Donations Make Better, Greener Gifts To Help The Planet And The Community
Written by Erin Patterson - Sunday, 02 November 2008
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 A donation to a charitable cause allows you to do good and feel good without increasing your carbon footprint. A donation made in a loved one’s name
makes a great gift for just about anyone, especially for those who seem to have everything. A donation made in a child’s name provides an opportune moment to teach them a little about the world, our environment, and help them influence change and do good. Here is a list to get you thinking about being greener and better for the upcoming holiday season.
- Green to Grow’s Bottles to Babies program connects families who no longer need their baby bottles to organizations who will collect and distribute the baby bottles to mothers who can’t afford bottles for their babies. Green to grow is all about giving back, helping others, and repurposing baby bottles to keep them out of the landfill and in little hands who desperately need them.
- A donation to HelpWWF.org helps WWF to save polar bears and other species. It also helps to preserve the habitats these animals need to survive, many of which are threatened due to global warming. You may make a one-time donation or contribute a monthly gift to the World Wildlife Fund. (You even get a WWF tee for your donation!)
- A donation to your local zoo is an excellent opportunity to learn more and appreciate wildlife from around the world while helping your zoo with their expenses and educational programs. Most zoos will allow you to make a financial contribution or purchase a membership. Corporate memberships are often offered, as well.
- A donation to your local animal shelter or your humane society is another wonderful way to help defenseless animals who don’t have a chance without the help of the shelter. It leaves behind no wrappings or paper or wasted gifts and will make you feel good knowing you helped give a cat or dog a new lease on life. If you are considering adding a four-legged friend to your home, you should give serious consideration to adopting a cat or dog from the humane society or animal shelter.
- Oceana.org works for policy changes to reduce pollution and “prevent irreversible collapse of fish populations, marine mammals and other sea life”. They achieve this with global teams of marine scientists, economists, lawyers, and advocates. You can make a donation in someone's name and have something for them to unwrap, so they're not disappointed that they didn't get "a real gift": Adopt a penguin, polar bear, seal, or another sea creatures at Oceana's Web site and receive a cookie cutter in the shape of your adopted pal, as well as an exclusive sugar-cookie recipe concocted by Warren Brown, Food Network host and the owner of CakeLove bakery.
- Changing The Present offers you the chance to make the world a better place by choosing a cause (environment, community, basic needs, etc.). They even offer gift ideas for donations for fathers to favors to graduations.
- GlobalGiving.com offers many options to help develop organic farming in less-developed countries, promote sustainable agriculture and urban farming/gardening, protect rainforests, etc. The site tells you just how your donation helps, e.g., $50 buys 50 seedlings of Rainforest trees, palm trees or fruit trees and $100 makes it possible to plant and care of 30 of those trees.
- You can help the Arbor Day Foundation with their vision of “a world where trees and forests are abundant, healthy, and sustainable, and highly valued by all people” by making a financial donation, volunteering to plant trees, buying Arbor Day shade-grown coffee, or making virtual donations via Arbor Day’s Facebook application.
A donation to help others, the planet, and animals makes a better gift than material consumables because it generates little to no waste and makes significant in the betterment of others and our planet. Hopefully you will consider this list the next time you are wracking your brain for a birthday gift, party favor, or thoughtful little something for a friend or family member. And remember, it doesn’t have to be gift-giving season to make a donation!
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