Ripple Effect

How it works

Ripple Effect works alongside families in rural Africa so they can learn more, grow more, and sell more.

Ripple Effect
1. Choose a life-changing gift to help a family in rural Africa

Virtual gifts from just £5. Choose from chirpy chickens to gardening kits, and bicycles to motorcycles.

Ripple Effect
2. We send you or your friend a gift pack or e-card

Gift pack: Have the gift pack posted to you, so you can give it to your friend or loved one in person; or have the gift pack sent directly to their address. E-card: Send an e-card directly to the recipient (they receive no physical cards in the post). You can even choose the date you'd like us to send the card.

Ripple Effect
3. Your donation helps farming families

The families we work with pass on their skills and knowledge to others in the community, so the impact of your donation will be felt for generations to come.

"Before working with Ripple Effect my children often went hungry. We had no money or food. With the farming techniques I have learned, I am seeing great results from my hard work and the seeds I have sown. My children love all the crops that I plant, I take care of their preferences and taste. I grow crops such as cassava, sweet potatoes, bananas and pumpkin."

Caroline, Kenya

Can I send a gift to a friend in the post with a personalised message?

Yes you can. Once you've chosen your gift and type of gift card, you can tick the 'Personalise my card for me' box which will then give you the opportunity to enter the recipient's name, your name and a personalised message. This message will then be added to your chosen gift card on your behalf.

Once you have finished adding your gifts to your basket and have 'proceeded to checkout', you will be asked to fill in your billing details. Once this section is completed, you will see your order summary below. If you would like to change the delivery address for a gift to a friend or family member's, click 'use a different address' and update to the required address for that particular gift.

Please note, if you haven't chosen to 'Personalise my card for me' in the first instance, you won't be able to change a delivery address to a friend or family's at the check out stage.

What do I get if I make a donation in return for a Ripple Effect charity gift?

Gift card: If you choose the Gift Card option, we’ll send you or your loved one a gift pack in the post. The gift pack contains a gift envelope, greetings card of your choice, plus an information card with details of your chosen gift. If you choose to have the pack sent straight to your loved one, you can leave a personalised message for us to include. If you choose for the pack to be sent to your address, you can add the message yourself before passing it on to your loved one.

E-card: If you choose the e-card option, your loved one will receive a single email with details of the gift you have chosen for them, alongside any personalised message you’ve asked us to include.

Just a donation: If you would prefer to just make a donation towards a specific gift, you will not receive an E-card or a Gift pack in the post.

Can my order be delivered to someone else at a different address?

Once you have started the checkout process and entered your billing details you will be presented with your order summary. At this point you can add a different delivery address for any of your items.

Can I send my charity gift by email?

Yes, when choosing a charity gift, you can select the e-card option. You can add recipient details here and a personalised message. You can even choose the date that you’d like your gift to be sent. Make sure you get the recipient’s information correct here, as you’ll be unable to update it later in the process. If you have made a mistake, you’ll need to remove it from your basket and start again.

My chosen recipient didn’t receive their e-card – why not?

It's possible the e-card has gone into their spam/ junk email folder. Ask them to check their spam/junk folder to see if their e-card is in there.

Can I place an order where each gift is posted to a different person?

Yes, you can add as many gifts as you like and these can be a combination of E-cards and Gift Cards, with physical gift packs. You can update the delivery address as part of the checkout process, so each gift is sent to a different person. If you’d rather, you can have your gifts sent to you so you can personalise at home and give them out in person.

Can I select a greetings card with my 'Sustainable Product' merchandise items or Garden Twinning?

Greetings cards accompany our charity gifts but are not available with merchandise or Garden Twinning

What will my donation be used for?

The gifts in this catalogue are examples of Ripple Effect’s work across the six countries where we work. When you buy a gift, you’re making a donation to help provide practical, down to earth support so families in rural Africa can develop their own solutions and become self-reliant. Your donation will be used wherever the need is greatest to make a real difference to the lives of families affected the most by poverty in rural Africa.

How long will it take to receive my order?

We will aim to dispatch gift orders within 5 working days of your order being received by us, so please order in advance to avoid disappointment. All orders are sent 2nd class Royal Mail. For last-minute orders, we would recommend you choose the E-card option so that your gifts can be sent straight to the recipient. For E-cards, you can even choose the date that you’d like your gift to be sent or choose to have your E-card sent as soon as the order has been placed.

Can I have a refund on my donation?

As a charitable organisation who is a member of Fundraising Regulator, Ripple Effect ensures that our policies and fundraising activity is undertaken in line with the Fundraising Code. We hope this means that in most cases, our supporters have a smooth and rewarding experience when making a donation to us. Our intention is always to raise as much money as possible for rural families in Africa to help them to grow their own future. However, we appreciate that from time to time errors can happen and a refund or repayment of donation may be requested.

In line with the code we are unable to refund any voluntary donations made to us except in exceptional circumstances.

We have an internal policy which, along with our Gift Acceptance policy guides these decisions. If you believe your request may fall in to exceptional circumstances we ask that you make the request in writing to our offices or via email to info@rippleeffect.org. If you've purchased merchandise from our shop and they've arrived broken or faulty, please get in touch and we'll do all we can to resolve the matter.

We also have a Vulnerable Circumstances Policy which can be found here.

Can I choose which country receives my donation?

Our charity gifts are typical ways you can support families in the six countries where we work. When you buy a gift, you’re making a donation that helps to provide practical and sustainable support, so families can grow a life free from poverty and hunger. Your donation will be used wherever the need is greatest to make a real difference to the lives of families living in some of the poorest parts of rural Africa.

I’m based overseas, can I still place an order?

All our online gifts (excluding merchandise) have E-card options. For international orders, including the US, we offer and recommend the E-card option so that your gifts can be sent straight to your loved one's inbox. However, we can still post charity gifts cards overseas for a standard postage fee of £3. Unfortunately, at the moment we are unable to post merchandise (including Christmas Cards) or Garden Twinning, overseas. If Garden Twinning orders are placed with an overseas address, it will be treated as a donation only and a pack won't be sent.

I’ve placed my order but realised I’ve made a mistake!

If you realise you have made a mistake with your order, please contact us immediately on info@rippleeffect.org or 01225 874 222 (Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm). We will try to make your amendment but if your order is already in process, we are sorry but we may be unable to make any changes.

I’m struggling with the checkout process, can you help?

We understand that some orders can be complicated. Our friendly Supporter Care team are here to help you. Please call 01225 874 222 (Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm) and we can talk you through the process or are happy to take your order over the telephone.

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