Double Gift Week: Gifts that Give (and a giveaway!)
Happy “Cyber Monday!” Though I have to admit, the most internet shopping I plan to get done to day is the ordering of Christmas cards…
We have had a wonderful start to the holiday season, and I hope it has been so for you, too! Now, it’s time to focus our shopping efforts on our friends and family. As you are going through boutiques, department stores, and endless websites, wouldn’t it be fabulous to know that the gifts that you are buying to make the people you love feel special can also help people in need? Such a find is an easy Double Gift! This week is Camille Maurice’s first ever Double Gift Week, where I will be featuring merchants and brands who give a portion of their sales back to charity.
To celebrate the beginning of this series, there is a fabulous opportunity for new and continuing readers. More deatils on this great giveaway (yes, I said it, giveaway!) in a bit. In the meantime, I want to introduce you to a wonderful website for your holiday shopping: Gifts that Give.
Is there someone on your Christmas list who would love a beautiful Jay Strongwater bracelet or could use some Anna Weatherly china for their entertaining collection? Does a man in your life need some fashionable accessories from Baekgaard by Vera Bradley? Visit Gifts that Give and you can purchase these and more beautiful things, and 20% of you purchase will go to the nonprofit, school, or private foundation of your choice.
Gianna Sea Shells
Estilo Argento Champagne Bucket
Jay Strongwater Breast Cancer Bee Charm Bracelet
This concept is the passion of company CEO Nancy Taylor, who was called to this after years as a vice president for Neiman Marcus and then Di Modolo jewelry. Having spent the formative years of her corporate career at Neiman Marcus when Stanley Marcus was still an active part of the corporation, Nancy was able to see first-hand what a philosophy of giving can do for a company. Combine that with her entrepreneurial spirit (she owned her first fashion retail business when in her 20s) and her passion for philanthropy (she is active with the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and has been honored by the Susan G. Komen Foundation at the Pink Tie Ball) and you get the perfect formula for an online retail store that is a fundraiser’s dream come true.
Gifts that Give CEO, Nancy Taylor
How does this work? After you have made your purchase selections and go to the site’s checkout page, you have the option of selecting a non-profit organization that is already registered with the site from the dropdown menu. If you have an organization in mind that does not appear in the menu you can key in the organization’s name. Once Gifts that Give verifies that the organization is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit, they will register them as a partner and send them your generous donation. On the other side, if an organization is interested in becoming a partner with the website, once they are registered the company gives the organization template choices for letters, emails, and any notifications necessary to let members know about the collaboration. There is almost no work for the director of development of the nonprofit because Gifts that Give does it for the organization. It really is that easy, and everyone feels so good about it!
Now for the juicy news. Camille Maurice is teaming up with Gifts That Give for an opportunity for a lucky reader to win a $200 gift card. Leave a comment telling us what you or your family does during the holiday season to give back to the community. Do you ring bells for the Salvation Army? Donate to a local food bank? Participate in a coat drive? Serve food to the homeless? Give an annual gift to your favorite arts or children’s organization? Leave your story here at Camille Maurice and then head over to Gifts that Give to register with their site, and you will be entered to win! The winner will be announced Wednesday, December 9, 2009 on the blog. I can’t wait to hear your stories! Remember, you must leave a comment here and register with Gifts that Give to be eligible for this contest.
Good luck to you! Happy Holidays!
We adopt a family to help them at Christmas time. We also take goodies around to all our neighbors, friends, teachers, community leaders,etc. to say thank you for all they do!
I registered with Gifts that Give! I am co-coordinator of the Appalachian Helping Hands clothes closet in Greeneville,TN. In November and December we open the Christmas Room for anyone needing a helping hand served through AHH. Participants can select Christmas decotaions, winter cloting (new or gently used), toys, gifts etc. at no cost. Local clubs and churches assemble gift boxes for the children. 2 male volunteers repair bikes that are given to the children. Participants can come both months and this is the way many families have any gifts for Christmas at all. This has been quite a success! We had 96 families last week! The need is great and getting greater! My family gives more to those in need at Christmas than we spend on gifts for each other! No one needing a helping hand is turned away from AHH especially at Christmas! Thanks!
We give to the United Way
I registered.
My family donates food and coats at winter. We also enjoy the secret Santa program and being a Marine Corps family, toys for tots is a must to participate in
I do lots of ‘Santas Angel’ type things to give gifts to families with less
we do a santa angel. we pick a few people in the community that are having a very hard time, and and get new clothing, everything from underwear, and socks to jacket , gloves and a hat. we wrap it all up, and leave it at their door during the night. so that they have presents on X-mas Day. we don’t want thank yous, that is self serving… we just want to make sure that they may feel great for a while, and that people do care.
Before the holidays we round up items to give to the City Rescue Mission. There are several food drives we take part in, also Toys for Tots. It’s nice to have the kids involved, and they are really generous about it.
I have registered.A fantastic idea, thanks.
we volunteer with our church and work homeless shelters, providing clothing and food.
To give back I always help at work with the christmas program to benefit underpriviledged children. This year I also coordinated a fundraiser to benefit the same program
We donate toys, food and clothing to needy families.
Sonya´s last blog ..Kidorable Review and Giveaway
I help out at the local food bank, and this year at thanksgiving a local restaurant teamed up with the local food bank to serve a Thanksgiving meal for all the people in our county could not afford a Thanksgiving meal.I helped with that this year and it just made me so happy to see all the families appreciate that the community wanted to help. I feel so lucky that I have everything I need. Sometimes I think we take advantage of it. I am also giving to the local Santa’s elves there are 1200 kids in my county who needs toys and other things on Christmas Morning.
Heather´s last blog ..Go to the islandlife808 blog to enter a GREAT GIVEAWAY Before MIDNIGHT TONIGHT!
We often help with the soup kitchens at Christmas as well as make stockings for needy children.
We adopt a family at my son’s school. It feels so good to help someone. I love giving back.
We feed the homeless and do Operation Shoebox
we away go shopping for can goods to give
jessca´s last blog ..Lucky day!
We do different things each year but we always do several things. We have adopted kids off trees, adopted a whole family with my girl scout troop, collected toys and clothes for a local orphage through my husband’s boy scout troop, donated food, donated coats, and this wk my teenage son is putting together bags of items to give to needy families with his football team. I also have a soldier I’ve adopted through Soldier’s Angels. A great time of year to remember to share.
We alsways donate to Santa Anonymous – it’s a great program!