On Friday morning, I joined the CTV Morning Live team to talk about ways that everyone can give gifts at Christmas and be charitable at the same time! Â I had such an interesting time putting together the list, I thought it share it on my blog too!
Local:
Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation
Adopt an animals for the animal lover on your wish list. It comes with a colour photo of their animal and an adoption certificate. Animals range from songbird ($40) to raptors ($60) to an eagle or large mammal ($100).
Home for the holidays, help someone celebrate their first Christmas in a home of their own. A $75 contribution lets the staff hand-select a gift for a newly-housed Calgarian.
Backpacks: Since many of the Mustard Seed’s guest carry their lives on their pack, you can purchase a new backpack and fill it with life’s essentials. Socks, gift cards, transit tickets, scarf, gloves, jogging pants, a Christmas card.
National:
Canada Helps
Buy Gift Cards and then the recipient gets to choose their charity. More than 80,000 charities to choose from. Categories: Animals, Artis & Culture, Charitable & Voluntary Sector Development,Education, Environment, International, Health, Religious Organizations and Social Services.
Donate your Aeroplan or Air Miles points.
Air Miles: 190 points gives you a $20 donation to donate to Special Olympics Canada, Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, Kids Help Phone, WWF.
Aeroplan: Schools without Borders, Veterinarians Without Borders, War Child, Musicounts, Earth Day Canada, Free The Children.
Donate points locally: Calgary Opera Association, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association.
International:
Kiva Gift Cards
It only takes $25 to start a microloan. It works sort of like Kickstarter, but for entrepreneurs/farmers all over the world (73 countries.) Once the loan has been repaid, you can then loan it to someone else. The system has a 99% repayment and it’s something that I’ve been doing it for three years!
Life-saving and life-changing gifts essential for children’s survival in the world’s poorest countries. Gift prices range from $10 (Bed Net Pack or 22 pkgs of peanuts) to $40,000 for an all-terrain vehicle needed to reach children safely in conflict zones.
Lots of categories ranging from Agriculture to animals, clearn water, clothing and education. Most needed items start at $50 (Beekeeping kit) and go up to $125 (a latrine) They’ve also added artisan gifts that go to support the projects.. Embroidered scarf ($85), Fair Trade Coffee ($65) Bracelet ($30)
Bonus!
If you’re still looking for a Christmas party location, check out Venue 1008. It’s a 5,000 Sq. foot event space in Inglewood. What’s really great about it is that it’s a non-profit, so that means 100% of its proceeds go to a women and children’s charity Servants Anonymous.
About SA: Servants Anonymous Society of Calgary [SAS] is a non-profit agency formed in 1989 to address the issues of women involved in, or at risk of involvement in, the sex trade. Our women have also experienced other related issues, including homelessness, poverty, addictions, and violence against women. SAS provides opportunities for our women to reintegrate back into society by transitioning into a healthy lifestyle. We are the only organization in Calgary that offers a long-term program for our women who arrive pregnant or with children.
Good site! I really love how it is easy on my eyes and the data are well written. I’m wondering how I could be notified when a new post has been made. I have subscribed to your RSS which must do the trick! Have a nice day!