Alternative Christmas Gifts

If you're still wondering what to give people for Christmas, try an alternative Christmas gift. These come in all different ways.

1. Give a Kiva gift certificate. These can be in amounts between $25 and $10,000. Kiva is a wonderful organization that connects people like me who have some extra money. In April of 2008 I paid $25 to Kiva which has been recycled three times now. This $25 has been used in microloans to small business owners in Peru and then Pakistan. Today I received an e-mail saying the loan had been payed back, and I logged onto Kiva and found another small business owner I wanted to support. Once that person has payed back the money, I will get it back. It's a re-usable gift that helps small business owners across the world.
My Kiva page.

2. Find local non-profits to donate to. For example, the Rainbow Network was a group I was involved with in college. It started in Springfield as a way to help long-term development in Nicaragua. Donate in the name of someone you love.

3. Heifer International is a fun way to find alternative Christmas gifts. You can buy animals in the same of someone you love which go to people living in third world countries as a sustainable resource. For example, you can buy a llama for $150. If that's too much, buy a flock of chicks for $20; or buy a share of a larger animal.

You can impact someone's life incredibly for a very small amount. Please consider buying alternative Christmas gifts for the ones you love.