Ethical Christmas Gifts Top List
18 December 2012 at 9:40 am
Not for Profits are once again offering Australians the opportunity to give an ethical gift to their friends and family this holiday season, with almost two thirds of women preferring a gift given to a child in need instead of receiving one for themselves, according to a new report.
And Pro Bono Australia is excited to present its annual Ethical Guide to Christmas 2012.
The Oxfam Australia survey of 1000 respondents revealed nearly a third of women gave their unwanted presents to people they knew (29%), a quarter either sold their unwanted presents online after Christmas (12%) or stored them out of sight (12%) and almost half donated them to charity (46%).
The ‘Oxfam Unwrapped’ range of gifts caters for the these Australians.
“Giving a goat or a donkey is more memorable than your usual socks or jocks and you never have to worry about your gift being unwanted,” Oxfam Australia spokesperson Victoria Schladetsch said.
“All of our Unwrapped gifts are real items that help transform the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable people living in extreme poverty.”
| Photo: World Vision Australia |
According to World Vision Australia, giving the gift of a chicken was the number one option for Aussies from the World Vision Australia online catalogue.
World Vision Australia Head of Marketing Anne Stout said there are a range of reasons why chickens are such a popular gift.
“I think a lot of Australians understand the value of farming animals like chickens and the benefits they can bring to communities and households. We know last year Australians also favoured pencils for schools, ducks, goats and school materials.
“Apart from having an incredibly cute picture card to put on the mantelpiece, at $10 chickens are a very affordable gift that can provide children and families with a good source of protein and income,” Stout said.
Similarly, UNICEF Inspired Gifts are delivered to the children who need it most. The gifts include polio vaccines, nutritional health supplements, educational tools, baby weigh scales, water pumps, bicycles for UNICEF field and community workers, emergency shelter and vital community infrastructure.
| Photo: UNICEF Australia |
According to UNICEF, when an Inspired Gift is bought a gift card is sent to the intended recipient, outlining what has been sent to the field and how it’s destined to help children in need.
World Vision Australia chief executive Tim Costello said he was hopeful in 2012 that consumers would follow the growing trend of charity giving experienced last Christmas.
“Last year people around the nation purchased more than 282,587 World Vision Gifts that benefited communities in need in countries including Uganda, Ethiopia, Somalia, India, and Cambodia,” Costello said.
“I am hopeful that Christmas 2012 will see even more children and families around the world benefit from the generosity of Australians.”
| Photo: Social Traders |
The Ethical Giving Guide contains an example of what Australian Not for Profit organisations are doing this Christmas, whether it be offering ethically-sourced gifts and cards with proceeds benefiting worthy causes, or running Christmas appeals to benefit people at risk this festive season.
Or you can visit Pro Bono Australia’s ‘Guide to Giving’, which features more than 600 Not for Profit organisations. Alternatively check out the Social Traders Good Gift Christmas Catalogue.
There are 12 different gifts to choose from on the following pages. When you purchase a Joyspreader Charity Gift you will receive a matching Christmas Gift Card to give to your friend or loved one. The card describes the Joyspreader Charity Gift you selected and how it helps Aussie kids in need.When you choose one of the Joyspreader Charity Gifts, it's like giving two gifts in one.
| Photo: The Smith Family |
When you purchase a Charity Gift from the Joyspreader range, the money is used as a funding contribution to the programs your gift item represents.
These are real education programs and resources which support disadvantaged young Australians to create better futures for themselves. You'll be helping a child in need PLUS the person you are buying the gift for will know that their gift will make a real difference to a child's life.
With over 200 gift ideas from social enterprises, the Good Gift Christmas Catalogue can make your Christmas shopping easier and better this year. Give a gift that gives good.
Use the Good Gift Catalogue to find the perfect Kris Kringle.
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When you buy a Caritas Global Gift, this is love and compassion in action. Your gift helps our life changing work around the world. Caritas helps people to help themselves by working in partnership with them.
By sharing a Global Gift with a loved one, you will help spread the message that together as one global family we can make the world a better place.
Your purchase of a specific gift is representative of the type of community development work done by Caritas Australia’s projects.
Buying your Christmas gifts through the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre catalogue will make a difference to the lives of some of our community’s most vulnerable people.
100% of all proceeds will help us provide direct, critical services to asylum seekers. Click here to view the catalogue ranging from christmas cards to soaps and candles, to catering to childrens gifts.
You can order catalogue items from the ASRC online shop www.asrconline.com or by filling in the order form at the back of the catalogue. Orders may be faxed to 03 9326 5199, emailed to fundraising@asrc.org.au.
UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency
UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, provides and coordinates international relief for refugees and displaced people, offering them protection and assistance at every stage of their ordeal.
As well as providing emergency shelter, food, water and medical care, UNHCR strives to improve refugees’ quality of life and future opportunities, providing infrastructure, schools and income generating projects in established refugee camps and communities.
At least 75% of all funds go directly to the field.
They're asking Australians to join together and do something special – to buy an emergency survival gift for a refugee family and help us create the biggest relief package the world has ever seen.
Your gifts could save the life of a refugee family in crisis, so please give generously.
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We use your donation to support projects around the world that help to improve the lives of children, families and communities in need. Each World Vision gift is representative of the meaningful activities that your donation will support, such as education and training programs for children and adults or emergency relief during natural disasters.
Items in this catalogue fall into different categories such as agriculture and environment. The amount we receive for the item you purchase will be allocated towards our work in that category. Should we receive contributions in excess of the needs in a particular category, we will use the excess in other categories represented by gift items in this catalogue.
Gifts range from $5 school pencils to clean water for a community for $1000 +.
Click here to view the entire catalogue.
TEAR Australia is a Christian development, relief and advocacy organisation responding to global poverty and injustice
Every item in TEAR's Gift Catalogue represents a contribution to a long-term poverty-fighting project run by one of TEAR Australia's Christian partners. Each project is tailored to that community's needs, helping people gain the skills and resources they need to address local problems and come up with sustainable solutions.
Starlight Children’s Foundation
Starlight’s Mission is to raise $1 million to grant 154 Starlight wishes to sick children this Christmas.
Donations can include providing art and craft activities for a hospitalised child. $20 provides fun arts and crafts for a child to express their creativity in the Starlight Express Room.
See examples of what your donation to a Starlight Wish can achieve here.
Stuck on gift ideas? For $209 you can buy five baby chicks for a poor family in Cambodia and for $49 you can feed a family of seven for a month in West Africa.
You can create a personalised gift certificate to send to your friends or family and make a real impact as your gift goes directly to benefit communities that need it. Perfect for the gift for the person who has everything. Why not give a gift of hope this holiday season?
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