Good sites for socially responsible gifts?

[Muttocracy]

I don't really get into the whole holiday buying thing very much, and I plan to celebrate Buy Nothing Day (Nov 29, http://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd). I tend to try to do activities with my nieces and nephews rather than buying them stuff.

But for times when you want to give a gift, what are good options you use, particularly online, that have some nice social, environmental, or economic aspect? I thought maybe DUers could compile a list or point me to such lists. I seem to remember a friend emailing me a list of places years ago, but maybe that was pro-Dem businesses, or pro-GOP ones to avoid. I also try to buy from local small businesses, and of course those wouldn't make sense on a national list.

I get the daily email reminders from The Animal Rescue Site / The Hunger Site / etc. (all part of GreaterGood.org) where they get charitable contributions in return for your eyes and clicks. It seems like some of the merchants who advertise there do good things, and they have many charitable donations you can give in someone's name as a gift to them.

http://greatergood.org/gtgm.html
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3&link=ctg_ars_home_from_ths_thankyou_sitenav
etc.

What sites do you recommend?

[calimary]

1. Defenders of Wildlife.

Your contributions get you something like the "adopt-a-bear" project that funnels money to polar bear programs - a cute little stuffed bear, a certificate, and information on the polar bear. GREAT for kids, young nieces and nephews, females of all ages. I sent some to women I knew who'd lost favorite pet cats last year, and the response was really heartwarming. And you support the Defenders of Wildlife. World Wildlife Fund offers similar things. Each year you can pick a new animal, with both of these - 'cause there are many endangered species represented and you can get the stuffed animal and documentation for each - so you can, in effect, help start some kid's collection - which is meaningful and fun.

Also, Buzzflash.com has gift offerings that benefit a MOST worthy website (Buzzflash), things like fair trade coffee and chocolates, handmade crafts from native artisans, and terrific, relevant, and timely books and videos galore - many familiar and desirable titles, politics, biography, art, cinema, history, etc.

[Muttocracy]

3. thanks for that list of sites!. I love DoW and need to rejoin them

I let my membership lapse to them and The Nature Conservancy when I was unemployed a few years back.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

11. I did DoW for presents for my mom and sister

[AnnieBW]

20. I got my Yule/Christmas Cards from them

Lots of nice, furry wolves on cards this year. :D I also recommend Heifer.com and Women for Women International for good giving sites.

[Dover]

2. Lots of food pantries need to be stocked. They have taken a big hit.

One could send someone a Kiva financial gift to give away to their entrepreneur of choice.
http://www.kiva.org/

I think they should create a Kiva Loan for U.S. citizens who need a hand up as well.
Particularly in this economic climate when loans/risks seem a thing of the past.

[Muttocracy]

4. Food pantries, yes.

So Kiva is one of those microlending operations? I think those are great.

In the U.S. people can work through http://www.prosper.com/ maybe? I know they work on debt refinancing but maybe it works for business startups too.

[Dover]

8. Micro-lending just getting started in America

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=114x48413

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. Heifer International

you can buy a goat or a flock of chickens....

http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.204586/?msource=kw1149&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=Heifer&utm_campaign=GeneralHoliday

[crispini]

6. I get my dad trees a lot. :)

[catchnrelease]

13. Yes! I love Heifer

My grandkids have chickens and they are responsible for collecting eggs. So I like to buy chickens in each of their names. It's something that they can relate to, other children in the world receiving chickens and taking care of them as they do.

Last year I bought bees in the name of a friend who gardens.

[Papagoose]

21. Heifer is a great charity

I convinced my coworkers to forget about the usual tacky crap we buy our boss for the holidays. This year we bought a Llama in his name. Yesterday we got together and visited a Llama farm, had a group picture taken with the Llama herd that we're all going to sign and present to him in a frame. He has a great sense of humor and will really appreciate this.

[MazeRat7]

7. I generally buy a gift for the person...not to make me feel better about it..

that being said, I do have one hard and fast rule. Buy local from businesses that are locally (or maybe regionally) owned. To me that is the most socially responsible thing I can do. Keep jobs in my community, support small business, and find something "cool" that will not be available in the national chain stores. Good luck with your hunt for that "perfect" gift. ;)

Peace,
MZr7

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. Kiva Gift Certificates - We give them every Xmas - 2 gifts with one.

http://kiva.org/

[soothsayer]

15. yep, i love kiva!

[The Inquisitive]

18. I set up a family profile for Kiva for Christmas this year

I put 200 dollars in it and we're going to discuss who we want to lend it to over Thanksgiving.

[Shallah Kali]

19. I was just reading about microlending through Kiva.org in an old issue of Mother Earth News!

I love gifts like this and those though groups like Heifer Intl as they truly are gifts that keep on giving :)

[Tanuki]

10. There is a lot of info on a variety of good causes here:

http://charitynavigator.org/

[Muttocracy]

12. thanks! maybe that was the one I saw years ago. nt

[Lex]

14. Fair Trade online store (link)

http://www.globalexchangestore.org/

[RushIsRot]

16. I do a lot of my shopping here:

http://evolvefish.com/

[Muttocracy]

17. heard an ad on the radio yesterday, will have to take a look. thanks to you and everyone else

for replies.

[Dukkha]

22. WWF adopt an animal

no, not wrestling adopting out George The Animal Steele.

I'm doing this as a gift for my best friend who had the great privilege of seeing Mountain Gorillas up close in Uganda.

http://www.worldwildlife.org/ogc/index.cfm?sc=AWY0904WC912&CFID=22831938&CFTOKEN=476386e049b7331e-D126263E-DE4F-4CB7-7B954359ED072002

[ColbertWatcher]

23. This is so not fair. I wanted to rec this!

We need to have a page for threads with the most responses.