Tis the season for gratitude, and we’re grateful for the give back gifts that offer sustainable options to help others, support good causes and let us skip long lines.
Put one of these give back gifts on your holiday list. Accelerate the journey towards a more sustainable future this holiday season.
Fund Wildlife Conservation around the World
A friend whose daughter is in love with snowy owls discovered that the Sierra Club offers snowy owls and bison among their collection of virtual animal adoptions ($49 and up often includes a plush toy). Discover your own adoptable tarantula or honey bee. If you can’t choose, let the next family vacation drive the decision. Protect an armadillo, for example, if you’re heading for Big Bend National Park in Texas.
Explore opportunities to help protect other endangered animals with the World Wildlife Fund. In addition to research, they sell wonderful gifts that give back. For $25 and up, your family funds a Symbolic Adoption that helps conserve an elephant, polar bear, tiger, orca, panda, snow leopard or other species. At the $60 level and higher, WWF will send adorable plush replicas of the adopted animals.
The koala population has been declining in Australia due to the loss of habitat, bushfires, disease and domestic dog attacks. Fortunately, Koala Conservation Australia Limited of New South Wales rehabilitates these cute animals when they’re found sick or injured. Their Adopt-A-Wild-Koala e-program starts at A$50. Donate a bit more (A$80 for overseas families) to receive a story about your specifically chosen koala, a booklet about koalas and more. If you’re on your way to Australia, select an ‘Exhibit Koala’ so you can visit them in the hospital. Adoption money helps treat and rehabilitate koalas with the goal of releasing them back to the wild.
Give Back Gift to the Oceans
Adopt a sea turtle or manatee — or an Orca, for those who think big. It’s the ideal gift that gives back to marinelife lovers and the world’s oceans. The non-profit organizations that raise money by selling symbolic adoptions run many real life events and educational programs year round.
Adopt-A-Sea Turtle gifts animal lovers with a personalized Adoption kit and plush toy ($56) from the Sea Turtle Conservancy. Once adopted, follow the turtles they are tracking by satellite. Plus, teens may be interested in opportunities to volunteer in Costa Rica or Panama as a research assistant. The STC has done this important work for more than 50 years.
Why not Adopt-A-Manatee for just $25? Save the Manatee was co-founded by the late Jimmy Buffett, singer, songwriter, marine life activist and hotel owner, who championed their cause. STM also promotes sustainable and eco-tourism events around central Florida. At many of their programs, see the creatures up close. You may even meet your adoptee.
Washington state’s Adopt-an-Orca program is run by the Whale Museum in Friday Harbor, San Juan Islands. Select the Orca of your choosing from the three pods living offshore. Invest $50 and up per year to find out how they’re doing and learn much more about this unusual breed. Contributors get a free yearlong membership to the museum and 10% off at their gift shop.
Support People’s Lives with Gifts that Give Back
Support nonprofit groups whose work represents an incredible give back gift for all ages. Recipients say that even a greeting card with a powerful story is well worth receiving.
Oxfam America is a nonprofit organization committed to ending the injustice of poverty. At Oxfam, make a donation to fund the purchase of any number of items. Your $60 gift trains a local volunteer to be a community health care worker. Fund the construction of an emergency toilet for $250 or give $510 towards a cash-for-work program for six months. Recipients receive an e-card describing the contribution.
Heifer International is charitable organization that donates livestock, poultry, agricultural products and more to support people around the world. Their online holiday marketplace is also full of hand-crafted ornaments and toys (from $15) and sustainably farmed items. Hear moving stories about donated heifers ($500) that helped families build new houses, a goat ($120) that provided warm milk for children, and a flock of chickens ($20) that fed them. Partial contributions from $10 and up are pooled with others to fulfill these needed gift items and to support educational programs in lesser developed regions.
Kids to Kids Direct Giving
Help your child give a gift to another child through Save the Children, for an incredible bonding moment. Choose from an online catalogue of ‘gifts’ ranging from $15 (one soccer ball) and up. Hospital essentials, for example, include sterilization materials, cleaning supplies, blankets and fuel for generators. This charity lets you focus your donations on relief and emergency funding, at home or overseas.
Support many other worthwhile groups in person by signing up your family for a volunteer vacation next year. Read our “How to Volunteer” guide before planning that special trip.
