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Donate to a great cause

When you purchase a farm animal, a water pump, school supplies or another present from Oxfam, you are actually donating a money that will be put to use fighting inequality and discrimination. Those funds help provide access to basic necessities such as food and water or supplying relief after a natural disaster. A card is sent to the recipient of your gift explaining how it is changing lives. I love that you can give that frenemy or spoilt brat a pile of manure and still be doing something nice for someone. It makes for an amusing, conversation starting, Secret Santa gift too.

Adopt an animal

Maybe you are gifting to an animal lover and there are innumerable options for “adopting” an endangered species that needs some support. You can adopt a sleepy-eyed sloth, cute koala or any number of threatened species from around the world through the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Alternatively, look for a local organization such as the National Parks Service in the USA, Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia or APOPO that trains rats to sniff out landmines – WHAT!?  After my visit to the Grand Canyon last year, I adopted several mountain lions on behalf of the kidlets in my life. They didn’t miss out either, with plush toys and an adoption certificate for their new “pet”.

Subscribe

Subscription boxes are all the rage, so why not choose one that is helping to sustain global artisans such as Globein? A subscription as opposed to a one-off purchase, provides job security and a consistent income for artisans. If you are in Australia or New Zealand, you may like Socially Conscious Club that sends a monthly package of sustainable goodies sourced from charities and social enterprises.

Purchase a membership

If your gift recipient is an art, architecture or history lover, buy them a year’s membership to their favourite museum or gallery. For example, The Met in New York City or the British Museum, London.  Membership dollars are generally used to preserve and maintain museum collections, while your loved one receives free/discounted entry and possibly even invitations to special members-only events.

Don’t forget home museums such as Sydney Living Museums taking care of remarkable heritage homes in Australia, and The Preservation Society of Newport County that runs and maintains the Newport Mansions in Rhode Island, USA.