Are you looking for a more meaningful well to share your holiday spirit this year? Opportunities abound! Take a look at these creative ways to help others this holiday season:
Charity Charms
Sterling silver charms, cuff links, earrings, necklaces, etc.. created from a charity’s logo for fund raising and awareness. Current designs include logos for Hurricane Katrina relief, Boys & Girls Club, Cystic Fibrosis, and more. 75% of all purchases go to the charity. Prices begin at about ¥3500.
Charity Gifts Online Shopping Mall
Can’t decide what to buy for someone? Take a look at this website, the “official charity site shopping mall.” Link to over twenty different charities offering a wide variety of gifts ranging from holiday cards that help provide clean drinking water to toys that help fund cancer research in the U.K.
http://www.charitygifts.com/charity/water.htm
Sri Lankan Students
The Karuna Trust, a non-profit organization based in Sri
Lanka, has developed a sponsorship program to help Sri Lankan children who lost one or both parents in last year’s tsunami. The program provides assistance in the form of shelter,clothing, food, books and funding, one child at a time. The cost is $15/month, for a minimum duration of one year. 100% of the money goes directly to a bank account for the sponsored child.
http://www.helplanka@karunalanka.org.
Just Give
JustGive.org is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to connect people with the charities and causes they care about and to increase overall giving. JustGive.org offers a gift certificate program where givers fill out the dollar amount and recipients give it to the charity of their choice.
Adopt an Endangered Animal
The African Wildlife Foundation offers anyone the chance to adopt an individual animal or family of animals for yourself, or as a gift. The recipient will receive a plush toy representing the adopted animal, a personalized certificate of adoption, a fact sheet about your animal, and membership to the Foundation for one year. Prices begin at about ¥2500.