What is Alternative Giving?

1 minute read

• Alternative giving involves donating to a cause your loved one cares about

• Websites and organizations track charities to make sure donations are used wisely

• Offset your loved one’s carbon footprint with Ecodrive!

Do you have a friend or family member that just seems to already have everything you could possibly give them for Christmas? If they want something, they buy it for themselves, so when Christmas comes around you’ve got no options. Or do you have a friend that’s really trying to cut down on the number of things they own? And you don’t want to give them another thing to collect dust on their shelf?

This is where alternative giving, also known as virtual giving or graceful giving, comes in. This form of gift giving has symbolic value for the recipient and benefits a meaningful cause. 

Essentially, you can donate to a charity or other organization that your friend or family member cares about in their name. One way to find these charities is by searching Charity Navigator. This website rates charities on a four-star scale based on finances, accountability, and transparency. Choosing a charity with a high score on Charity Navigator let’s you feel confident that your donation is actually helping the cause they care about. Give Well is another site that does the same work.

Another nonprofit called Kiva crowdfunds loans to some of the 1.7 billion people in the world who don’t have access to banks. These loans can help a student go to college, a woman to start her own business, or a farmer to buy much-needed equipment. Most of Kiva’s work is based around loans, but it costs about $3 to distribute each $25 loan. So Kiva asks for donations to cover the distribution cost. You could donate any amount of money to cover this cost in a family member or friend’s name. 

Lastly, you can offset your loved one’s carbon footprint with Ecodrive! The average person’s monthly carbon footprint can be offset by planting 20 trees, which costs about $20. You could offset their footprint for a month, year, or more, depending on your budget. 

There are so many nonprofits and charities that do great work in every facet of our society. So if you’re stuck on what to get your picky cousin or minimalist best friend, donate to a cause they care about. They will love to see that you’re paying attention to their interests!

Happy alternative gift giving!