We can all agree that giving to charities is a good thing. The hard work that charities do results in countless worthy causes receiving much-needed support. However, that doesn’t mean a charitable donation is an ideal gift for everyone.
What does the recipient want?
If the recipient directly asked for no gifts and for people to donate, your answer is easy! The recipient has made the decision to donate an easy one by telling you that this is what they want. Typically, in this situation, the recipient will request that you donate to their chosen charity. Simply donate and then give the recipient a card that shares that you donated.
Recipient’s connection to the charity
If you decide to donate on the recipient’s behalf without their direction, you will need to choose the right charity. For the donation to have meaning, you should choose a charity they actively support. Perhaps they regularly volunteer somewhere that you can donate to. Or there could be a cause that they are passionate about. Be careful when choosing, as supporting causes can be very personal. You don’t want to offend or insult the recipient by choosing the wrong charity. In addition, many people think a charitable donation as a gift is the lazy way out because the giver doesn’t have to think about what gift to buy. Donating to a charity with which the recipient has a direct connection can help combat this.
Consider still getting a token gift
Try pairing your donation with the token gift. The majority of your gift-giving budget will go towards charitable donation. Then, use a small portion of your budget to buy a small token or symbolic gift. This approach alleviates the common disappointment felt when someone receives a “donated on your behalf” gift.
Giving a small gift in addition to the donation can help overcome the common assumption that you are trying to be cheap. Many people assume that a donation gift means the giver didn’t want to spend any money on a gift, so they gave a few dollars to a charity. There is also the issue that the donation doesn’t directly benefit the recipient. A small gift can directly benefit the recipient in some way.
Shop the charity
Some charities understand that people want to support them but don’t want to just hand over money. To address this, they have online stores where you can buy items. Instead of donating as a gift, why not shop at the charity’s donation shop? This option benefits everyone: the charity receives support, and the recipient receives a present.
Donate and give a gift
Take the guesswork out of gift-giving when everyone has an online wish list. When your friends and family have online gift wish lists, you no longer struggle to choose the perfect gift. Anything can be added to the list, like items sold in a charity store. That way, you could support a recipient’s charity while giving them a present you know they’ll love.
Make sharing your wish list easier with a virtual one by creating an account on giftster.com.
The post Is it okay to give a charitable donation as a gift on behalf of someone else? appeared first on Giftster and was written by Giftster.
