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Really last minute green gifts
It may be too late to get that hot item you'd dreamed of getting, but it's not to late to give a charitable gift to someone you love.
Here are a couple of great ideas you can still pull off in time for Christmas!
Volunteer for or with that animal-loving special someone at the Macy's Holiday Windows pet adoption center. Since 2005, more than 2,000 animals have found homes by way of Macy's, and an additional $250,000 has gone to the SF SPCA. The window is there through New Year's. Cost: free!
You could also name your loved one a Humane Hero for a $20/month donation to the Humane Society.
If you buy a must-have practical gift through World Vision, the item you choose goes directly to a community in the developing world that has requested it, and your friend or family member gets a card saying the gift has been made in their name. Gifts cost as little as $5.
If you act quickly, you could probably still get a gift card in the mail from Feeding America, recognizing your donation in your giftee's name. Just $25 feeds an American family of four for two weeks.
Charities will take your money whenever you're willing, so you can also still give the charitable gifts I mentioned in my first gift guide. From Heifer International, you could go for a Hope Basket full of chickens and rabbits, which will multiply quickly and feed a family. (Cost: $50)
Carbon offsets from Belgrave Trust are good whether or not you get the card by the 25th — but the company says you still can. And offsets for common gadget use are surprisingly cheap!
WWF will send you an instant email certificate of adoption if you indulge in the organization's adopt-a-species donation campaign. The stuffed animal will come later, but for $25 on December 23, you can't ask for more!
| December 23 2010 at 06:30 AM
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