The important gift of charitable giving

When you’re making your holiday shopping list, remember to includethe ultimate gift – giving to charity.

Giving Tuesday means so much more than raising funds on a single day. It’s a global movement created to inspire people to think about all the unique and creative ways we can give to those we love and care about, and, at the same time, to those in need.

So often, we pick up small things — a scarf, some soap, a box of chocolates — to give to those on your holiday list. Maybe it’s something extra for the important people on your list. Perhaps for that hard-to-buy-for person or the one who seems to have everything. Or maybe it’s a gift for a teacher, coach or workmate. These gifts are nice, but may not have much meaning to the recipient, or leave any kind of impression.

This year, many not-for-profits are encouraging you to consider a gift that is unique, impactful and gives back to the important causes in your community and beyond.

Gift idea: Charitable eCard

“For the holidays, you can buy charitable gifts that are memorable, meaningful and make a statement,” said Nicki Lamont Cholfe, director of digital marketing at CanadaHelps, a one-stop online destination where you can donate, fundraise or buy a gift to go towards any one of 86,000 charities on its website.“One great gift is an eCard, where you can donate to a charity on someone’s behalf and have the greeting confirmation sent to the recipient. It’s an excellent way to honour someone on your gift list,” Cholfe said. “As a donor, you can choose the charity, the card design and the personalized message. It’s a perfect instant, last-minute gift idea, one with impact and significance to the recipient, and meaningful to the charity.”

An eCard is an option for those you don’t know well, for someone you know who cares about giving and making an impact, but whose causes you might be unaware of. It’s also a good choice for those not connected to any specific cause or charity, allowing them an opportunity to get started in charitable giving.

As older Canadians are responsible for the bulk of charitable donations in Canada — giving a charity eCard to a young person could kickstart a habit of giving back.

For gift recipients who have a personal connection to a specific cause or charity, Cholfe has another suggestion: “For some of those on your list, consider a charity gift card. The recipient can choose which organization they want to support.”

Like an eCard, the purchaser still chooses the design and the message, but the recipient gets to select the charity most meaningful to them. Again, it allows the recipient an opportunity to connect to a cause.

For the purchaser, the bonus of an eCard or charity gift card is you get the charitable tax receipt — and check to see if your company matches your charitable gifts. Gift cards and eCards also qualify for charitable gift-matching by your employer.

Gift idea: DIY fundraising

There are other interesting and meaningful ways to make a difference with your gift giving. “We’re starting to see people get creative in their giving, which is quite exciting,” Cholfe said. “One way they’re doing this is through charitable fundraisers.”

For example, a daughter might choose to host an online fundraiser in support of cancer research for her dad who recently battled cancer. Or a class could fundraise for an animal charity in honour of their teacher who is an animal lover.

“It’s an incredibly thoughtful gift,” said Cholfe, “because you’re impacting the causes that recipients care about, and really doing something to help set the groundwork for change.”

Gift idea: The gift of time

Another great way to honour someone is to volunteer for their favourite charity. According to CanadaHelps’ 2022 Giving Report, 58 per cent of charities are fully run by volunteers.

“That’s critical for small charities who are facing increasingly difficult circumstances since the pandemic and inflation,” Cholfe said.

“In a recent study, we found that 55 per cent of small charities have seen a decline in volunteers,” she said. “Volunteering is one of the most meaningful and impactful gifts that we can choose to honour people in our lives. It’s a unique way to give back and one that’s heavily needed, especially among small charities and local organizations.”