Gifts that Keep on Giving

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American Cancer Society, Andrew Hoffman, Better to Give than to Receive, CAbi Clothing, CAbi Foundation, cancer, Charitable Gift Catalog, Charitable Giving, charity, children, Christmas List, fashionABLE, FEED bag, generosity, Gifts that Give, Gifts that Give Back, Gifts that keep on giving, giving, Harper's Bazaar, healthcare, Hope for Women, Hospitals, Ingenius Jean, inspire, Kohl's Cares, list, LIVESTRONG, meaningful, ornaments, Parkview, Path to Peace, philanthropy, Poverty, random, real, relevant, RxArt, Samaritan's Purse, Same Sky, Self Magazine, Seven Hopes United, Sevenly, Sparrow Fund, Sseko Sandals, Sustainable, Tees for Change, tools, USO, Water.org, women, World of Good, WorldVision

I’ve heard many people giving this year in the spirit of generosity. Many of us know the feeling of joy that comes from giving, rather than receiving. How much better than, if the gift we give blesses more than just the receiver.

I listed a few options in my Christmas list but have been pleasantly surprised to learn about so many others! Magazines including Self, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire and Forbes and individuals like Oprah have created charitable gift lists. Even my friend Andrew has given suggestions.

Compiling my favorites from the lists above and adding a few in of my own, here are some ideas to get your shopping started.

Clothing/Accessories

• CAbi Clothing – buy one, give one promotion through Dec. 31
• The Sparrow Fund – “building the nest to support adoption around the world”
• Same Sky – Made by Rwandan women who survived the 1994 genocide, 100% of the proceeds are reinvested into the company to buy more materials and employ more women artisans.
• JBrand “Ingenius Jean” – 100% of the proceeds are donated to City Year, a non-profit organization that fights the national high school dropout crisis.
• Hope for Women – accessories that support employment for disadvantaged women around the world.
• LIVESTRONG – sales support programs for cancer survivors.
• Tees for Change – for every tee purchased, one tree is planted.
• Sevenly Tees – a t-shirt is designed each week, with 100% of proceeds going directly to the charity of the week.
• FEED Bags – each FEED bag has a unique purpose, to help raise awareness and funds for child hunger. They work through United Nations World Food Programme’s School Feeding Initiative, providing school meals to children in countries with high rates of HIV/AIDS.
• Sseko Sandals – a not-just-for-profit enterprise that recognizes the power of business and responsible consumerism to support sustainable economic development, which in turn affects a country’s educational, justice, and health care systems. The goal of Sseko Designs is two-fold: provide university tuition for these promising young women through a sustainable monthly income, while also contributing to the overall economic development of Uganda.
• fashionABLE Scarfs – creating sustainable business for women in Africa.

For Kids

• RxArt Coloring Book – 100% of the proceeds are reinvested into RxArt’s mission of improving healthcare facilities with fine art.
• Kohl’s Cares Plush & Books – 100% of the price supports local children’s hospitals. In Fort Wayne, it goes to Parkview Hospital and the Kohl’s Healthy Kids Program.
• Hand Knit Hat & Mittens – hand-made and fairly traded from Nepal. For each set sold, the Rainforest Site will preserve 1145 sq. feet of land

Decor

• HSN Cares Designer Ornaments – All proceeds go to St. Jude Thanks and Giving® campaign.
• Rwanda Path to Peace – Improves lives by putting sustainable income in the hands of the Rwandan women who weave the baskets.

In the Kitchen

• American Cancer Society’s Healthy Eating Cookbook – 100% goes to fight against cancer.
• Water.org CamelBak Groove Water Bottle – $10 from every bottle purchased supports Water.org, a four-star charity designated by CharityNavigator.

Charitable Gift Catalogues

• World Vision
• Samaritan’s Purse
• USO Wishbook – give a gift that supports our troops and their families
• Seven Hopes United – fair trade gifts
• Gifts that Give – $1 of every $5 you spend goes to charity
• World of Good
• Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana – your bidding supports local economic and financial education programs by reaching 100,000 students in our 25 county service area.