Charities and organizations are always trying to come up with creative ideas to encourage giving. Some popular charities have created gift catalogs where sponsors can choose the gift their money goes towards. This type of giving gives people the ability to see exactly where their donations are going. An added benefit to this type of charity giving is the ability to give a tangible gift in the name of someone or in honor of someone. These organization then, upon your request, send a note to the individual whose name the gift was given in honor of letting them know about your gift. While garnishing support through charity gift catalogs is done mainly by humanitarian relief / international aid organizations, other types of organizations are making their “wish lists” available through gift catalogs. Below are a few of the most popular charity gift catalogs.
World Vision
One of the largest Christian charitable organizations, World Vision’s focus is on delivering humanitarian aid to a suffering world while striving to meet the spiritual needs of the people they serve. You can view the gift catalog online or order one to be delivered to your home. Order several and hand them out to family and friends. Here is one of the many categories of items that can be gifted from the catalog. Visit worldvision.org to view the complete catalog.
Animals / Livestock ~ This category includes many animals that needy families can use for food and extra income. For example, for $25 you can give a family two chickens. These chickens will lays eggs giving the family much needed protein and offspring can be sold to pay for things like education or clothing.
Samaritan’s Purse
Another Christian organization addressing needs of poverty around the globe is Samaritan’s Purse. The organization is run by Franklin Graham, the son of the evangelist Billy Graham. Visit samaritanspurse.org to download a copy of their gift catalog. Here is an example of what you will find inside.
Fruit Trees / Seeds ~ For a gift of only $45, Samaritan’s Purse will supply a family in need with 30 fruit tree seedlings. These will grow into a bountiful harvest that will help to feed and aid in supporting the family. For the same price you can designate a gift of seeds, tools and training to a ready farmer. Samaritan’s Purse staff will train the farmer on how to grow a successful harvest.
Heifer International
This humanitarian aid organization is smaller than the above two but still making a huge difference in fighting poverty. Visit heifer.org to view the Heifer International gift catalog.
Gift of an ark ~ This gift is a pricey one at $5,000 but is overflowing with potential impact. The gift includes two of each kind of animal, 15 sets of animals! They include chickens, ox, sheep, cows, etc. This would be a great fund-raising project for a larger group. Like the other gift catalogs, Heifer also offers an array of gifts for prices as low as $20 or less allowing any budget to participate.
These are just a few charitable organizations that utilize gift catalogs to improve social problems of poverty, hunger, homelessness and social injustice. Some of the other items that can be purchased include: life saving mosquito nets, food, clothing, medicines, shelter, building materials, clean water aids, education, and so much more! Create a gift list this year and be a blessing by lending a hand to those less fortunate.
