I started Thoughtful Giving because I needed it to exist. I never set out to build a company—I set out to find a solution. I assumed something like this had to already be out there. But after searching and coming up empty, I realized: no one had created it yet.

The idea came from real moments in my life. I was always struggling to find the right gifts for nieces, nephews, and family members because I didn’t have the specific information I needed when I was making gift-giving decisions. It wasn’t about shopping—it was about giving, thoughtfully and meaningfully.

But the moment that truly sparked it was at my daughter’s 4th birthday party. We invited her whole class—actually two classes—and nearly everyone showed up. I was cutting wedding-sized slices of cake to feed a room full of kids and their parents, surrounded by a mountain of well-meaning gifts. Some were perfect. Others missed the mark—wrong characters, wrong sizes, or just not her thing. And afterward, I still had to go buy her winter tights and dress shoes.

If someone had known what she actually needed, they would’ve gladly given it. I know I would’ve—for someone else’s child. That’s where Thoughtful Giving began—with a simple idea: we can give better when we know better.

~Misty Edgecomb