This year, there are more organizations in need of help and less people who have money to spare; this formula does not bode well for charities or the people who rely on them. The misconception that it takes deep pockets to give to charity scares away some potential givers. The truth is, any amount counts and is appreciated.
Last year, the co-worker I randomly chose for our Secret Santa gift exchange asked for a contribution to a charity that meant something to her. Our spending limit wasn't much, but every small donation adds up to something powerful. If your cousin is passionate about the Amazon Rainforest, why not donate to conserve a special piece of the Amazon? Your contribution would help to protect what they love.
When you look around, there is a charity for pretty much everything. You could give to a particular organization in lieu of holiday gifts, or as a compliment to them. It is the season of giving, after all. Have you given charitable gifts in the name of someone on your holiday list?
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Princesse Tam-Tam
David & Scotti
This is a great gift idea!
1last year, my husband's family gave small gifts and donated the remainder of what they would have spent to charity:) it was nice.
2My department is doing this ---we picked a charity and is giving instead of gift giving to each other. I am also sponsoring a family for the holiday.
3I never wanted to do this before - it seemed a little forward. But this year it seemed ridiculous to spend money on gifts that people don't really need, when so many people have real needs; so I asked a few family members if they'd rather the donation option, and I let them choose the group. That's key, I think.
So far my brother's GF chose Heifer International; I think my parents will choose the Campaign for Human Development. I've asked anyone who wants to donate to the homeless shelter here instead of giving me a gift.
I think this only works when you're dealing with people who really have everything they need. I would never suggest this to my in-laws, because they really are stretched thin, and this is one of the only times my step-SIL can get new headphones or whatever.
4Another idea is to buy gifts from the St. Jude Gift Book. All the profits go straight to research for children.
I posted a blog about it www.teamsugar.com/group/2426975/blog/2562166
5My brother and sister-in-law have asked for donations to the San Francisco Food Bank, which makes sense. They're locals and having just gotten married, with a baby on the way they've been getting tons of gifts lately, and they're running out of space in their one-bedroom apartment. Plus, they are both high-paid attorneys so they can buy themselves anything they want. A donation is so much better for them - and then I also got a couple small gifts to send them just for the fun of having something to open.
Also, my dad has a rare type of cancer that's currently incurable. Because it isn't a 'high profile' cancer and people rarely get it there's not much money going into research (damn pharmacutical companies!). My entire family is making a group donation in honor of my father in lieu of gifts, at his request, to his doctor's research fund. We do this for his birthdays now too. He just wants to be around to see us all celebrate holidays - and we all want to do our small parts to give that to him. Who cares about another sweater or book? This is so much more meaningful - a gift for all of us to help keep him (and other people in other families) around.
6I wish more people would make donations to the HSUS or Farm Sanctuary as a gift to me. That would really, honestly, make me happier than any tangible gift.
7well i think that it's a nice thing to do but for myself - i don't even have enough money to account for everything that i have to pay so the thought of even giving money to a charity is just too much for me.
8I know what you mean, Ilanac. I can't recall the last time i looked at my bank statement. All i care about right now is feeding my cat.
9It's wonderful if you can do it. I budget all year so that I'm not one of the charities. We could easily be a family 'up for adoption'
So like ilanac and Rock: all I can do is for my own children and very simple gifts for
immediately family. Rock...I don't even have a bank account! 
It
would cost me more to maintain it than I'd receive any benefits!
10I wish more of our extended family would be open to this type of gift giving... unfortunately we have some members of the family who only want "things" for Christmas.
11I've been doing this for a few years now... the kids in my family really have all they need. My mom is fairly well taken care of [although I still buy her stuff], and I really hate the wastefullness of those christmasey tcotchki things you end up getting or giving anyway.
This way, you're giving something to someone who really needs it, and it's a reminder to your friends and family to think about how blessed we all really are and to help someone else in need.
And that, is the best gift of all... paying it forward.
12Yes, last year I gave my parents one of those gifts where it actually pays for an agricultural gift somewhere (trees, seeds, or chicken, or cows, etc)...mine went to planting a fruit-bearing orchard for an African family in mom and dad's name. They loved it..its hard to buy for them because dad just frets when we spend money on them (they insist they don't need anything), and this appeals to their charitable tendencies.
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