Our Story
When Debbie met Ali...
Before launching ECHOage in 2008, co-founder Debbie Zinman was already searching for ways to introduce her children to the needs of their community and get them excited about giving themselves. Intent on not being the “scrooge of birthday parties” but tired of spending her weekends shopping for endless birthday gifts, co-founder Alison Smith was already dreaming up ways to simplify the process forparents and to involve her children on a more meaningful level.
One chance discussion at a birthday-party pickup and this beautiful partnership was born. Together, with their advisory counsel made up of their own kids, the newly formed duo committed to changing the face of birthday parties forever.
Our achievements
70K+
Events celebrated
$15M+
Raised for charity
150+
Active charity partners
30K+
Kids giving back
Founders
In 2008, two Toronto-based mums, Debbie Zinman and Alison Smith, came together over a simple shared frustration. Debbie, a former teacher, was determined to find a way for her children to appreciate giving. Alison, a former kids-furniture and clothing designer, was weary of the endless shopping and wrapping that birthday-party season brought. During a casual chat at a birthday-party pick-up, they realised their ideas could unite to offer something better.
By year’s end, with help and advice from their own children, Debbie and Alison had launched ECHOage, aiming to keep the magic in kids’ birthday parties, ease the pressure on parents, and add genuine meaning to each celebration. What began as a simple idea quickly grew into a movement, inspiring thousands of families to celebrate in ways that create lasting memories while making a real difference to causes they care about.
Our mission and values
At ECHOage, we’re all about helping you spend more time with your kids instead of shopping for birthday presents, again.
Sustainability
Ditch the generic paper cards, make completely bespoke e-invites.
Simplicity
Manage your entire party from our party planning portal.
Generosity
Choose how much goes to the gift and to the charity.
Joy
The happiness they experience from play and gratitude is why we're here.
About all of us
ECHOage is about all of the busy moms and dads who’d prefer to spend time with their kids on the weekends instead of out searching for birthday gifts.
It’s about parents, who’d prefer to see their kids receive one or two really meaningful, lasting gifts for their birthdays. Stuff they’ve been dreaming about, like a new bike, an iPad, a doll house, or maybe even a trip, instead of the yearly birthday bounty, lost, forgotten, or dare we say, regifted.
It’s about making kids feel extra special on their birthdays, but jumping at the opportunity to make their birthdays meaningful, to inspire compassion and generosity and instil a sense of meaningful purpose in the youth of today.
Ready to start your party?
Skip the piles of unwanted gifts—ECHOage makes birthdays easy with group gifts kids love and a charity they choose to support.
