Gift-giving is more meaningful when you choose one that goes the extra mile

We?ve all heard since childhood that it is more blessed to give than to receive. But here?s a Malcolm Bane quote you may never have heard before: ?If you wait until you can do everything for everybody, instead of something for somebody, you?ll end up not doing nothing for nobody.?

What if you could combine both of these ideas each time you give a gift to a friend, colleague, or family member? Well, you can. Many disease- and healthcare-related charities and nonprofit organizations – like museums – have their own gift lines that not only give you a wide selection of gifts for everyone on your list, but also enable the group to continue making the world a better place.

Where do you find such gifts? A little online research answers that question quite easily.

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First, think about the person for whom you?re choosing the gift. What are his or her particular interests and passions? Next, think about the type(s) of gift that would speak to those interests and passions. Finally, think about the kinds of charities and organizations that might offer such gifts.

Voila! You?re off on a fun online shopping expedition!

Beautiful gifts

If you?re choosing a gift for a woman who enjoys beautiful jewelry, consider a necklace, bracelet, ring, or pin. Don?t forget that men also wear jewelry such as watches and cufflinks. Other beautiful gift ideas include tote bags, scarves, accessory pieces, even sculptures.

Thoughtful gifts

You can?t go wrong giving a book about your recipient?s favorite subject. But have you ever considered giving a specialized cookbook to your gourmet friend or family member who loves to spend time in the kitchen creating sumptuous delights?

Books are particularly appropriate gifts for children of all ages. Whether they?re at the read-me-a-story stage or are budding bookworms on their own, a book is sure to take them on an exciting adventure. By the way, children who love to read also pick up proper sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation by osmosis and these skills will continue to benefit them throughout their lives.

A gift subscription to the magazine published by the charity or organization provides your gift recipient with a full year of pleasure and valued information. He or she is guaranteed to think of you every time the magazine arrives.

What family doesn?t have a collection of old photographs sitting in a box ? or six or 10 boxes ? somewhere waiting to be sorted and put into appropriate albums? A photo album is a very thoughtful gift that?s sure to provide hours of pleasure and memories as the proper pictures are lovingly placed in it. A special picture frame also makes a great gift for a photograph that?s just too precious to go in an album. If you have a co-worker who?s especially fond of his or her kids or pets, such a frame is an inexpensive office gift that?s sure to please.

Practical gifts

Practical is not synonymous with boring or utilitarian. In fact, practical gifts do double duty. They serve their specific functions while giving pleasure and satisfaction to your gift recipients. For instance, what avid sports fan wouldn?t love to have a new hoodie or sweatshirt that proclaims his or her undying allegiance to their favorite team?

If you?re in search of the perfect housewarming gift, consider a digital grilling thermometer or some striking new tableware.

Other practical gifts such as stationery, note cards, travel sets, even colorful refrigerator magnets make inexpensive office gifts that are sure to be greeted with a smile of appreciation.

Unique gifts

Some organizations aren?t charities per se. Instead they are portals for various indigenous peoples or tribesmen to sell their artistic creations at a fair price that provides needed money to support the artisan?s family or the community in general. Such hand-made objects make excellent gifts and give your recipient the pleasure of owning a unique one-of-a-kind work of art.

For that budding artist, consider a set of colored pencils. And for kids of all ages, up to and including mature adults, a model kit is the perfect way to construct a classic ship, car, or even a musical instrument.

Kid-specific gifts

Virtually all charities and organizations that have a gift line offer numerous toys, many of which are appropriate for specific age groups. The array of games, puzzles, coloring books, crafts projects, building blocks, water color sets, and plush animals is practically never-ending and all make great gifts for kids.

Speaking of plush animals, what child wouldn?t love a new teddy bear? Even hard-to-please teenagers like receiving gifts that aren?t always high tech.

Inexpensive gifts

Great gifts come in small packages and aren?t necessarily expensive. Tee-shirts and coffee mugs come immediately to mind, but gifts of other items like hats, caps, and posters are always appreciated. These are usually quite inexpensive and most charities and organizations offer their own line of them.

Online shopping for gifts that benefit good causes is simple, convenient, and very soul-satisfying. You get to choose a lovely gift, your recipient gets to receive a lovely gift, and the charity or organization gets to continue its good works. Everybody wins!