Making a Difference Through Every Sale: How Create Visual Aids Supports the National Autistic Society
For Create Visual Aids, making a difference is at the heart of both what the business does and why it exists.
The business creates visual resources designed to enhance communication and learning for people with a wide range of additional needs. Many of its customers are autistic people and their families, making the connection with the National Autistic Society particularly meaningful.
“Visual symbols can make a profound difference for autistic people - helping to reduce anxiety, build independence, and open up communication in a way that words alone often can't.”
That connection is one of the reasons Create Visual Aids has chosen to support the National Autistic Society through its sales giving.
Director Gina Smith wanted the business to do more than simply produce resources that could help people. She wanted Create Visual Aids to give something back to the community its products are designed to support.
“I was motivated to start fundraising through my business because I wanted to give back, and I wanted Create Visual Aids to make a real difference to people's lives. I was looking for a way of supporting people beyond just producing the resources.”
The business was introduced to Work for Good through the National Autistic Society, providing a straightforward way to organise and manage its charitable giving.
Today, Create Visual Aids donates 5% of sales through its website to the National Autistic Society.
The giving is promoted through the business website and social media, although Gina is keen that it remains something the business communicates naturally rather than using it simply as a sales tactic.
“We don't make the charitable giving the focus of our marketing. It's simply there on the website so that customers know they are supporting the National Autistic Society when they purchase.”
That authenticity seems to resonate with customers. Create Visual Aids regularly receives positive feedback about its charitable giving, with customers particularly appreciating that their purchases can support the National Autistic Society at the same time.
More importantly, customers regularly tell the business about the difference its visual resources are making in their own lives.
“We regularly have customers tell us that our resources have been a game changer for their children and that everyday routines are now much happier and calmer. Plus, they love the fact that they are donating while purchasing.”
For Gina and the team, that combination of practical impact and charitable giving gives the business a deeper sense of purpose.
“Business is hard and draining at times, but when you know that you're helping people through your business growth, then it lightens the load and gives more meaning to your everyday work.”
The giving also forms part of how Create Visual Aids sees its wider brand and purpose.
“I think donating to charity supports the overall feel of the brand. It helps us to represent who we are and what we want to achieve, both through the product itself and through the donations.”
The relationship with the National Autistic Society is not limited to the donations themselves. The charity has also contacted Create Visual Aids to thank the business for its support, something Gina says is always lovely to receive.
For Create Visual Aids, sales giving provides a simple way to extend the impact of the business beyond the products it creates. Every sale helps the business continue doing what it does, while also contributing to an organisation supporting autistic people and their families.
And for other businesses considering doing something similar, Gina's advice is straightforward.
“It's really simple and easy, so just go ahead and do it.”
Work for Good helps make that possible by providing a simple way for Create Visual Aids to set up its donation arrangement and make payments when they are due.
For a business whose products are designed to make communication, learning and everyday life easier, giving back to the community it serves feels like a natural part of that purpose.
Key takeaway:
Create Visual Aids shows how sales giving can become a natural extension of a business's purpose, connecting the products it creates with meaningful support for the community they are designed to serve.
To learn more about Create Visual Aids, please visit their website.