Charity Gifts: Alternative Gift Options

Have you ever needed to come up with a gift for that one person in your life who simply seems to already own everything? Or perhaps you have a friend or family member with an upcoming birthday celebration but they always tell you "not to worry about a gift." While many individuals truly do not wish to accumulate more random possessions that they don't really care for through birthdays or holidays, it still is culturally appropriate to bring some sort of gift to these people. While gift cards or monetary gifts are usually the good ol' fall-back option for the person who doesn't want or need anything else for his/her special day, consider taking a new approach to giving gifts for these people. In fact, charitable giving (in the name of your friend or family member) is a great gift option.

First of all, make sure that the individual to whom you will be giving the charitable gift in the name of is one of general benevolence and goodwill. Otherwise, they are very unlikely to appreciate your thoughtfulness on their behalf. Once you have established that this person does enjoy giving charitable donations on their own anyways, learn what organizations (or types of organizations) they regularly give contributions to. If they tend to be interested in food donations, then think about local or international food banks you could give a gift to in their name; if they are highly involved with educational projects, then consider finding an organization with a strong emphasis on offering educational programs or services. Other organization types might focus on politics, orphanages, or building projects. Another great option for charitable birthday gifts is to sponsor a child (through organizations like Compassion International or World Vision) for a year or so in the name of your friend; this is a "gift that keeps on giving" and your friend may appreciate the bond they can build with their sponsored child through letters.

Once you have determined an appropriate organization to donate towards, then go ahead and make the contribution as a gift to your friend. While your friend will obviously not directly benefit from your gift in their name, they should appreciate the thoughtfulness of the action; after all, they have already established with you that they don't expect or want anything from you as a gift anyways. This way, your social obligation to bring a gift to your friend is fulfilled and their no-gift wish is granted as well.

Overall, charitable donations are a great alternative gift option. They prevent the receiver from feeling selfish or ungrateful for items that they don't really need or want, and they also provide the giver with a feeling of satisfaction through the gift-giving process.