Ten Gifts Under $50 That Give Three Ways

It’s Black Friday and shopping is on the mind of many today. So, as usual, I am releasing my Gifts That Give List just in time for the holidays and I’m keeping each item under $50. It’s a way to let you know how many retailers are making it easier to be charitable than ever before. You can give a gift that makes you, the receiver and a charity feel good.

1.      Made With Love: The Meals on Wheels Family Cookbook for $29.95. With recipes from Paula Deen, Barbara Bush and Martha Stewart, you will truly enjoy this cookbook while helping Meals on Wheels. Just out in October, you can find it at many book retailers such as Amazon, IndieBound and more.

2.      Forever Frogs Lunchbag for $35.00 embroidered. Custom design your own lunch bag by picking the cloth, handle, and even the zipper color and then adding your embroidered initials. Started in the name of a girl who had childhood cancer and loved frogs, all Forever Frogs products have a frog on them and give to the Payton Wright Foundation fighting pediatric brain cancer.

3.      Mercury Glass Filled Votive Set or Candle Pot. Beautiful distressed glass with silver accents for $29.50 for the pot or $49.00 for the votive set. Half of the cost goes to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Check them out at Pottery Barn.

4.      H.E.L.P. Comfort Foods by Choco-Logo Gourmet Sweets for various prices.  Imported gray salt dusted "Salty Turtles," luxurious Caramel Almond Chocolate Chip Bars, Chocolate Covered Pretzels and a decadent caramel and chocolate-covered "Popcorn Extravaganza." With the purchase of each sweet, Choco-Logo donates to Help USA which helps homeless people get training and find jobs.  Go to Help USA to order or to Bloomingdales in Manhattan.

5.      Harry Barker Canines for Veterans Toy Gift Bucket. A bucket of toys for your puppy dog that also means a donation to Canines for Veterans, which rescues dogs from shelters, works with military inmates to train the dogs for service and  pairs trained dogs with wounded veterans. You pay $44.95 for small or $49.95 for large dog toys. Buy at Red Envelope.

6.      Charity Pot of lush lotion for $5.95 or $22.95. Handmade cosmetics by Lush are fabulous and they have a special product just for charity—the Charity Pot! It’s a creamy body lotion made from organic Fair Trade cocoa butter with a fresh floral scent. The price of the pot goes to support grassroots charities around the world. Here’s where to go to get it!

7.      Laughing Man Coffee for $12.00 to $14.00. Started by Australian actor Hugh Jackman, Laughing Man provides coffee, tea, chocolate and accessories and gives 100 percent of its profits back to education, community development and small business. Laughing Man coffee can be found in Tribeca, new York at the Laughing Man Café and at Dean and Deluca stores nationwide or online here.

8.      Natural Lip Paint for $12.00 from Peace Keeper Cause-Metics. With names like “Paint me Compassionate” and “Paint me Free,” Natural Lip Paint has attitude along with its color. It was also nominated as a finalist for “Best Lip Product of the Year” by the Cosmetics Executive Woman. Peace Keeper Cause-Metics gives all of its after-tax, distributable profits to women’s health advocacy and urgent human rights issues. Try it now.

9.      ONEHOPE California Brut Sparkling wine for $18.99. Fifty percent of the profits from the purchase of this wine goes to Share Our Strength to end child hunger. ONEHOPE has a slate of wines which support various charitable organizations so you can find out more here.

10.   Cherry Keepsake Box for $30.99. This beautiful box can hold jewelry or whatever knicknacks you want and it can be engraved as well. Even better, ten percent of its price goes to a charity of your choice through GiftBack.com. (Gift Back does this for all their gifts so be sure to give them a look.)