Charitable Gift Giving

In 2008, one of the hottest gift giving trends has been charitable gift cards. Typically how these work is that you give an actual plastic card (or an ecard) to someone, and they can log into a Web site to redeem it. But instead of redeeming it for themselves like a regular gift card, they can designate a charity to give the donation to.

What’s nice about charity gift cards is that it puts control into your recipient’s hands. Giving someone a note saying “A donation has been made in your name to such-and-such” can seem so passive and almost impersonal. On the other hand, by giving them a charity gift card, you can give them not only the gift of the donation amount, but also the gift of letting them be the ones to give the donation.  

Of course, since these have become popular, there have been dozens and dozens of “charitable gift card companies” around. While there are bound to be many profit-seekers hoping to take advantage of this trend, here’s a guide to the gift card organizations you can trust.  

Each of the organization are 501(c)(3) organzations, meaning they are not-for-profit organizations (whose status must be stringently reviewed by the federal government).

All offer either plastic cards or eCards to be sent, and all allow cards to be redeemed on their Web sites.

1. Charity Gift Certificates.Org is one of the oldest charity gift cards out there, this Web site is operated by the Special Kids Fund, so any proceeds that do not go towards actual costs go directly to help kids with special needs.
2. The GiftBack Card is run by the same good folks who run the site GiftBack.Com (a site where you can send traditional gifts, and 10% will go to the charity of your choice). When you purchase one of their through their site, 10% will go to a charity you choose, and the stored value of the card will go to a charity of your recipient’s choice. The card itself is made with a corn based material and soy-based innks that are environmentally friendly and completely biodegradable, unlike traditional plastic cards.
3. Tisbest.Org is a site that allows you to choose from a variety of different designs representing different causes (animals, art, humanitarian) or occasions.In addition, you can upload your own image to be imprinted on the gift card, a great solution for business and organizations.
4. JustGive.Org has The GiveNow card, again able to be send via email or as a gift certificate through postal mail. JustGive has an impressive database of over 1.7 million charities which your recipient can use to choose to give to any charity imaginable.
5. The Good Card is a product of Network for Good, a non-profit organization that was founded in 2001 by Cisco, Yahoo!, and AOL. The card is a

Just some things to keep in mind when giving Charity Gift Cards:

• In general, donations are tax-deductible when given to a 501(c)(3) organization, but their deductible by the person or organization purchasing the cards–not the gift recipient redeeming the cards. Consult your tax professional.
• They all do charge nominal administrative fees to cover the costs of printing the cards and maintaining their Web sites. In all these companies’ cases, the price charged is a reasonable reflection of their actual costs.
• Here’s a table which outlines each card:

Some people are easy to shop for, but what do you get for the person who really does have everything?

CharityBuzz.Com is a fantastic auction site that has a huge number of one-of-a-kind items donated by A-list celebrities and luxury brands. All proceeds from all of the auctions goes to help a worthy cause, either large well-established charities or charities which celebrities themselves have created.  

As of the time I’m writing this post, some of the more intriguing auctions include:

• Attend a personal swimming clinic with Michael Phelps to support Albert Schweitzer’s Leadership for Life.
• Own Bruce Springsteen’s Harley to support The Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation.
• Spend a day on the set of TV shows like “Wizards of Waverly Place” or “Entourage” to support Rosie’s Gala or the Felix Organization.
• Get a Fender Guitar autographed by Phil Collins, a set of boxing gloves autographed by Muhammed Ali, or a framed theatrical contract signed by Elvis Presley to support Pattaya Orphanage.

And there are hundreds more, changing all the time.

Proceeds from every auction goes to help a great cause. The price tags are high, but then again, if you know someone who’s a fan of these celebrities, you’ll give them a thrill of a lifetime, as well as help a fantastic cause.

This T-shirt features the Tide bull’s eye on the front and “Loads of Hope” on the back. The “Loads of Hope” cause is a neat one–in devastated areas such as the areas affected by hurricane Katrina and the Southern California wildfires, Proctor and Gamble sets up mobile laundry stations where people can do laundry for free. Having clean clothes and bedsheets is something we all take for granted, but it’s one of the little ways that Tide brings hope to areas that are devastated.

This vintage T-shirt comes in one of four colors and is made of soft cotton. It’s a limited edition that shows not just your sense of style, but that you care–all profits from sales of this shirt will go towards rebuilding efforts for families affected by the Southern California Wildfires and Hurricane Katrina.

You can buy a Tide T-Shirt here.