Choose Cards and Gifts that Give Twice

I love the idea of donating to a nonprofit in someone else's name. It's a great way to support your favorite organizations and honor someone you care about at the same time. (A great idea for weddings!) But what if your friend, relative or colleague wants to support a different organization? Now you can let them choose by giving charity gift certificates. You provide the financial donation, but your friend decides where to donate it.

Here are two ways to purchase charity gift certificates :

*JustGive.org - Recipients choose from more than 1,000,000 US nonprofits and charitable organizations.

*CharityGiftCertificates.org - Recipients choose from over 75 charitable organizations.

These go well with a child's, colleague's, friend's or relative's gift, and make a great way to teach a child about giving. They can also stand alone, or be used in a wedding or other registry. Remember, the gift will be tax-deductible for the purchaser. Also, if you run a non-profit, you may want to consult the organizations above to be added to their list.

For many people, sending and receiving Christmas and holiday cards are an important part of the season. If you're going to send cards anyway, why not choose cards that will promote social justice as well as deliver your warm holiday greeting?

Here are just a few of your options:

*UNICEF is well known for their holiday cards that support their worldwide work to improve children's lives.

*Courage Center provides services to people with disabilities, many of whom are the artist for the cards they sell. Some of the artists are nationally recognized, and your purchase supports the work of the Courage Center.

*Special Olympics offers holiday cards that support their work on athletic training for people with intellectual disabilities.

*Children's Defense Fund offers cards that support their work with poor children and children with disabilities.

For all-occasion greeting cards, visit Charity Cards (charitycards.com) or Good Cause Greetings (goodcausegreetings.com). These organization give10% of the sale of our cards to various charities and nonprofits.

You can also choose stamps that send a message and support a cause. Don't forget to mail your cards early! Or if you prefer, send social justice e-cards that will deliver your greeting and spread the word about your favorite nonprofit. During this season of giving, and throughout the year, choose gifts that will give and give again.

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." - Martin Luther King, Jr.