Give Back Sites & Auctions for Good
To raise money for a variety of causes, upcoming projects, and non-profits, the online auctioneers at Bidding For Good can’t be beat. Schools, youth groups and other non-profits use their Commerce for Charity system to upload donated Major League Baseball tickets, Paris walking tours, collectible Barbie dolls or Amazon gift cards so everyone can take part in the worthwhile bidding process.
Want to give back with your child through a family donation? Among many sites out there, the educator-founded DonorsChoose.org allows families to pick what type of school project, field trip, sports team, activity or need they want to support. Search together through the collection of actual requests made by teachers around the United States.
Don’t use this holiday to give another unwanted gift that will soon be forgotten. Instead, help a good cause and let your child (or your nanny, or your neighbor, or your boss) take part in a kinder world.
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
3 Replies to “Give Back Gifts that Give Back and Help Others”
Comment on this article
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
One of the most expensive parts of the trip is the accomodations. Our family has a timeshare in Williamsburg and we get discounts on our maintenance for recommending others to stay for 3 nights at one of their 2 bedroom apartment with kitchen & take a 90 minute tour. The accomodations are great & free after you set your watch and listen for 90 minutes. Our link is on craigslist: http://raleigh.craigslist.org/vac/2518503559.html
NOTE: Yo u DON"T have to or want to buy into a timeshare, but if you do, you have 3 days to back out of it with no penalty. If you really are interested in buying, there are many foreclosures online that you can find.
After reading your post, I really feel you are truthfully experienced in explaining this. I was looking for more information about Dog Friendly Hotels, turns out I found it in your post. This post is helpful. I wait for your next update, Thanks
Bangor Maine 1 week road trip any suggestions on where to go from there. Some hiking some leisure and to the coast
We just published this great article about a road trip that starts in Bangor Maine and works its way up through New England to New Brunswick in Canada. There are a lot of things to see, and lots of activities that might interest your kids, with stops for hiking and swimming and offbeat museums.
check it out: https://myfamilytravels.com/content/47397-two-nation-road-trip-maine-new-brunswick
Awesome Story
KEEP IT UP
I looked all over google for it!! Thanks for the info..pfff! 🙂
It was an awesome story
Keep it up!!
Patricia Leal- This was a great experience in my life as a whole becuase as a young student, this helped me shape my life an become who I am today.
this is really good to know, as Im really affected by this "Solo Parents, Grandparents and Guardians can satisfy legal requirements before crossing international borders with these Permission to Travel And Consent forms.
regards by
Tenant Screening –
http://www.rentalprotectionagency.com/tenant-screening.php
The content of your article is realy very attractive, if some one likes to play with snow then this is the right place to enjoy holiday with family or alone specially for children ,most of the children like to play with snow & this is a beautiful place gifted by nature.
Regards,
http://www.shockgarden.com/activities-snowboard.html — helmets snowboard
I am completely agree with your views.Traveling by bicycle is a fantastic way to see Europe, which has a bicycle friendly culture.
Regards, padded shorts
This trip definitely sparked my ambition in life. Enjoy reading!
Good info. Luckily, I reach on your website by accidentally, I bookmarked it.
Regards
Hope you enjoy my story about my favorite family vacation!
I am sharing this with my spouse. Maybe this will get him interested with me again. Things have been a little boring lately, hopefully this will change that.
http://www.newportsliprentals.com
I’m impressed. Very informative and trustworthy blog does exactly what it sets out to do. I’ll bookmark your weblog for future use.
Reign http://www.joeydavila.com
What should the letter of consent say if I, a single parent, am taking my daughter to Germany, but then crossing other borders into bordering countries on our vacation? I may not know specifically what other countries we will be visiting until we get into Europe (we are staying with friends in Germany and they will be taking us around Europe for a bit).
It's best to be as specific as possible, because these letters include the dates and destinations for your trip. We would suggest that you note the full date range (from… to ….. and make it a bit longer just in case), then you put down as many countries as you think are possible. List Germany and all the contiguous countries and add a few more, better more than not mentioning one you will visit.
Also, you should carry 2 notarized copies of the Permission to Travel Letter (put one with your passport to show at Immigration and flight check-in; keep the 2nd one in the child's luggage in case you lose one or an Immigration official wants to keep it). Enjoy your trip!
Great travel guide and form description for new travelers.. helps a ton..
