The turkey leftovers have finally given out.  The tree stands tall and decorated, at least its lower third. Now, the peak of the holiday season stretches before us. Perhaps I’m the only procrastinator, but I doubt it. I bet I’m not alone in wondering what, exactly, to put under that tree.

Part of my procrastination is born of simple indecision.

As a family, our needs are few, our wants are many, and toy room storage space is limited. For a month I’ve been planning to opt out of gifts within our family, resolving to make homemade items instead. That is, until my partner and I took a child-free tour of a local toy store, just for fun. We emerged disoriented by the possibilities and laden with goodies for every kid in the extended family.

Not wanting to be a scrooge or to overindulge, I rushed home and dug around in my in-box until I found the invaluable Doing Good Together November 2010 Newsletter. If you don’t already receive it, consider subscribing here.

When it first arrived, my head just wasn’t in the holiday game. Now that mere weeks separate me from the inevitable, I really needed the help to dig up meaningful giving ideas. I found several on the Doing Good Together list that will work well for our family. Some are old standards, like giving gift baskets of environmentally friendly products or donating to charity on behalf of the gift recipient (don’t forget the Como Zoo animal sponsorship can include a cute plush version of the animal, a great kid’s gift). Others are new and full of promise.

So here they are in case you missed (or overlooked) the November Newsletter like I did.

Meaningful Gift Ideas from Doing Good Together:

• Give to charity in someone’s name. You might donate an animal or other items (from UNICEF, Oxfam or Save the Children) to a family in a developing country or provide teachers with needed supplies. Or check out the websites Just Give or Changing the Present for selfless ideas geared to your family’s or your recipient’s interests.
  
• Buy eco-friendly gifts. Give a rain barrel, locally produced foods, free-trade coffee or environmentally friendly personal care products.
• Give gifts made by artisans in developing countries. Improve the livelihoods of families around the world by purchasing gifts from organizations such as Ten Thousand Villages or Nest.
• Give charity gift cards. These enable recipients to choose the charity they want to support, with you providing the funds! Order them from Just Give, Network for Good or Charity Gift Certificates.
• Provide memberships to local attractions. Support local nonprofits like zoos, state parks, children’s theaters, or museums by giving yearlong passes to the families on your list.

As always, DGT offered excellent conversation starters as well:

• What gifts have been your favorites? Why?
• What makes a gift special? Do gifts always have to be things we buy at a store? What other kinds of gifts might you give?
• Which gift (that you gave) were you most proud of? How do you think the recipient felt when s/he received it?
• Even though getting presents is fun, could you imagine it wouldn’t be so special if you got too many?
• What could our family do to make our gift giving more fun and meaningful this holiday?

Tags: Charitable Giving, Holidays, Strengthening Our Family

About Sarah

Sarah Aadland is striving to make family volunteering a meaningful habit for her family of five. Join the conversation as she ponders what they may (or may not have) learned and looks for helpful information about raising compassionate kids.Though she plans to one day put her Masters in Public Policy back to work for social justice, she sees family volunteering as a way to build a stronger community, a better world, and a more connected family. In addition to her children, Sarah tends a large garden, a small flock of chickens, and a habit of mindfulness amid the necessary rituals of parenting.

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