Suddenly it’s November. Snow is falling gently outside the window at CAI, and this year’s Journey of Hope magazine is at the printer ready to display a year’s worth of progress, challenge, and hope in its glossy pages. Gift-giving season has snuck up on us once again, and this year CAI is trying something new, a gift catalog with a variety of charitable choices that make a meaningful gift for friends and family. Each gift in the catalog goes directly to programs overseas, so you can be sure your donation gifts are doing the most good.
Over the years, supporters have asked us for a way to purchase a fun and creative option to make charitable donation gifts in the name of friends and family. This catalog is our answer to these requests as the trend of giving in honor of someone becomes more popular around the holidays.
Perhaps you’ve considered giving to charity in honor of friends and family, but you aren’t sure it will be appreciated. An article in the New York Times addressed just this question with interviews of both Ms. Manners and Peter Post, grandson of Emily Post. The answer seems to be that it can be one of the most thoughtful gifts a person receives.
For example, Peter Post said, “I think it’s wonderful. I don’t have any problem giving a charitable donation. That can be a very meaningful gift.”
How will you know if giving charitable donation gifts will be appreciated? The article stresses that finding organizations that match the receiver’s interests or special causes will make the most impact. Gifts like these display thoughtfulness and attention, so donating to something they care deeply about reflects how much you care for the recipient.
For example, if you are shopping for someone who is passionate about access to healthcare for women, you might purchase the Midwife’s Monthly Supply as a gift. Your gift will go directly to midwife programs in the villages where we work, helping midwives deliver healthy babies in some of the most remote areas of the world. The gift recipient will feel a deep connection to the women he or she is helping and appreciate the thoughtfulness of such a gift. Not to mention how grateful the midwife and her patients will be.
The best advice is to know your recipient. Many people are shifting value from amassing material collections to doing good for others. Making a donation as a gift reflects this new way of thinking. It seems like each year the need for help around the world intensifies, and with the 24-hour news cycle, we are all more aware of it. When you choose a donation gift for someone, you are giving them a sense of hope, and that can be powerful.
It can also give them a connection to people on the other side of the world. If you choose a tent school, for instance, that school will bring children in out of the burning sun and protect them from harsh wind. That child might be living in a refugee village with very little shelter or food. With a tent, a school can become a respite and she can learn the skills she needs to start a career or have a job to take care of her family when she grows up.
Each of these donation gifts will have an impact on multiple lives. Classroom whiteboards will help teachers explain lessons to hundreds of students, a computer will bring the whole world to some of the most remote schools, and even a backpack will hold books and lessons that a child will share with her family. These unique gifts create more than a meaningful gesture, they will provide hope and opportunity for years to come.
You can check out our new CAI gift catalog here. Please let us know what you think or share your favorite way to give a special gift in the comments.
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