NewsletterNewsletter
Related Articles
Alternative gifting—the purchase of goods or animals for people in struggling economies instead of hard goods for friends and family—is great for those who have everything they need and don’t want more clutter. But what about the folks who can use a regular gift, or those you want to hand a present?
Here are a couple solutions:
Gift cards that give back
This works by purchasing a gift card that can be handed or emailed to a recipient. The recipient goes online, and spends the amount on the charity of her choice.
Jon Siegel, Executive Director of TisBest Philanthropy, writes “WWW.TisBest.org is the only website dedicated to charity gift cards. They're just like gift cards you're familiar with, except the recipient directs the funds to one of the 250 charities listed on the TisBest website.”
To make the cards more fun, givers can put a photo or personalized message on each one, and the recipient can choose a charity with which he feels a connection.
Fair trade gifts
Fair trade is based on partnerships with producers, often in third-world countries but also in poverty-stricken areas in industrialized nations. Organizations that sell fair trade goods seek to improve trading conditions, sustainability, and profits for marginalized artisans, farmers, and workers, often by elimimating or reducing middle-level transactions. They also promote equality, fair wages, sustainability, and fair labor practices.
Running an internet search on “fair trade products” will bring up hundreds of websites dedicated to fair trade. Many of these sell soft goods, such as clothing and linens, but several also offer gift items, household goods, food, and coffee.
These sites have been recommended by users:
Ten Thousand Villages offers items for home and garden, as well as jewelry, scarves, musical instruments, baskets, and gifts.
Serrv International has similar products, plus holiday items, food, coffee and tea, and chocolate.
Marketplace India sells clothing and soft goods for the home.
Comments