Charities benefit from online giving.Byline: Susan Palmer The Register-Guard The frenzy of last-minute shopping has officially begun, but there's an easy way to give a great gift without leaving home. More charities than ever have created online holiday gift options. Giving a donation in someone else's name as a holiday gift is a long-standing practice, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. an article published this week in the Chronicle of Philanthropy philanthropy, the spirit of active goodwill toward others as demonstrated in efforts to promote their welfare. The term is often used interchangeably with charity. . For decades, organizations doing good works have been the beneficiaries of our holiday generosity, and nationally, according to the Chronicle, year-end donations are up from 2005. The magazine attributes the trend to a strong economy and stock market gains. Now, with a few mouse clicks, people can make a donation in a friend or family member's name. At Portland-based Mercy Corps Mercy Corps is a non-profit organization engaged in humanitarian aid and development activities. Mercy Corps works amid disasters, conflicts, chronic poverty and instability. Since 1979, Mercy Corps has provided more than $1.3 billion in assistance to people in 100 nations. , for example, online visitors can purchase a Mercy kit in a range of options and prices. A $20 "Kid's Food Kit" will feed a hungry child. A $1,000 Well Kit will help dig a well or provide some other community access to water in a developing country. And there are several other kits in a range of prices providing agricultural, health and educational assistance. Mercy Corps started this giving program in 2002, and each year it raises about $500,000 for the agency, which serves communities recovering from war or social upheaval, spokesman Jeremy Barnicle said. "More and more organizations are giving people an opportunity to give gifts that reflect their values - like Mercy Kits - and the public seems to love the option," he said. The Nature Conservancy Nature Conservancy, nonprofit organization established in 1951 to preserve or aid in the preservation of natural environments. It protects wilderness areas in the United States and Canada and is affiliated with similar groups in Latin America and the Caribbean. , an environmental nonprofit A corporation or an association that conducts business for the benefit of the general public without shareholders and without a profit motive. Nonprofits are also called not-for-profit corporations. Nonprofit corporations are created according to state law. , offers several holiday gift options, including a gift membership; Adopt an Acre, which supports rainforest restoration work; and Rescue the Reef, with the money going to a project creating a series of protected reefs in the Pacific Ocean. Even local nonprofits are getting in on the act. FOOD for Lane County has holiday gift cards that start at $10. The money goes to support the agency's emergency food program. The gift recipient gets the card. The holiday card program is at least four years old and popular with donors, who last year gave $12,190, spokeswoman Terry Kirby Terry Gayle Kirby (born January 20, 1970 in Hampton, Virginia), is a former professional American football player who played ten seasons in the NFL from 1993 to 2002. A 6'1" running back from the University of Virginia, Kirby's best year as a pro came during the 1995 season as a said. A large portion of that money came from a single company that gave the cards to employees in lieu of Instead of; in place of; in substitution of. It does not mean in addition to. a holiday gift basket A gift basket, or fruit basket is typically a gift that is delivered to the recipient at their home or workplace. There are different varieties of gift baskets, some which have fruit only, some with dry/canned goods only (such as tea, crackers and jam) although the standard . While the food bank won't know until January just how much was raised this year, donations so far seem to be on par with last year and may surpass them, Kirby said. Taking a cue from the national nonprofit agencies, they've made the cards available online. But not everyone is crazy about this kind of holiday giving. Terry McDonald Terry McDonald (born June 17, 1955 in Coquitlam, British Columbia) is a former National Hockey League player for the Kansas City Scouts. He played 8 games for the Scouts in the 1975-76 season. External links Terry McDonald's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database , executive director of St. Vincent de Paul Vin·cent de Paul , Saint 1581-1660. French ecclesiastic who founded the Congregation of the Mission (1625) and the Daughters of Charity (1633). of Lane County, said it doesn't connect people the way giving ought to. He prefers his agency's family sponsorship program, where one family helps provide for the needs of another. "I don't object to it, because it encourages charitable giving, but we should also remember that it disassociates us from purpose. ... It's good marketing and we'll be doing it next year, but it doesn't establish community," he said. ONLINE DONATIONS Want to give a gift donation? Here are some online options. Mercy Corps: www.mercycorps.org/mercykits Nature Conservancy: support.nature.org/site/PageServer? pagename=holidaygiving_hgg Food bank: www.foodforlanecounty.org/Action/Donate/ OnlineDonation.html Case Foundation: Has a broad selection of other nonprofit donation options: www.casefoundation.org |
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