Charitable Gift Giving

We surf the Web to find good products that help out a great cause.

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Windows Vista that help Charity (Product RED)

April 9th, 2009 · (PRODUCT) Red, Amazon

If you need to upgrade from Windows XP to Windows Vista, you can purchase this copy of Windows Vista that also helps a great cause. Windows Vista Ultimate (PRODUCT) RED Upgrade with SP1 is Microsoft’s participation in the PRODUCT (RED) program, the initiative started by U2’s Bono and Bobby Shriver of DATA, who continue to be the spokesman and CEO, respectively.

Functionally, it’s exactly the same as you’d get with any other purchase of Windows Vista, at the same cost. In fact, it also comes with a bonus set of 6 additional wallpapers, 2 sidebar gadgets, 1 screensaver, and 1 DreamScene movie which the normal version of Vista does not come with. As with all Windows products, future upgrades within the same version are completely free and automatic through Windows updates, so you’ll know you always have the latest version.

The nice thing about this version is that a portion of proceeds go to the Global Fund to fight AIDS and help needy causes in Africa.  If you have to upgrade your version of Windows, this is certainly a nice way to do it.

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The Marriott Bear to Feed the Hungry

April 6th, 2009 · America's Second Harvest

marriott bear charitable giftThis cute fellow is the Marriott Bear. For every one of these that is purchased, Marriott donates a portion of proceeds to Feeding America (formerly named America’s Second Harvest).

The goal of Feeding America is to create an America free from hunger.Feeding America is the largest domestic hunger-relief charity in the nation, with more than 200 regional member food banks and programs serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

$4 from each bear will go to Feeding America.

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The best Hand Sanitizer on and for the planet by Frais

April 3rd, 2009 · Amazon, Developing Areas

Frais is a company based in Australia which produces a luxury brand of Hand Sanitizer. During the cold and flu season, every doorknob, every tabletop, every handshake, and every pen and pencil can be a breeding ground for germs that cause the flu, the common cold, staph infections, and worse.We can’t wash our hands every five minutes, but it’s easy to spritz a dollop of hand sanitizer.  The World Health Organization, the CDC, and the Mayo Clinic all agree that hand sanitizer like his kills 99.9% of germs that cause infectious illnesses, even more effectively than soap and water.Frais uses natural, non-toxic ingredients created by chemists in the United States from natural plants in Australia, keeps hands luxurious through the careful blend of natural essential oils, and has been approved by dermitologists as non-sensitizing and non-irritating. The history of the company is interesting–it was started by two gentlemen who were touring Cambodia and lamented why it was so difficult for keeping their hands sanitary.You can also purchase a Gift Pack, containing 14 2-ounce bottles. In this day of swine flu, bird flu, and every other kind of flu, there’s no better time to start a good habit of keeping your hands sanitized constantly.Frais is now a worldwide business. The alcohol they produce from sugarcane takes less energy to produce than the corn alcohol used in generic hand sanitizer brands, which is good for the environment. Their products come in recycled packaging, and are never tested on animals.A portion of all corporate proceeds goes to the Just a Drop Foundation, which supports water, sanitition, and health project all around the world, helping countries that lack basic necessities such as clean water.

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Americares Postage

March 31st, 2009 · AmeriCares, Zazzle

AmeriCares is a humanitarian relief organization which in the last 25 years has delivered more than eight billion dollars of aid to 137 countries in the form of medicine, medical spplies, and aid.

AmeriCares accepts product donations from the private sector, and delivers them by air or ocean to health and welfare professionals in the most needy countries.

Click on the link above, and you’ll be able to order official postage stamps from Zazzle.Com and the United States Postal Service, with photographs of locations around the world that have been helped by AmeriCares donations, from the Sudan to Indonesia to Haiti to Central America, to Africa.

20% of the net sale will go directly to supporting AmeriCares programs.

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Baby Dude Shoes

March 28th, 2009 · Amazon, Children's Charities

Babygags, Inc. creates some of the cutest tongue-in-cheek baby gifts for the hip baby of the 21st century.

