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Charitable Gift-Giving: 10 Nonprofits to Support This Holiday Season (Instead of Buying Presents)


You’re tired. You loathe the commercialization of Christmas. You resent having to buy ugly, plastic things for young cousins you never see. You hate malls. You don’t need or want any more crap. You’re broke. Or, you’re just a nice person who wants to give back. All are valid reasons to eschew traditional holiday gift-giving in favor of making donations to nonprofits in people’s names, and then presenting the recipients with personalized donation notices on Christmas Day. (They’ll probably look and fit better in stockings than under the tree.) Here are ten favorite nonprofit charities we like to support, especially around the holidays — because don’t they deserve your hard-earned cash more than the big box stores? So if you’re on our gift list this holiday season, be prepared to feel altruistic. Because you ain’t getting that iPad from us. … More »

Post from: BlissTree

Charitable Gift-Giving: 10 Nonprofits to Support This Holiday Season (Instead of Buying Presents)

Now, all of a sudden, it’s late November again, and despite my desire for a new pair of boots and a coffee table for my living room, I’m struck by the urge to scrounge up a charitable donation that’s become so well-timed to the holiday season. Am I a bad person for having such inconsistent motivation to help others? Am I the only one who’s so lazy during the other ten months of the year? I’d like to think that everyone else is a better Good Samaritan than I am, but something tells me I’m not unique in my start/stop pattern of giving/non-giving.


– Blisstree Deputy Editor Briana Rognlin on the emotional complexities of wanting to give to the less fortunate around Thanksgiving and Christmas, from her post: Charitable Giving: Are We Holiday Do-Gooders Just Selfishly Easing Our Guilty Consciences?
Post from: BlissTree
Now, all of a sudden, it’s late November again, and despite my … More »

Post from: BlissTree

Now, all of a sudden, it’s late November again, and despite my desire for a new pair of boots and a coffee table for my living room, I’m struck by the urge to scrounge up a charitable donation that’s become so well-timed to the holiday season. Am I a bad person for having such inconsistent motivation to help others? Am I the only one who’s so lazy during the other ten months of the year? I’d like to think that everyone else is a better Good Samaritan than I am, but something tells me I’m not unique in my start/stop pattern of giving/non-giving.

Veterans’ Day Charity: This Holiday Season, Send a Care Package to the Troops


Because it’s Veterans’ Day, we’ve been thinking about ways to show our appreciation and support for U.S. troops at home and abroad. And because the holiday season is almost here, care packages for armed forces members are especially welcome. So we found several organizations that send care packages to deployed soldiers, and how you can help.

1. Give 2 the Troops: There are two ways to give with this nonprofit. You can donate money, which will go toward postage on care packages and special items requested by the troops. Or, you can donate actual items — the most in-demand ones are food and entertainment products like drink mixes, snack bars, and DVDs, or video games. … More »

Post from: BlissTree

Veterans’ Day Charity: This Holiday Season, Send a Care Package to the Troops