M.a.D Monday:GlobalGiving Gift Cards-They’ll Make You Feel Good

Wouldn’t Giving Be a Better Gift?

Old clothes, an old car, generic groceries, tight holiday budgets: these are all results of our financial situation over the last five years and the list goes on and on. Yet, while some of these things are admittedly difficult to handle sometimes, the thing that has really gotten me over the years is that I never seem to have enough money to give away.

I know, that sounds crazy, but even in our tightened financial times, I always hear, see and know of people and organizations who need things more than I and it kills me when I can’t give more. For this reason I’ve loved  the rise in popularity of microfinance projects over the years because they have allowed me to be able to give a little and still feel like I’m making a difference. Also, as an entrepreneur, I know how difficult raising money can be, so I love that these organizations allow everyone access to funding they might not get through traditional means. That means, if an idea is good, it has a chance to survive.

GlobalGiving, is one of these amazing sites. According to their site, “GlobalGiving is a charity fundraising website that gives social entrepreneurs and nonprofits from anywhere in the world a chance to raise the money that they need to improve their communities. Select the projects you want to support, make a tax-deductible contribution, and you’ll get email updates from the project so you can see how your gift is making a difference.” 

And (this is my favorite part)

GlobalGiving enables you to fund the underdog. (I love an underdog!) We help nonprofits access new sources of funds for creative ideas and projects that might never be funded through traditional structures and development and philanthropy approaches.

And (always the pragmatic one-this is my 2nd favorite part)

But just because you can fund the underdog, doesn’t mean you’re taking undue risk. We have a tested due diligence process, and make sure donors get feedback about how their contributions have been put to work and the results achieved – with satisfaction guaranteed.

How great is that? The best part is that not only can you go to the GlobalGiving site and give yourself but now you can buy Gift Cards so other people you love can get in on the action.  What the heck does that mean, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you. Are you wondering what to get your Great Aunt Sally who has everything? How about your socially conscious babysitter? You know the one who has the Prada bag and spent a semester in Africa working with kids with AIDS?  GlobalGiving has your answer. You can buy Aunt Sally and your adorable hipster babysitter gift cards this holiday season and they can then go help animals displaced by hurricanes or educate girls in Mexico, whatever makes them happy!

You’re not only giving them a gift they’ll love, but you are all helping make the world a better place simply by giving. You can purchase with visa/mastercard or paypal for the tax deductible donation. You can choose to send an e-card or download a print at home card, or, if you’re recipient is a little more retro, you can buy physical gift cards that will ship for free. Of course, they’re biodegradable so you don’t need to feel guilty for the plastic. The denominations can be anything from ten to ten-thousand dollars. That’s a lot of giving.

And just like any gift card, your recipients spends it on any project(s) they choose.

I can’t wait to ask Santa for some GlobalGiving Gift Cards. I got a lot of world saving to do!  If you want to get in on the giving, use this link to purchase your GlobalGiving Gift cards. It has a special code to track this website to see how many people I send there. If we send the most, we get $500 to donate and $500 in gift cards to give to you guys! Also, there is the satisfaction of winning, which I find a bit intoxicating. Please, don’t judge.