This set of Silly souls Dude Shoes is for babies 6 to 9 months old.

It simply reads “Dude”. ‘Nuff said.

A portion of proceeds goes to help Save the Children.

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Jewelry from the Silk Road in Afghanistan

March 25th, 2009 · Arts, National Geographic

Afghan Heart Necklace with PearlImagine you’re living two thousand years ago and travelling the Silk Road from Afghanistan to China. You come across a merchant selling the most exquisite and beautiful jewels you’ve ever seen, made of gold, carnelian, turquoise, and other materials.

The jewelry you see on this page is literally what you would have seen. And it carries a story much more fascinating than the jewelry you pick up at Walmart or Target.

In 1979, archaeologists in Afghanistian had a major excavation at Tillya-tepe (also known as the “Golden Mound”) near Shibargan, Afghanistan. They discovered more than 20,000 gold pieces from the Bactria period. The 18-inch Afghan Heart Necklace with Pearl necklace (and separate earrings) you see above is based on one of the designs, made of gold-finished pewter hearts with 4mm freshwater pearls.

Bactrian Rimmed Spangle Bracelet with Turquoise DiscsSimilarly, the Bactrian Rimmed Spangle Bracelet with Turquoise Discs you see to the right was based on a design discovered at Tillya-Tepe.

Proceeds from sales of this jewelry benefit the Afghan Museum, as well as the National Geographic Society’s ongoing cultural work.

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Compact Brush and Mirror from Sephora

March 19th, 2009 · Breast Cancer, Sephora

Know someone who is always on the go? Sephora sells this affordable Pop-Up Travel Compact which contains both a mirror and a pop-up brush. It’s great when travelling or at work to do quick touch-up makeup projects.

The brush ingeniously pops up when you press your thumb against the bottom of the compact.

$1 from the sale of each brush will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

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Carrie Underwood "Home Sweet Home" (American Idol Farewell Song) that helps Animals

March 16th, 2009 · Amazon, Animal Causes

carrie underwood american idol farewell song home sweet homeThis past week on American Idol, Carrie Underwood released her new single Home Sweet Home, a cover of Motley Crue’s hit song. This is the farewell song that performers voted off the show will hear this season as they say goodbye.

The song was just released as a single, available on iTunes, with some of the proceeds going to benefit Ms. Underwood’s favorite charity, the Humane Society of the United States.

In Ms. Underwood’s own words “I’ve always loved this song, and besides being very fitting for `Idol,’ to me, the title is also very fitting with animal rescue and finding animals their own homes.”

Download a great song and help a great cause.

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Get 30% off at the Gap and 5% go to great charities – March 12-15 2009 Only

March 13th, 2009 · Gap

Here’s a great deal if you’ll be shopping at the Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic and their outlet stores. (This is good in stores only, not online).

During this Friends and Family Event, if you present this coupon at the counter, you’ll get a whopping 30% off your total purchase. Just click on this link, print out the page and you can use this as often as you like at as many stores as you like.

http://www.gapgiveandget.com/

A bonus is that in addition to you saving 30%, 5% of the proceeds will go to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Teach For America, or Feeding America. But hurry! You have until Sunday March 15th to print and use the coupon!

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Lip Balm that Helps Pug Rescue

March 10th, 2009 · Animal Causes, Sephora

Sephora sells this  theBalm to the Rescue 0.25 oz lip balm, from TheBalm.

It’s a lip balm made from all natural ingredients of jojoba and shea butter that’s infused with vitamins and great for your lips. There are no animal bi-products, no synthetic dies or fragrances or parabens, sulfates, or phtalates (whatever those are).

What’s also special about this is that all net proceeds are donated to Pug Rescue.

Everyone can recognize the distinctive look of a pug. Unfortunately, many people buy this breed of dog, and then realize that as cute as it is, it’s a dog that often needs a lot of veterinary care and often can’t deal with the rough treatment of a family with young kids. Too often, those dogs are abandoned or kept in horrible conditions. Pug Rescue is a wonderful organization that helps find loving homes for pugs.

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