Give Differently This Year: Charity

There are many ways to donate for the holidays. But did you know that there are some off the beaten track ways to make a difference this year? Here are some neat holiday gift ideas for those hard to shop for people on your list that will put a smile on their faces, and make a difference in the world at the same time.

1. Make your loved one a Scottish Lord or Lady. You read that right. Visit Highland Titles and with packages starting at just $43 and ranging all the way up to over $700 including shipping, you can purchase a title for your loved one that grants them permission to style themselves as a Laird, Lord, or Lady of Glencoe. In addition to the title, they get a souvenir plot of Scottish land that will be protected from development in this unique conservation project. They will also receive a package containing their title documentation and other information relevant to the specific package purchased. These titles and land rights can even be passed down to future generations! Visit their website for more information on this unique gift idea!
2. OxFam Gifts offers many fun gift ideas. Give gifts that support dozens of different causes throughout the world. You can tailor the gift to your loved one. Catagories range from Animal, Green and Water gifts to Women and Children, Emergency Support and much more. Your loved one will get a fun card that tells of the gift that you have picked for them, and who and how it will help. For example, if you have an animal lover on your list, you can buy them a goat, a pig or even a cow. The money you spend will go toward furnishing these animals for rural communities that need them for food, fertilizer and more. White elephant gift? No problem, you can even purchase a big pile of dung for your recipient. The donation will provide fertilizer for needy communities.
3. For the nature lovers on your list: $80 will purchase a one year pass to over 2,000 Federal Parks and Preserves. This is technically not a charity gift, as your recipient will get full access to all these spectacular places for a whole year of camping, hiking and nature loving fun! Perfect for families, because many of these places are charged per car, and at all of them kids 15 and under are admitted for free. The money spent on passes goes to the National Park Service, which in turn is used to help preserve our federal lands! Visit the National Parks Service’s Website to learn more about pass packages.

All charities offer the ability to make a donation in someone’s name, so you can pretty much pick the cause that is right for them. Information is available all over the internet to help you handpick the perfect charitable gift.

You can also request that your holiday gifts go to a specific charity. Facebook makes this very easy, as you can set up a donation pool for many different causes directly through them, and just request that they donate to your cause instead of giving you a gift! This works great for birthdays as well.

I hope you find the perfect gift for everyone on your list this year! Thanks for reading!