Great last-minute gifts that keep on giving

In my last couple of posts I wrote about a new kind of “Dear Santa” list: one that requests charitable donations.  Today, I’m sharing some great gifts you can give – and all can be purchased online with ecard notifications which make great last-minute (and ecofriendly) gifts. 

All the suggestions below are kid-friendly, though suitable ages may vary. What makes them great for kids, applies to adults too: these organizations close the loop, providing good positive feedback for every donation.  Some of these organizations — notably Kiva and donorschoose — demonstrate how the Web can really be used build connections and relationships with their donors. This isn’t news in the business world but it is just gaining traction in the not-for-profit realm.

So go ahead and benefit others while helping yourself cross off that shopping list!

- Kiva.  This now-famous micro-finance site lets you directly help someone in a developing region.  As my friend Ana wrote to me: “You can give a gift certificate for www.kiva.org, so that the person can then turn around and loan money to a small-business in different countries all over the world.  The gift is timeless, since once the load is paid back (and always is), the money is then freed up to loan to another person.  With my first $50 donation a couple of years ago, I’ve already been able to put it into use three separate times.   It’s a great way to teach some basic business concepts to older kids. ”

- Heifer International.  Kids can buy an animal for a family or a business on the other side of the world. Sample purchase: $20 purchases a flock of geese and the 75 eggs they each lay a year provides a family with much-needed protein and new source of income.  With these animals helping create a better life for their owners, they sure beat Webkinz.

- World Wildlife Federation. Adopt-an-Animal isn’t a new concept or model but it is around because it works. I distinctly remember my friend Cheryl loving my gift of a whale during our childhood. Kids love animals and with more than  90 species to choose from, you are sure to find something dear to your child’s (or neice’s or nephew’s) heart. I’m thinking of getting a Great White Shark for my son and a Clown Fish (or “the Nemo fish” as its known in my house) for my daughter. This is great for all ages of children as it comes with some nice momentos. All kits (starting at $25) come with a photo and certificate of your adopted animal; for $50, your lucky recipient will also get a plush animal and a bag. $100 nets even more goodies.

- donorschoose.org. This award-winning Web site is a marketplace where teachers across America post specific projects they need funded. Donors browse the projects by criteria such as location and subject and choose which ones to fund. All the materials needed for the project are purchased and distributed to the teacher by donorschoose.org so you know your money is going directly to the project of your choice.  You can fund all or part of a project, and every donor receives a personal thank you package made by the kids receiving the donation, once the project is complete.  

A donorschoose.org gift card is a great gift for a jr. high or high school student. At that age, your young recipient will be able explore this easy-to-use site on his /her own to select a gift that reflects personal interests, such as science or writing or special needs. You want to make sure your recipient is mature enough to appreciate just how difficult things can be in public high schools in our cities. It can be eye-opening to see what teachers have to ask for — and perhaps that’s why donorschoose.org recently won 2d place in the American Express Members Project.

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