With Black Friday and Cyber Monday frenzies behind us, the pressure to check everyone off your Christmas list is on. Keep in mind if you didn’t order online before Thanksgiving, your one of a kind Etsy woodwork masterpiece will be ringing in the New Year rather than the 25th.
I love a gift that gives back; something I feel good about giving. Maybe this is an online donation in someone’s name, or even a physical gift like a blanket or sweater that gives back to a charity or emergency relief. In a season of giving, here’s some ideas to check off your list and/or give a little bit more to people in need:
- For that trendy guy or gal in your life: sevenly.org. I actually created a community service club in high school based off of this website! Every week, they create “7-day cause campaigns” with really unique and cute products. $7 of each product goes towards helping that specific cause. They even have cute swag bags called “Give Bags” for specific causes, like autism or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
- For the just right gift: smile.amazon.com: If you’re an avid prime user and haven’t heard of Amazon Smile, stop now and check it out. “Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice.” Organizations like Pencils of Promise and Operation Smile are just a few to choose from!
- For the person that travels a ton: Not traveling for the holidays but have some airline miles you wouldn’t mind donating? The Make A Wish foundation accepts miles from nearly every major airline company! Here’s more info here: https://goo.gl/YCwhMS
- For any gal pal in your life: Alex and Ani jewelry https://goo.gl/BLstbC: Mom, Grandma, Sister, Aunt, Best Friend, Mother in Law, Big, Little, Girlfriend: any special person in your life, here’s a super meaningful and really cute present for them! Alex and Ani is a jewelry company primarily known for their signature stackable bangles. They have a “Charity by Design” inspired line of jewelry that supports causes like Alex’s Lemonade Stand, UNICEF, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Ranging from $21-$38 each, 20% of the price will go towards the cause of the inspired bangle or necklace.
- For the kids! Check out DemonTHON.org. Blue Demons, family, friends, support your fellow classmates and loved ones raising money #forthekids at DePaul University’s 24 hour dance fest! There are a ton of teams to donate to, and every penny counts. Last year, DemonTHON raised 1 million dollars for the Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. If you are a student, why not consider becoming a dancer against cancer?
- For that outdoorsy person in your life! Lifestraw's Follow the Liters campaign: http://lifestraw.com/follow-the-liters/: You may have already heard of Lifestraw before, but did you know that they’ve been able to give 369,341 students clean water, reach 664 schools, and deliver 2,600 filters globally? When you buy a Lifestraw water bottle or product, a portion of the proceeds goes to getting clean water around the world.
- For the Apple addict in your life, add some accessories for their new products this season from TOMS: https://goo.gl/y0cfyx. The new Apple watch has gained a ton of traction, but here’s a cool way to make your watch more unique: try TOMS for Apple Watch bands! “About 1.2 billion people lack access to safe, reliable electricity. 1 watch band = 1 year of solar light!”
- For the body art fans in your life, Charity Water's Temporary Tattoos: https://goo.gl/a7iEt8. While it’s not a real tattoo, it’s a creative and cute way to spread the word! A whopping 80% of each set (they come in pairs) is donated to Charity Water.
These are just a few ways to give back, but don't forget that something as simple as buying coffee for the person behind you at Starbs is a great way to spread some holiday magic.
"It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving." -Mother Teresa
