Sorry I know this is way off topic but I just need some feedback. What do you all think of the idea of giving donations to charities as christmas gifts? Through WorldVision you can like buy cows and goats and trees etc for people in 3rd world countries and then "give" this to someone for Christmas instead of spending money on a gift for them.
What do you think of this?
I was thinking of giving some of these to family members that I never know what to buy for but do you think they will feel gyped out of a present? Especially if they buy us something that's actually for us?
What would you think if someone "gave you" something like that? Honestly?
I think most people would feel kind of gyped. There would be the rare individual that would appreciate it and think it's a good idea, but overall you're probably just going to have a lot of dissatisfied relatives!
personally, its not something i would get as a gift for someone. To me, its like saying "i didnt know what to get you, so i donated the money to something else completely unrelated to you" Unless theyre big on a particular charity or something
I think the only people you would be helping is the people in 3rd world countries. Which I think is something that is great, since we live in such a materialist country.
that being said, I don't think I would like getting a goat as a gift. lol.
that being said, I don't think I would like getting a goat as a gift. lol.
I would love a goat As long as I actually got it xD I know people in the third world need it more than me. But I'd like to pat it and pick it out and send it off with a ribbon myself. OMG thats a good business idea.
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Patent pending
I think it's a great gift. Instead of wedding favors at my sisters wedding they took the money they would have spent and on each table it said 'the money that would have been spent on bubbles or almonds has been donated to x charity' I think they donated to the red cross if I remember correctly. Everyone at the wedding loved it and thought it was a great idea. If you do do it make sure the card says that a donation was made in their name though.
I think that very few people would take that well. It would be one thing if you had a relative that was very committed to a particular charity and made a donation in their honor. However, I think that the majority of people would be hurt that you made a donation for their Christmas present to a charity that they had not personally picked or been interested in.
Last year, we gave our families FEED bags. They were a complete hit, everyone loved it.
For anyone that doesn't know, FEED bags are handcrafted reusable grocery type bags. They're super sturdy and fold and zipper up to the size of a small clutch. Proceeds from the bags go to feed hungry children around the world. Last year, we gave the FEED 100 bags, each bag gives 100 meals to hungry children in Rwanda. The bags are fair-trade, and hold up REALLY well.
DH and I have been doing this for years for my relatives - they're all very well off and we're not, so instead of getting them another cheesy tie or book or something (which they can really just purchase for themselves any time they want), we do charity donations in their honor. We try to make it really personalized - my dad and his wife are really into kayaking, so last year, we made a donation to a group that does kayak outings for kids with cancer. They loved it!
Really, we're just trying to get away from Christmas being so commercial. Growing up, such a big emphasis was put on presents in my family and it gets really stressful and takes a lot away from the family focus that the holidays should have. It's something we plan to continue with our kids in the future, so that their focus isn't just on "What do I get this year?" <Sorry... /end soapbox rant>
I agree that it's not the perfect gift for everyone. It is a good gift though for someone who says they don't want anything. I have grandmothers who have downsized their lives (since my grandfathers passed) and have emphatically stated that they don't want any more stuff. By making a charitable donation in their name or buying an animal in their name etc. we can still give them a gift without giving them the "stuff" they desperately don't want.
Of course it's important to know what sort of charity matters most to them, but for people like that in your life, it's a decent gift choice.
Ideally, it's all about the thought that goes into the gift anyway.
This is something I do each year for my parents. My parents don't want much, and what they do want they get for themselves. Every year I hear the same thing, "don't buy us a gift, we don't 'need' anything". So now I donate to charity in their name. They seem pleased that I give to others.
I do this often for my mother and give to the Humane Society, something she is very passionate about. One of my cousins suggested last year that we do a big donation as a family to a charity instead of drawing names at that gathering and it got voted down, not because we wanted the gifts, but because we couldn't decide on a charity and his vision had us giving more money per family than we would have spent on the gifts anyway... We ended up not drawing names at all and buying only for the kids.
I think some would like it, some would not.
Last edited by Shannon in ATL; 11-04-2009 at 11:10 AM.
While it is a fantastic idea, and for a good cause, I'm not sure it's great for a Christmas gift. When I don't know what to get a family member I knit them something (I knit for my whole family, but I'll knit small stuff like keychain trinkets and bookmarks for extended family).
I really hate how commercialized Christmas has gotten its less and less about the reason of the holiday and more about how much money you can spend on one person. I really like the idea of donation gifts but I also see many people hating the idea. I guess it really depends on the type of person.
Off Topic Christmas Question
Unless theyre big on a particular charity or something
As long as I actually got it xD I know people in the third world need it more than me. But I'd like to pat it and pick it out and send it off with a ribbon myself. OMG thats a good business idea. 
