Over the course of the next few weeks, I am going to be running a series about gift ideas.  Most will be specific suggestions of gifts for particular groups of people: men, children, book lovers, etc.  But I wanted to start with something a little different: Gifts that Give Back.

What do I mean by this?  Gifts you can give to those on your Christmas list that will also bless others, outside of your circle.

For the most part, these fall into two categories.  One, donations made to ministry organizations in your recipient’s name, where you would then simply pass on to your recipient a certificate telling him you made the donation.  Or, two, specific gift items you purchase, from which the profit is used to benefit a ministry. (Personally, for “routine” gift-giving purchases, I prefer the latter, as it still allows the recipient to have something to open, and I think that’s part of the fun of gift-giving. But both have their places.)

I’m sure you can come up with ideas of your own, as you probably have causes that are close to your heart, but here are some of my suggestions. Perhaps you’ll find something new. 🙂

Donations Only

• Give a goat, chickens, medicine, etc., or help dig a well or provide education or some other service through World Vision.
• Provide similar aid through Samaritan’s Purse.
• Make a donation directly to a specific organization you support.

Purchases that Benefit Ministries/Causes

• A variety of products are available through Christian Freedom International’s store.  Purchasing these products allows individuals in third-world countries to make a living.
• Similarly, you can purchase “fair trade” products from Ten Thousand Villages, Gifts of Life, or One World Market.  (As far as I know, none of these three are Christian organizations.  Just FYI.)
• Beaded Hope serves a similar purpose, providing employment and income for South African women living with HIV/AIDS.
• Purchase items from The Mercy Shop, a “compilation” of certain Etsy donations, to support The Mercy House, a maternity home just being opened up in Kenya.  (This is the heart work of Kristen at We Are That Family, and the rest of her family.)
• Purchase sauces from Tavern Direct (or gift baskets from their sister company), and help support The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.  I got to meet Lee at Relevant, and his heart is truly in this organization.  Also, the sauces taste fantastic, are all-natural, and can make quick work of a gourmet meal!
• Purchase the HSF cookbook from HSLDA to benefit the Home School Foundation.  The Home School Foundation provides the Widows’ Fund (to help widowed parents continue homeschooling), supports ParentalRights.org, and otherwise enables families to continue their pursuit of biblical parenting.

If you know of other companies who sell products to benefit ministries or charitable organizations, please let me know and I’ll see about adding them. [UPDATE: For a huge list of these sorts of sources, check out Michelle’s post.  To do your regular online shopping, but get “cash back”  to donate your own favorite charities, check out GiveBack.org.  (Thanks to the One2One Network for letting me know about this site.)]

Also, if you want to give directly to someone not otherwise on your Christmas list, you can prepare a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child or wrap a gift for an Angel Tree child.