“We had a collective shopping spree,” says Tiffany. “Then we all took the gifts to the drop-off site and went home for a pizza party!”

The next year, the Crabtrees decided to go through a local charitable agency and “adopt” two families in need. The Crabtrees shared the experience of buying, wrapping and taking the gifts directly to those in need.

“We love doing this as a family tradition,” says Tiffany. “It sets a good example for our children, helps others and is a great way to send a little love and prosperity out into the world.”

You don’t need a lot of money to make a difference: even contributing soaps, shampoos and books brightens lives.

From Commercialism to Contentment
Their children were grown; Jack and Virginia Steele had long since retired and they simply had no room for another “thing.”

Before the holidays, they sent out a letter to their five children, along with a list of favorite charities. “Please donate any money you would have spent on our holiday gifts to one of these charities,” they requested.

One of their children says, “This has truly deepened the pleasure of giving to them and made the holidays a real joy for me.”

Giving that Opens Doors
One December, Frieda and Doug Smith received “money in the mail.”
Their daughter and son-in-law sent them some crisp new $20s and a catalog from Heifer International, a non-profit organization that provides farm animals to impoverished families mostly in third world countries.

“We had such a good time deciding what to purchase,” Frieda says. “We even did research and learned a lot about sustainable agriculture and how we should treat the earth.”

Frieda and Doug have since given similar gifts to others.

The Envelope, Please
Toni Goldfarb wanted to get her family interested in giving back. At her holiday gathering, she had a collection of envelopes from various charities. She invited each of her grown children to pick an envelope and make a donation to that charity. Making those donations inspired several of her children to get more involved in giving throughout the year.

Invite Your Children to be Givers

Create a kid-friendly catalogue of local giving opportunities. Look for causes that tie into your children’s interests. If your child loves animals, look for chances to adopt an animal at your local zoo or contribute to an animal shelter. If your child loves reading, look for literacy programs. Or select programs that help disadvantaged children.

Tear out pictures that illustrate each giving opportunity and write up a simple description of what the gift will do. If your gift feeds a camel for a year, find or draw a picture of a camel. If your gift sends a child to an after school arts program, find pictures of children having fun with art.

As part of their holiday gift, let your children chose a giving opportunity from your homemade “catalogue.” Then involve them in learning more about the cause, and when appropriate, visiting the organization and shopping for or delivering the gifts.

The Pout that Turned to a Smile

When Valerie Steele first introduced her nieces and nephews to philanthropy, she didn’t know how it would work. She took them shopping, and gave each of them $10, so they could select a toy for a disadvantaged child.

“They were not used to the concept of giving,” Valerie recalls. “The first year it was a struggle to give away the toy, since they had each picked things they wanted.”
One of her nephews wore a pout long after he had dropped off "his" present.

“But the following year, he was proudly helping his young cousin to give away her toy.”

Spreading the Word and the Gift
No more coffee mugs or boxes of fudge! Brenda Lange wanted to get her children’s teachers something meaningful for the holidays. So she let the children pick of a charity and she made donations in their teachers' names. She made the donations early, so the teachers received notice of their gifts before holiday break.

“The teachers have been touched and enthusiastic about such gifts,” says Brenda. “I also believe they are also grateful not to get another trinket! “

Give the Pleasure of Giving Back
If you’re already giving to charity this time of year, why not get other people honored and involved? Make every gift in honor of someone you care about. If you have a friend who is loves to eat or cook, make a donation in his honor to a local food pantry. If a relative has a passion for children, make a donation in her name to a children’s arts program or after school program. With no extra work, you are giving other people pleasure, sweetly spreading the word about your charity and making a difference with your donation.

Executive directors or board members are often delighted to meet with donors and share information about their organization. Include a tour of the charitable facility or a meeting with the director as a way to give extra depth to your gift.

Create a gift list of your favorite charities, with a brief description of each. Pass this list out at a holiday gathering, and let each person pick a charity for you to donate to in his or her name.

Need extra giving ideas? Contact your local community foundation for other ways to tailor and enhance your giving.