2011 Alternative Gift Options: 17 Shopping Websites for Charitable Gifts

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday coming up quickly, I thought I’d provide a few shopping resources for the conscientious charitable shopper. Here is a list of places you can buy gifts that give in more than one way.  These gifts make the receiver smile, help someone in need and give you a good feeling inside.  

Gifts That Give to Charities

A number of companies now give a set amount or percentage of the sale to a charity when you purchase goods from them.  It’s an easy way to get a product that you would normally buy while also giving to a good cause.

Gifts.com – has put together a list of gifts which give a portion of the proceeds to different charities including products from Ralph Lauren, LaCoste and Clarins

Gifts that Give – designer products you can buy where 20 percent of proceeds go to charity
Gifts That Give More from the Hunger Site – buy a wide variety of items from around the world and food goes to the hungry
Shop For Good – items from well known companies ranging from Barnes & Noble to Walmart that donate a percentage of their proceeds to charity
 
Christmas Cards and Other Items

Many charities offer Christmas cards, ornaments and the like to raise money for themselves. Cards are probably the most popular items from these charities, but click over to their sites and you’ll find a lot more for sale.

Cards for Causes – provides 20 percent of the cost of holiday, business and other cards to a charity of your choice.
CardsThat Give provides a list of and links to charities that sell greeting cards and other Christmas items

Choose Your Charity Gift Cards

Want to give a charitable gift in someone’s name but you’re not sure which charity they’d support?  Buy a gift card for them and let them choose the charity.

The Good Card – $5 fee above the charitable donation covers shipping and other processing fees so whatever you give on the card all goes to the charity. Card expires six months from purchase.

Tis Best Gift Card  - has no shipping costs and allows you to download your own image onto the card, but does have a $1.49 cost if you send a plastic card instead of emailing or printing your own. The charity receives the entire amount on the card, less a $1.95 transaction fee and three percent credit card processor fee.

Teach a Man to Fish Gifts

If you want to provide education, livestock, medical care, water or other things that help people in poverty around the world become independent, these organizations are for you.  Most companies offer a card or description of your purchase so that you can give a gift in someone’s name and send them a card that describes the gift and thanks them for it.

Alternative Gifts International
Compassion International
Heifer International
Mercy Corps gifts
Oxfam America Unwrapped
Plan International
Save the Children
Trees for Life International
World Vision International

If you don’t do much shopping online, there’s another way you can help charities while you are out finding special deals on Black Friday.  While you’re shopping in stores, you can earn kicks™ from Shopkick which can be donated to 30 different causes. It’s an app available from Android or Apple.

Happy shopping!