The eco-friendly vacations are really innovative thought! I have not heard such type of vacations before. Thanks for sharing.
http://www.paradiseresort.in – Hotels in alibaug
Thanks for sharing the information.I think this place can be plays a perfect
holiday destination role. I will discuss with my friends and make a plan to visit there….
http://www.adventuresboatrentals.com – Cruises Newport Beach
You can not even being imagine how i am happy to know this..Definately I will go there with my family in comming summer vacatin holiday. and ai will enjoy with my family and childs. thanks of lot for let me know this….
Excellent blog! I definitely love how it’s easy on my eyes as well as the facts are well written. I am wondering how I might be notified whenever a new post has been made. I have subscribed to your rss feed which need to do the trick! Have a nice day!
I just turned 16 and am a make-a-wish kid. I am SO excited!!! I have dealt with a primary immune deficiancy my whole life, been a "lab rat", been on Death's doorstep so many times that I know he hates it when you ring the doorbell and run, and (because of missing so much school when I was young) have a harder time getting along with kids my own age than those younger/older than me. I get to leave on August 3rd, and will be staying at GKTW in FL whilst going to Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and Seaworld. It feels like a dream, and if it is, DO NOT WAKE ME UP!!!!! I am thanking God daily for all the blessings he has given me; my new sister and her continued health, my fudge-like family (awesome, sweet, and full of nuts, and so much more. B>)
Thanks for posting this Info on GKTW. I haven't found anything like this anywhere else!
Cycling is one of the most popular sports of most of the people. If you are among those you probably need padded shorts to protect your subsequent parts and reduce the level of discomfort by acting as a protective layer between the bike seat and you.
http://www.shockgarden.com/activities-bmx-padded-shorts.html — Padded shorts
Turkey is a land of myth, a cradle of civilizations, a canvas of nature's most aesthetic bounties & a confluence of varied streams of culture. Owing to its favourable position, Turkey is the bridging nation between the East & West (Europe & Asia) & therefore boasts a spicy blend of oriental & modern, splendor & sleekness, which makes diversity its other name. In Turkey every visitor can find something for themselves. The world class cuisine, vibrant cities, warm hospitality, recreational facilities, historical attractions, cultural heritage, over 8000 km's coastline & an unparallel natural beauty make Turkey an irresistible holiday destination for independent or group travelers…
http://www.exclusivetravelturkey.com
excellent article very informative on specially the remedies are very useful to prevent the disease
I love cruising, and I love the Norwegian Epic! I find great Cruise Deals from http://www.cheapcruiseshipdeals.com for ideas – and when I'm ready to book!
It is great to have the opportunity to read a good quality article with useful information on topics that plenty are interested on holiday destination. Its really a nice holiday destination where anybody can relax with natural beauty.
Regards,
http://www.adventuresboatrentals.com – Cruises Newport Beach
San Miguel de Allende is a truly magnificent location, and is becoming a locale of choice for American and Canadian expats. There is a highly developed infrastructure that supports a very large and sophisticated English speaking community here. Culture abounds, and there is extremely active social calendar. There are easily forty or more art galleries in town. The climate is among the best, with warm, dry temperatures year round. Real estate here is among the most beautiful in the world, and your dollar can buy you so much more house than in North America. I lead exciting home buyer trips to San Miguel. Join me on one of these exciting tours to view and buy real estate in San Miguel.
http://www.livinginsanmiguel.com
I think eating more vegetables will be better for health !!!
The road trips are always a good experince. In road trips we not only enjoy holiday destinations but the journey is also an amazing experince. I think the roadtrip with kids teach them various things around them.
http://www.paradiseresort.in — Hotels in alibaug
I know this is an older post, but I just saw it. My kids are 6, 7 and 15 and old pros at road trips. I LOVE road trips and have been known to take "road trip" vacations in which no video games/dvds/electronics are allowed and we pack the tent (to save money on hotels) and just drive to random spots and camp out along the way. If you pack a cooler it can be an affordable vacation if you only pay for gas, food from the supermarket and a few odds and ends. Historic landmarks, national parks, or places like Washington D.C. are full of fun cheap spots to bring the kids! My kids love this and handle being in a car forever very well, we play games, sing, talk, etc. Plus we aren't afraid to take deters and go see things like the worlds biggest chair! It's a bunch of fun!
