Give a Charitable Gift at Christmas, Help Others

Charitable Donations are Unique Christmas Gifts That Change Lives

Oct 19, 2009

Help Others, Children in Ethiopia, Helen Smeaton

A tax deductible charitable gift is the perfect present for socially conscious individuals who would rather help others than receive material goods themselves.

Tired of buying or receiving the same old gifts for Christmas whether it be chocolates, perfume, the latest gadget or yet another pair of socks? So much money is spent on gift buying during the holiday season, yet how many gifts are really appreciated and, more importantly, how many presents are really needed?

Charitable gift giving offers a unique way to offer a truly special present, one that is tax deductible, eco-friendly (as no wrapping paper is required) and one that will give pleasure to both the gift recipient and the person benefitting from the charitable donation.

Give a Charitable Gift Donation

There are thousands of different charities that receive monetary gifts from the general public throughout the year but monies given are lost in the overall funds so the giver does not know precisely who has received aid. It is now possible, however, to make a charitable donation through non profit organizations like Project Concern International (PCI) or Universal Giving™. Simply find a worthy project, decide on the amount to donate and the company will then send notification of the gift to the recipient via an eCard.

Examples of charitable gifts include:

Fund life saving anti-retroviral treatment in Zambia. $75 supports multiple patients for one month.
Buy a flock of hens. $50 can provide a poor Nicaraguan family with nutrition and an additional means of income through selling eggs.
Save a child from malaria. Just $10 buys a mosquito net to prevent the bites that kill an average of 3000 children in Africa every single day.
Fund a cataract operation. $100 gives the gift of sight back to one of the thousands of Ethiopian children with severe eye infections.
Buy a water tank. $100 can help fund construction of a water tank to provide clean drinking water for an entire village.

Non Profit Organisations for Charitable Gift Giving

The NGO’s offering the above gifts aim to help others without profiteering themselves.

Universal Giving™ has a vision to "create a world where giving and volunteering are a natural part of everyday life;" Project Concern International is “dedicated to preventing disease, improving community health, and promoting sustainable development.”

Both these NGO’s ensure that money received is directed 100% to the project concerned and, as all charitable gifts are “ordered” online, overheads are kept to a minimum. If the recipient does not have a computer, a card is sent to them in the post

Charitable Gifts for Socially Conscious People

Micro finance projects (mini loans made to entrepreneurs rather than non-refundable gifts) are also available as potential gift options. Both PCI and Universal Giving™ feature these mini loans, which are perfect for larger sums of money and corporate gift purchases.

Although the loan is eventually paid back once the entrepreneur’s business is up and running, most people donate the money returned to another good cause; a great way for one charitable gift to keep on changing lives.

Unique Christmas Gifts

Give a socially conscious friend or relative a unique charitable gift this Christmas; help others in need while saving the planet from yet more gift wrap and another box of chocolates.

Related Articles

Readers may also be interested in Unique Corporate Gift Ideas, Unique Christmas Gifts for Women and Unique Christmas Gift Ideas for Men.

The copyright of the article Give a Charitable Gift at Christmas, Help Others in Family Finances is owned by Helen Smeaton. Permission to republish Give a Charitable Gift at Christmas, Help Others in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.