Executive gifts for a board meeting or an investor thank-you: quiet, policy-safe and personal, for five to fifteen peopleExecutive gifts for a board meeting or an investor thank-you: quiet, policy-safe and personal, for five to fifteen people

What the boardroom expects from a gift

A gift to board members or investors is a different thing from a client gift or a staff gift. The people are few, senior and often bound by rules: many investment funds, listed-company directors and institutional nominees follow gift policies that cap or discourage gifts above a modest value. So the gift that works here is small in value, high in care, and clearly a thank-you, not an inducement.

Good choices, depending on the moment:

1. A handwritten note from the founder or CEO, with or without an object. For many investors this is the gift.
2. A fine notebook, pen or desk object, for a director who writes. Useful in the boardroom itself.
3. Estate tea or speciality coffee, for a board that meets over long mornings.
4. A book that connects to the company's mission or the conversation you had, signed by the team.
5. A handmade decor piece from your region, for the investor who has seen every branded gift. From Raajkosh, a Jalandhar candle maker: Vanilla Reverie, Rs 549, our one scented candle, vanilla in an amber glass jar with gold flakes; or the Shankh Candle, Rs 799, a cream conch-shaped vessel with pink lotus blooms.

What to avoid: alcohol for a mixed board, anything priced high enough to need declaring, and heavily branded merchandise. A director does not want your logo on a tote bag.

Fitting the gift to the moment

• After a funding round closes. One thank-you to each partner who backed you, with a note on what the money will build. Send it within the week, to the office or home they prefer.
• At a board meeting. A small object at each seat, or a gift for the first meeting of a new director. Keep it the same for everyone.
• For an independent director's year of service, or a farewell. More personal: something for their home, and a note signed by the founders.
• At the AGM or year-end. A seasonal gift to the whole board. If Diwali falls near it, a festive piece such as Urli Candles, Rs 699, suits most boards in India.

Board and investor gifts, compared

A two-piece gift for a lead investor, Vanilla Reverie with Seashell Candles, comes to Rs 1,448 at today's shop prices. Your quote confirms the final price per gift with branding and delivery.

Ordering for a small board

Boards and cap tables are small. Raajkosh corporate orders start at 10 gifts, with no minimum order value, and carry your logo on the gift tag, the note card or a wax seal. A wax seal on the note card suits this audience well, because it is formal and quiet. For fewer than 10 gifts, order straight from the shop and add a gift note on the product page; shop orders dispatch in 24 to 48 hours and arrive 2 to 7 days after dispatch, with free shipping from Rs 999.

Corporate orders come with a GST invoice in your company's name, delivery to one office or to each director's address, and are prepaid as set out in the quote. The full terms are on our corporate gifting terms page.

When a note alone, or another gift, is wiser

If a board member's fund or company bans accepting gifts of any value, send the note alone. If directors are flying in for the meeting, give something that packs flat, such as a notebook, because a candle is awkward in cabin baggage. If the meeting is in a building that bans open flames, a candle stays decor. And for gifts abroad, choose a supplier that ships there.

Ask for a board gift

Tell us the number of people, the moment and your date at raajkosh.com/corporate, or WhatsApp +91 85958 24586.