Sounds like you know how to have fun, and like your kids really get along well. that's the biggest challenge we find in a long trip with a crowded backseat. When everyone starts to 'express' themselves it can get hairy!I love the idea of picking random spots to camp out in. You must be really resourceful!
I love the idea of picking random spots to camp out in. You must be really resourceful!
thanks for sharing your experiences very inspiring!
Kyle —
Great color commentary — and congrats to Ron. Can't wait to see the film (but I guess I'll have to …)
Chris VandenHeuvel
Taking children with you when you travel all over the word can be a hassle. I have had to do it myself on occasion. When my family and I were looking into moving (http://www.angieslist.com/moving/) over seas for work, it became even more difficult getting the documentation together. Though once you have al of the paperwork squared away you can save it again for another time.
Did you know that in a new survey released that Denmark had emerged as the world’s happiest country. you might include this in your itinerary for visiting other countries
I hope that the judges that will be reading this essay will really reconsider to travel to Egypt sometimes in their life.
There are lots of great information.There are so many destinations I’d love to visit.My dream vacation would be to New York.Perhaps the world's top shopping spot, the Big Apple hardly needs an introduction. Fifth Avenue. Madison Avenue. Soho. Times Square. The list of stellar shopping destinations and famous names is almost endless, so pack light and stock up on everything from electronics to vintage clothes while you're there.
The town of Pigeon Forge is great for evening entertainment as it boasts comedy, music, and magic shows, as well as shops and restaurants.
While deciding a family -friendly vacation destination,one has to take in a account each member's preferences and concerns.Do not get confused we will aid your the right way.
Rome is famous in terms of cultural heritage, ancient history, arts and crafts and cuisines. If you are planning to visit Rome click this site http://www.seapyramid.net to get a better idea of what this city actually means.
Tiffannie
http://www.seapyramid.net
My childrens mother gave my 8 and 9 year old daughters to me to raise 2 years ago. She hasn't seen them in 2 years. She wants a 2 week visit with them in another state. I need a form to have her sign to make sure she returns the children to me by a certain date.
if I were you…I would be making the "Mom" come to her children for a visit NOT the other way around. The kids should not be put out by her especially if they havent seen her in 2yrs.
I certainly enjoyed the way you explore your experience and knowledge of the subject! Keep up on it. Thanks for sharing the info
http://theworldcurrentaffairs.blogspot.com — The World Current Affairs
I stayed at http://www.premierinnhotels.co.uk/County-Hall-London-premier-inn-hotels.php — County Hall Premier inn — on my visit to London last month. It was in a great location. Was nothing fancy but I only needed it to sleep and store my things! Thanks for the other reviews, might book at a nice Hotel for one night on my return in September 2011.
It has been an informative article very useful and helpful many people have to face trouble in making passport
Really Northern Florida is lovely place and its Attractions are attracts to people towards it.Everything is very open and very clear explanation of issues. Your website is very useful.
The blog is really informative. The idea of having such wish granting resort for children is appreciating.Those who have children with life threating illness can make their children happy by visiting this. The services the resort provides seems to be very good.
The octopool in the pink shell beach resort and spa is really interesting.It would be really nice experince to visit the resort.
Always bring a small container of new little toys and a little treat for each child to have in the car or on the plane.
We do this with our sons…we purposely get some new toys and treats that fit into a small container so it is easy for them to carry it on their own. The novelty of new little things keeps it fab fresh and fun for them, which keeps it peaceful and happy for my hubby and me. A little bag of crackers or cookies, a small bottle of water, and a few little toys to play with keeps them happy. If we fly, we even try to find some gum that they may not have had before, as it keeps it interesting for them to try something new.
Love reading all of the great tips!
Colleen
@F5th on Twitter and Sunrise Learning Lab is my blog:)
It's best to give kids the best experience they could have in their lives. Great page iNdeed. thanks for sharing.
http://www.averagecostinsurance.com — average insurance
San Antonio has so many fun family places like Seaworld and Six Flags,but dont forget the Lone Star Hall of Horns. My kids loved it.
rsvp cant wait !!!@alongcamemary1
i lik them helpin ppl out wit wat they need to do
I love it when people come together and share opinions, great blog.
Family travel is a great fun.
We shall be judged more by what we do at home than what we preach abroad. What made you want to look up abroad?
Share thoughts here in this site
Christina http://www.bailerbin.com