|
|
Gifts That Give Back
 What do you give someone who insists that it’s better to give than to receive? A gift that gives to those in need.
BY CHRIS WARREN
The most memorable gifts I’ve ever received were honeybees and a goat my wife gave me a few years ago. The presents weren’t actually for me, though, and I never set eyes upon them, which is probably a good thing since I live in an apartment.
What made these gifts so memorable, and truly meaningful, is that the bees and dairy goat, which my wife bought from HEIFER INTERNATIONAL (www.heifer.org), an Arkansas- based non-profit that seeks to end worldwide hunger and poverty, went to help people in the developing world feed themselves and earn extra income. The goat I received, for instance, can provide much-needed milk for a family and also be used to make yogurt or cheese to be sold. It’s easy to see why this sort of gift can make such an impact on a recipient, particularly during the holidays: It captures the true, albeit frequently overlooked, spirit of the season by helping those in need.
Fortunately, there are plenty of options when it comes to finding a gift that gives back. Here are just a few.
 Heifer International isn’t the only charitable organization offering holiday shoppers ways to help the world with a gift. OXFAM AMERICA (www.oxfamamericaunwrapped.com) offers more than 50 gifts at its online store, all of which support the work the organization does in more than 120 countries. Recipients receive a card in the mail alerting them about the gift and explaining its use. Gifts include a mosquito net, which can help a family avoid malaria, or toys, books, and school supplies for children. MERCY CORPS (www.mercycorps.org) also offers what it calls Mercy Kits as gifts, which can help people around the world to become better educated, improve their health, and even start businesses. For example, one Mercy Kit, called the Women’s Small Business Kit, gives budding female entrepreneurs in the developing world tools and resources to transform their business ideas into enterprises.
The WORLD WILDLIFE FUND (worldwildlifefund.org) has created an Extraordinary Gifts catalog to assist people in making an impact in locations all around the globe. The items in the catalog range in price from $1,000 all the way up to $3.5 million and include helping to fund -- for $100,000 -- an undercover investigation aimed at stopping the illegal East Asian elephant ivory trade. Another gift supports helping stop invasive species from ravaging hemlock trees in the southeastern United States.
Certainly, some shoppers, while motivated to support the good work being done by charitable organizations, also want to be able to actually give something tangible to their friends and family members. These days, that’s exceedingly easy to do, since many retailers donate a portion of their sales on certain items to non-profits. Perhaps the best known of these ventures is PRODUCT RED (www.joinred.com). Co-founded by U2’s Bono, Product Red is a brand that is licensed to partner companies -- such as Dell, Converse, and Emporio Armani -- that have all created products sold with the distinctive Product Red logo. In return, the companies donate up to 50 percent of sales from their Product Red items to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Among the offerings are iPods from Apple, various laptops and computers from Dell, and a wide variety of products from Emporio Armani. Consider, too, giving tickets to an event that benefits a charity. Golf aficionados would certainly treasure tickets to the March 2009 “Amy & Vince’s Duckett Challenge Golf Event” at Querencia Golf Club in Los Cabos, Mexico, an event hosted by Amy Grant and Vince Gill to benefit the LOS CABOS CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION (www.loscaboschildren.org), which provides assistance to underprivileged families in the Los Cabos, Mexico, area.
 An even grander way to support environmental work is being offered by luxury Swiss watchmaker JAEGER-LECOULTRE (www.jaeger-lecoultre.com). The company teamed up with well-known actor and environmental crusader Leonardo DiCaprio in a program dubbed Time to Care, in which all of the proceeds of the $300,000 Master Compressor Extreme LAB watch and the $400,000 Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2 go to support work around the world to halt global warming, develop alternative energy sources, and maintain biodiversity.
For those on your shopping list with a dual literary and environmental bent , consider picking up a BAMBOO TORNADO pen (www.retro51.com). The barrel of the pen is made from bamboo, which has been prized as an eminently renewable resource. For every pen it sells, the manufacturer, Retro 1951, makes a donation to the Arbor Day Foundation, which enables the conservation of 250 square feet of valuable rain forest.
If someone on your list has a sweet tooth and a concern about animals and the environment, ENDANGERED SPECIES CHOCOLATE (www.chocolatebar.com) not only sells premium chocolate bars and cocoa -- which, not surprisingly, are made from fair trade ingredients and shipped from the company’s LEED-certified headquarters -- but also donates 10 percent of its net profits to support conservation efforts. The DANCING DEER BAKING COMPANY (www.dancingdeer.com) offers a collection of sweets, like tasty cookies, cakes, and brownies, and it donates 35 percent of the price to help homeless single mothers find jobs, pay for school, and get into a permanent home.
Although they don’t donate a percentage of their sales to non-profits, NICOLE MILLER (www.nicolemiller.com) recently unveiled a line of carbon-neutral neckties which have images of things such as windmills, electric bikes, and mass transit, meant to raise awareness about climate change and the environment.
It’s also possible to give back to your local community -- and support the preservation of open space -- by purchasing gift baskets from small farmers in your area. As a gift for foodies who are interested in fresh produce delivered to their home monthly or weekly, consider a subscription to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). To find out what’s available in your area, go to www.localharvest.org.
Simply altering the way you go about doing your holiday shopping ever so slightly can also result in increased funding for your favorite charity, or even your local schools. Both GOODSEARCH (www.goodsearch.com) and GOODSHOP (www.goodshop.com) allow shoppers to support a charity or school of their choice when they shop online. GoodSearch is a search engine -- powered by Yahoo -- and for every query you make, 50 percent of the advertising revenue GoodSearch generates from the search is donated to whatever organization you select. GoodShop is an online mall which partners with a seemingly endless number of retailers, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Gap, and Macy’s. When you make a purchase through GoodShop, up to 37 percent of the price will be donated to the charity or school of your choosing.
However you approach it, there are now more ways than ever before to ensure that your holiday gift giving is more meaningful and more memorable.
|
|