5 Tips On Giving Charitable Donations As Holiday Presents
Giving to charities in a loved one's name instead of buying useless junk seems like a great way to get in the holiday spirit...as long as you avoid these common mistakes.
1. DON'T choose a controversial charity
This can easily happen by accident, as many seemingly neutral mainstream organizations may actually be boycotted by precisely the social justice minded people who might appreciate a charitable donation in lieu of a present for themselves. The Salvation Army? Lobbies for anti-LGBT laws around the world. Susan G. Komen for the Cure? Withdrew support from Planned Parenthood due to pressure from anti-abortion groups, then issued a weaselly statement quasi-reversing their position due to pressure from feminists, in a brilliant series of PR mistakes that pissed off pro-choicers and pro-lifers alike. Goodwill? Pays some employees less than 22 cents an hour because of their disabilities even though some of their executives make half a million a year or more.
Whatever your own opinion might be, it's best to avoid potentially objectionable charities since this gift can backfire on you in so many ways. The gift-receiver might be offended and refuse the gift. They might graciously accept but then or get mad at you later after someone fills them in. Worst case scenario, something like this happens: your homophobic father is thrilled at the chance to give to the poor and hate on gay people at the same time, but your gay cousin is incensed by his uncle's prejudice, turning your Christmas party into a heated personal and political debate that culminates in your gay cousin storming off and refusing to attend family holidays in the future. Don't let this happen to you. Do your research and avoid any organization with even a whiff of controversy about it.
2. DO choose a charity that reflects the gift receiver's values.
A generic charity gift can seem like a cop-out that you bought last-minute because you couldn't think of anything good to get the person. To show that you put some thought into it, think about what the person you're buying for cares about. Here's a quick guide to a few of the factors you might want to consider:
Local or international? Do they have deep roots in the community where they live, believe that local organizations know best, or distrust foreign aid? Go with an organization that helps people in their city or at least their own country. Do they pay attention to international humanitarian crises, go on mission trips overseas, have ethnic or family ties to a foreign country with a needy population, or believe in helping the neediest people no matter where they are? Go with an international aid group that focuses on developing countries or disaster relief
What specific cause? Figure out an issue that this person cares about and match it to a charity, perhaps based on their occupation or volunteer work. For a small business owner, consider a micro-lending organization like Kiva that helps poor people start businesses through small loans. For the person who loves children, try a charity that helps children specifically, like Toys for Tots or the Make A Wish Foundation. For those who are concerned about the healthcare crisis, try a charity that helps people access medical care like Direct Relief or St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Remember that you can donate to all sorts of institutions including universities (their alma mater!), scholarship programs, art museums, national parks, animal rescue groups, and more. This can be really fun if you get creative about it and discover unique ways to give that suit the personalities of the people you care about.
Religious or non-religious? This is a minefield, but it's usually safest to go with a secular organization that is neither avowedly religious or avowedly non-religious although someone might still take offense that you didn't choose a specifically religious charity for them...you can't please everyone). A religious charity is okay if you know the person's religion, but (1) avoid overbearingly preachy organizations that do things like making poor people convert before giving them food since even many religious people don't like that, and (2) make sure you have the right religion and also right the right sect if it's not non-denominational (that is, don't donate to Lutheran World Relief on behalf of a Baptist). An incidentally religious charity that doesn't make a big deal of religious ideology in its promotion materials or programs is probably fine for people of any religious background, but keep in mind that a person from a minority religion might feel hurt or excluded and a non-believer might feel offended or pressured. An explicitly atheist/agnostic affiliated charity (like the Foundation Beyond Belief) will probably be eagerly appreciated by those who are open about their lack of belief, although they might not care if they're not very invested in their lack of belief. As a general rule, if the gift will be given in a group containing argumentative people who disagree about religion, avoid either explicitly religious or explicitly non-religious organizations so that you're not bringing the topic up.
3. DON'T give this kind of gift to a person who's struggling financially (unless you know it's what they want)
A charity gift is great for someone who has everything they need and want. For someone who can only dream of having everything they need much less everything they want, a charity gift is often not a good fit. To someone who's struggling to keep a roof over their head, such a present can feel like a break they were supposed to get that is now going to someone else, or at least suggest that you don't understand the severity of their situation. Gifts from friends or family members who are better off can help an impoverished person with basic living expenses they can't afford on their own (like new clothes) or give them a treat to take their mind off their shitty situation for a bit (like a TV). This also applies to people with temporarily low incomes such as college students, graduate students, and recent graduates burdened by unemployment or student loan payments. Think about whether this is an appropriate gift given the person's financial situation.
On the other hand, you don't want to go too far in the other direction by singling out someone who's down on their luck or assuming that low-income people don't want to be charitable. Giving a charity-related present to everyone but one person (or family) can send the message "We know how poor you are! We're all looking at you and pitying you!" Don't worry about this too much if there's a clear age difference between the people receiving donation gifts and the ones receiving a real gift, or if there's a good number of people in each group. If you're worried about whether to go with a donation or physical item, talk to the person about what they'd prefer. Maybe there is an organization they would love to donate to, but just can't on their budget. Or maybe they will tell you that between the new winter coat and the donation certificate, the coat might be kinda nice.
4. DO include a visual representation of the gift.
When people receive a donation as a gift, they usually like to see what kind of good the money is doing. A tangible representation of the donation is one great way to do this. If the donation comes with a certificate or information packet, make sure to pass that along to the person whose name you donated in. If possible, include pictures of the projects or programs the charity funds. Even if there is nothing along these lines given to you by the organization, you can make certificate with the receiver's name on it and/or a little card with information about the organization, their activities, the impact of your donation, etc.
5. DON'T be smug about it.
Nothing spoils a charitable donation more than a donor who thinks their contribution makes them the greatest person alive. Yes, you have a right to feel proud about the fact that you're subverting the consumerist charade that the holidays have become for many people by giving gifts that make the world a better place instead of gifts that crowd people's attics or basements. You'll probably even get praise for this when you give people their gifts, and you can graciously accept this. However, don't be a self-righteous asshole. Don't brag about how moral and thoughtful and compassionate and freethinking you are. Don't go around telling everyone you meet about your holiday giving strategy. Don't wax poetic about how amazing you feel and how the gifts you gave have changed your life. Remember that you're far from the only person who does this and it doesn't make you special. Be thankful that you can give this way because you're fortunate enough to have at least relative financial stability, maybe because you work for some corporation that's at least partially responsible for the circumstances of the people your donations are helping. Give some credit to the role models who instilled good values in you. Keep in mind that your donations can only help because of the many folks who work their asses off year round to keep charities running. Remember that one donation is not enough to solve any of the world's major problems. Don't forget that there's always a lot more you could be doing to help others, and not only during the holidays. If you keep all that in mind, you won't let it go to your head.
In conclusion, you've did a good thing, and you should feel good about it. Just have a little humility, and limit your self-congratulations to silent happy feels and a well-earned pat on the back the next time you're alone.
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