Charitable Christmas gift/stocking stuffer ideas reminder

[misshollygolightly]

Just a reminder that charitable donations given in your child's honor (or in honor of your husband, friend, or other family member) make really great stocking stuffers. Most of the things we'll end up buying to fill our kids' stockings will probably be junky afterthoughts that get thrown away or fall apart within the year (or, at best, will contribute to the growing mounds of toys and things that have to be picked up at the end of every day). So this year, consider putting something a little more meaningful in those stockings! I like organizations like World Vision and Heifer International that let you choose an animal or sports equipment or medical supplies to donate, so I can choose a donation that reflects the interests of the person I'm giving it in honor of. World Vision also offers some tangible gifts at certain levels of donation (I think you can get a plush goat or chick for a $25 donation to the maximum impact fun), if you want your giftee to have something tangible. But there are lots of other great organizations out there--plus you can usually include your donation as a tax write-off!

(Sorry if this sounds too much like an advertisement--I promise it isn't! I just figured it'd be a good reminder as we head into the gift-buying frenzy!)

[vonfirmath]

I'd ask "Meaningful to who?"

If you give a person cash, and they want to give it to charity, they can give it to any charity they want.

I've got a lot of skepticism for "Charity as gifts," and this "Oh yeah and you get a tax deduction too" part is part of that.

If someone asks you to donate to X charity in lieu of gifts, great do that.

If they haven't asked, though, you are really doing something to make yourself feel better/benefit yourself, not necessarily for the other person.

I want my kids to learn to donate to charity. But if I'd rather give to a charity than spend money on stockings, I'd work with lowering their expectations, maybe eliminate the stocking altogether and then work with them on choosing a charity, rather than surprising them Christmas morning with "Hey I gave your gift to this other group instead"

[kayte]

I'd ask "Meaningful to who?"

If you give a person cash, and they want to give it to charity, they can give it to any charity they want.

I've got a lot of skepticism for "Charity as gifts," and this "Oh yeah and you get a tax deduction too" part is part of that.

If someone asks you to donate to X charity in lieu of gifts, great do that.

If they haven't asked, though, you are really doing something to make yourself feel better/benefit yourself, not necessarily for the other person.

I want my kids to learn to donate to charity. But if I'd rather give to a charity than spend money on stockings, I'd work with lowering their expectations, maybe eliminate the stocking altogether and then work with them on choosing a charity, rather than surprising them Christmas morning with "Hey I gave your gift to this other group instead"


Wow. I think your post is very mean.

We often give donations instead of gifts. It is quite common in our circle of friends. And I think it is a very appropriate and meaningful gift.

Last year in fact I gave my nieces and nephews goats from Heiffer, along with the book Beatrice's Goat. It took them a little explaining to figure it out, but in the end was very well received. And several times they have asked me how I think their goats and the families are doing.

I have given Textbooks from Books for Africa, funding for classroom projects, along with chickens, goats, bee hives and a cow.

ETA- We also have a long standing tradition with another family (with whom my husband has been friends with for 28 years) that we go together and pick several children from the angel tree and shop together for their gifts. We then have meal together and don't exchange any other gifts. It is a lovely tradition.

[misshollygolightly]

Well, I can see (especially after reading your post, Vonfirmath), how donation gifts wouldn't necessarily work for everyone. And I think you raise a good point about not using this kind of thing as an easy out for soothing one's conscience without really sacrificing anything yourself. And I'm sure some of it depends on context--who is giving/receiving the gift, is the charity in line with the recipient's values, etc. But we've made it a tradition in our family to replace some of the usual plastic stocking trinkets with donation gifts that reflect each family member's interests (DS is still too young to really understand, but for his first Christmas last year he received the plush toy goat along with the donation card, and this year I'll be donating 2 soccer balls in his name--a fitting gift since he loves playing with balls and "ball" was one of his first words). I also think that donation gifts are a good way to honor a person (show them you love them, you respect them, you care about the world they live in, etc.) without necessarily handing that person a sparkly new gift or a chunk of cash. I think doing a good deed in someone else's name can be a powerful way of demonstrating love and respect.

And--speaking only for myself--I realized a while ago that if I constantly second-guess my motives for doing things like this (i.e. am I just trying to assuage my own guilt? do I just want others to think I am a good person?) then I'll *NEVER* get around to doing charitable :-)

[deannanb]

This year we are giving my mom a "bee hive" from Heifer - she needs NOTHING - not even a photo book of the kids (we've given her several this year - and she sees them almost daily over the internet)

My husband's mother is probably getting a photo book because she never sees the kids (too old and too far away to travel)

I think this year we are going to pick from the angel tree and choose kids who are the same age as my kids - so my children can learn about caring for others.