000 for corporate gifting this year.”
Great. Start there.
Before dividing $20,000 by the number of recipients, determine what else needs to come from that budget.
Depending on your gifting program, you may need to account for:
- Delivery or shipping
- Custom branding
- Personalized cards
- Specialty packaging
- Alcohol
- Taxes
- Branded merchandise supplied or sourced for the gifts
Once those costs are considered, you'll have a much more accurate idea of what you can invest in each gift.
Give Your Gifting Company a Budget Range
You don't need to know the exact dollar amount before asking for recommendations.
In fact, a range is often more helpful.
Instead of:
“Can you send me some corporate gift ideas?”
Try:
“We're looking for approximately 75 premium client gifts in the $150–$200 range, with delivery in Calgary in early December.”
Now we can work.
That one sentence tells us enough to recommend appropriate options without sending you 47 gift ideas you have to sort through.
Think About the Impression You Want to Make
Corporate gifting is ultimately an extension of your company.
Your gift might be thanking someone for their business.
Recognizing an employee's contribution.
Celebrating a major partnership.
Welcoming someone into a new home.
Or simply reminding a valued client that the relationship matters.
The budget should support that message.
You don't need to spend excessively.
But you do want the recipient to open the gift and feel like someone put thought into it.
And ideally, you want the person who ordered it to look at the finished gift and think:
“Yes. I'm proud to send that.”
That's the standard we believe corporate gifting should meet.
Planning a Corporate Gift Order?
If you're not sure where your budget should land, start with what you already know:
Quantity + Approximate Budget + Recipient Type + Occasion + Delivery Date
At BB Baskets, we can use those details to recommend premium corporate gifting options that make sense for your company, your recipients and your budget.