Charitable Gift Giving

February, appropriately enough, is National Heart Month, among other things. While we cover a lot of different causes on this site, heart disease is still the #1 killer in the United States, and as such it’s critically important to raise awareness.

I got an email from Razoo Giving Cards, a cool idea where you give a gift card to someone with funds (from $10-$500) that your recipient can donate to any cause he or she chooses. The balance on the card is good for a year, and the only fee is a 4.9% processing cost that pays for the expenses of the Razoo Foundation (which is itself a 501(c)(3) charity).

It’s a cool idea for a couple reasons. First, you get the tax deduction. Second, your recipient gets to choose a cause nearest and dearest to her or him.

Here are some of the heart-related charities that Razoo recommends this month:

• Hearts for Cart – A fundraiser for Camp Odayin, a camp for kids with heart disease.
• Global Heart Network Foundation – A contributive platform aimed at increasing access to cardiac care in low-middle income countries.
• Wendy’s Run for Project Valentine – Project Valentine’s mission is to make life a “little sweeter” for individuals undergoing cancer treatment in the Denver metro area with loving care packages delivered on or around Valentine’s Day.

But the cool thing is that your recipient can choose from over 1 million other charities.

Just a tip for the guys out there–while Razoo’s email to me suggested that I say “instead of flowers or chocolate”, trust me, you’re going to want to give this IN ADDITION to flowersAND chocolate. 🙂

Giving Cards are redeemable online for one year from purchase date.