We all want to give gifts of significance to our loved ones, reflecting the interests of gift recipients over our own. One of the most genuine and generous expressions of this is to give a donation to one of their favorite charities.
In these lean times, when we are all assessing our need for consumption, making a donation to a charity is a wonderful way to make a difference with your gift-giving while telling the gift recipient that you respect the issues that matter to him or her.
There are many options available for charitable gift-giving. Online services offer a single place to access a variety of charities. Each online service has a service fee that is included in the transaction. Check the terms and conditions on each Web site.
Network for Good (www.networkforgood.org) and JustGive (www.justgive.org) are two of the largest online services. They offer access to more than 1.7 million local, national and international charities through their interface with GuideStar.
There are several ways that a donation can be made. Some online services offer electronic gift cards or gift certificates that can be redeemed by recipients at the charities of their choice. Many offer the ability for a person to set up an online wish list of favorite charities. You can then search for that person's list either by his or her e-mail address or by name, and donate directly to a selected charity.
You also can contact a nonprofit organization directly, if you know the person's favorite charities, thus eliminating the fees charged by the online service. Many nonprofit organizations, both locally and nationally, offer the option of sending a gift card in someone's name for a donation.
Tune in next week to find out about Idaho Community Foundation's options for giving to the funds within the foundation.
Check out Charitable Gift Cards for more information about these services, including a sample e-mail requesting friends and family to consider donating to charities as a gift option.
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