That's a great idea. I've been doing that for extended family for the past two Christmases and I'm doing it again this year. In 2004 I donated to Child's Play, and in 2005 I donated to the Heifer Project. I'll do Heifer again this year, but now that I see that Child's Play is working with the Denver Children's Hospital, I may make a personal donation.
Madre actually has pretty low overhead. They aren't a 4-star charity, but the rule of thumb is that a charity should spend no more than 25% of their funds on administrative costs. Just because they send you marketing materials, doesn't mean that they spend a ton of money on that. In fact, larger organizations often have lower overhead than smaller grassroots ones. You can always check on Charity Navigator to see if your charity of choice spends your money wisely. I encourage everyone to check up on their charities before giving.
My family has given to Heifer International in my honor twice, and each time they also wrapped up a little keepsake present of the animal being given (a stuffed llama and a mug with a bee on it). It's nice to have a reminder of the gift, and if the person you're giving to is expecting a thing, then it will meet that expectation.
Great idea. For the last few years I've been giving in the name of my immediately family (parents and sister), but only as part of their gifts, not all of it.
The unfortunate thing is that most of the relatives who I never know what to buy for and end up giving useless junk to-- are exactly the kind of folks who'd be confused and slightly offended by getting a donation in their name instead of an object. Sigh...
What a wonderful idea! My sisters and I were just discussing this recently. I think this is a great idea and one that is really meaningful, too!
I do the same process but with a difference charity. I find it works great and in most cases, the thinking is most appreciated.
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