Make this year a conscious Christmas that is good for all – the giver, the giftee, the Earth, and the cause.
From small donations in the name of your giftee to more significant contributions, giving back to those in need not only makes your gift more meaningful for the receiver, but also embodies the true spirit of the season. Not to mention, it’s a superbly simple solution to the Christmas gift conundrum. Here are just a few conscious gifting ideas to get your imagination flowing.
FOR THE KID WHO HAS EVERYTHINGAdopt an animal from the WWF What better way to delight a young one than to give them a symbolic animal adoption? In fact, it’s the kind of gift that animal lovers of any age would cherish, and something you can feel warm and fuzzy about sending. WWF has a long history of being a leading voice for nature, ensuring the safety and protection of some of our most endangered species locally and globally. There are so many fascinating species your gift can help support in these areas, including koalas, tigers, snow leopards, penguins, elephants, pandas, turtles, and orangutans. Each adoption comes with a special gift pack that includes a cuddly toy of the animal, a fact book, adoption certificate, tote bag, and more. Alternatively, you can make a donation of your choice to help protect some of the world’s most vulnerable and beautiful creatures. Knowing they’re supporting a favourite animal will simply make your giftee’s day. |
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FOR THE BOOKWORM
Gift books through the Indigenous Literacy Foundation
It’s always heart-warming to receive a card, knowing that someone has taken the time to select, write, and send it. For something truly special, the Indigenous Literacy Foundation allows you to make a $20, $50, $100 donation, or more on behalf of a friend or family member and receive a beautiful card for your giftee. What makes the cards stand out is that they feature stunning artworks from budding, young illustrators from the Milikapiti and Bidyadanga communities, and represent the gifting of two, five, or 10 culturally relevant books to children living in remote Australia. Simply select the card/s you love and you’ll receive these in the mail. All that’s left is to write your book-loving message and send it on to a loved one. Not only will you put a smile on their face, but also on the faces of children that will receive the gift of reading this season.
FOR THE FOODIEDeliver meals for those in need through OzHarvest For the foodie in your life, you can donate in their name to those who often go without full bellies at this special time of year. Through OzHarvest, you can make sure good food gets to Australians who need it most this Christmas, including families, the elderly, and students – which we’re sure your special foodie will appreciate. OzHarvest provides access to quality, nutritious food with your donation, starting from as little as $1, which provides two meals to someone in need. Whatever amount you donate, whether that be $20, $100, $500, or $1,000, you can double that number and that’s how many meals your donation provides. Just imagine knowing you’ve helped put an incredible 2,000 meals on the table. It’s an opportunity to tangibly change people’s lives this Christmas, providing not only food, but hope as well. Now that’s what we call a Christmas miracle. |
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FOR THE GROOVER
Support music in schools with The Song Room
For the one who loves their tunes, make their day by donating to a cause close to their heart: bringing more melody and creativity into the lives of others, in particular, disadvantaged children. One organisation that helps to transform a child’s education through music and art is The Song Room. Their programs help students become happier, healthier, attend school more often, and improve their grades across a variety of school subjects. Donations may range anywhere from $20 all the way up to $15,000. Every donation helps provide better access to music and creative arts teachers, improved resources and instruments, music and creative arts workshops, musical programs in children’s hospitals, live performance visits, and more. With the gift of music, you and your giftee can delight in the joy of knowing your generosity paves the way to a brighter future for these creative youngsters.
FOR THE TREE HUGGERPlant trees via Trillion Trees Appeal to your giftee’s love of nature or inner green thumb with the gift of tree planting to celebrate the holiday season. With Trillion Trees, you can purchase and send one of their illustrated gift cards to your recipient, with the money going towards planting more trees – a boon for both the giftee and the Earth! An $11 card will see that two trees are planted while a $550 card plants 100 – that’s practically a forest! Each card features beautiful illustrations by Perth artist Sandra Faye Harms, tells your giftee how many trees were planted in their name, and includes space for you to write a personalised message. Gifted trees are nurtured during the next planting season and regularly checked to make sure they’re thriving, so you and your giftee can feel great knowing your contribution will help maintain and steward these magnificent green kingdoms for years to come. |
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FOR THE SOCIAL BUTTERFLY
Help connect lonely seniors with Be Someone For Someone
Appeal to your giftee’s compassionate side by bringing Christmas cheer to those who may be feeling lonely at this time of year, particularly seniors. Through Be Someone For Someone, you can support older people to lead happier, healthier lives by helping them make strong, lasting connections with others. A donation on behalf of your loved one to this organisation can help seniors re-engage their skills of sharing and connecting in a meaningful way, which is what the Christmas season is all about. Donations can range anywhere from $50 to $500 and help provide resources needed to connect with others, virtual spaces that enable long-lasting social connections, and opportunities to experience kindness and community. Make your giftee a champion of kindness and show our seniors citizens they’re not alone by nurturing their social circles – it’s bound to bring real, positive change at a time when needed most.
FOR THE FASHIONISTAProvide clothes for new beginnings with Thread Together Know someone with a passion for fashion? If so, they might appreciate a donation on their behalf to Thread Together, an organisation that sources new and excess clothing from fashion retailers and redistributes them to those in our community who are most in need. Clothing performs a vital role in creating brighter futures, but, unfortunately, an increasing number of men, women, and children don’t have access to essential items. Thread Together is changing that by providing new wardrobes to people who are doing it tough, including the homeless, youth at risk, Indigenous communities, survivors of domestic violence, refugees, and the long-term unemployed. They’ve distributed over $8 million worth of new clothing in the past five years. A donation of $100 will provide 20 people with a new wardrobe of their choosing, and fight fashion waste at the same time! But, more than that, you’ll be gifting dignity and hope this season. |
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Giving your loved one a charitable gift leaves everyone feeling good and even makes the world a better place while you’re at it – you’re really paying it forward twice over. Show your recipient you appreciate what they are passionate about and help them feel good by making a difference together. It can really give generosity a whole new meaning.
Lead image: Youssef Naddam on Unsplash • Body images: Shutterstock
