Alternative Giving Organizations

Know your charity before you give!

Read the consumer tips for your state, such as Consumer Tips & Frequently Asked Questions from the Washington Secretary of State. Other sites to research charities are the Better Business Bureau's charity rating site and Charity Navigator. Another such site is GuideStar.org, but they require registration and agreement to a prohibitively long legal document and provide only very limited information for free.

As this list only covers charities that sell alternative gifts, it is only a small fraction of all the wonderful charities out there. If your favorite charity doesn't offer gift cards, you can create one yourself.

Organizations with Global Outreach

Please refer to the legend for explanations. Entries are sorted by the time I became aware of them. Most were added 2007. I have not rechecked all old entries yet.

Organization Program Area of concern IRS % BB Other Kind Style From Notes
Heifer International (on-line shopping)Gift Catalog hunger, caring for the earth c3 75 Meets all of BBB's 20 standards for charity accountability. Click here for their review. Rated 3 stars by CharityNavigator. Click here for their review. sNot reviewed on GuideStar yet. card/encl. P $10 Click here for their gift registry.
Church World Service (on-line shopping)Best Gift Catalog sustainable self-help c3 85 Meets all of BBB's 20 standards for charity accountability. Click here for their review. Rated 4 stars by CharityNavigator. Click here for their review.Not reviewed on GuideStar yet. card/encl. P $10 Click here for their Washington contact information.(gifts not on on-line shopping) cards
Susila Dharma USA 25 programs humanitarian service, sustainability c     Not reviewed on GuideStar yet. card/encl. E $10 Click here for their Washington contact information.
Nonviolent Peaceforce (on-line shopping)Peace Bond human rights, deterring violence c3 78 Meets all of BBB's 20 standards for charity accountability. Click here for their review. Not reviewed on GuideStar yet. certificate P $10  
Eastside Friends Meeting (Quakers) Iraq card project peace -     We endorse this charity. Click here to find out why. card H $2 Click here for their Washington contact information.
Snow Leopard Trust (on-line shopping) Snow Leopard adoption environment, local people c3 92   Rated 4 stars by CharityNavigator (in 2007). Click here for their review.We endorse this charity. Click here to find out why.Not reviewed on GuideStar yet. adoption + P $45 Click here for their Washington contact information. +cards+
Alternative Gifts International (on-line shopping)34 programs! global community - This organization passed donations to other charities. Rated 3 stars by CharityNavigator. Click here for their review. any     Click here for their gift registry.; 20 years
Trees for Life

(on-line shopping)Plant a Tree

empower people; plant fruit trees   80 12 Rated 2 stars by CharityNavigator. Click here for their review.Not reviewed on GuideStar yet. certificate P $10  
Seva Foundation (on-line shopping)Gifts of Service compassion in action c3 79 Meets all of BBB's 20 standards for charity accountability. Click here for their review. Rated 3 stars by CharityNavigator. Click here for their review.Not reviewed on GuideStar yet. card/encl. P $20  
Ten Thousand Villages (on-line shopping)Shop fair trade c3 76 Not reviewed on GuideStar yet. arts&crafts   $1  
National Audubon Society (on-line shopping)gift membership conservation of habitat and wildlife c3 70 Meets all of BBB's 20 standards for charity accountability. Click here for their review. Rated 2 stars by CharityNavigator. Click here for their review.Not reviewed on GuideStar yet. membership   $20 +living tribute
Clear Path International Clear Path gift cards land mine victims c3 87   Not reviewed on GuideStar yet. card/encl.     Click here for their Washington contact information.
GlobalGiving (on-line shopping)grassroots projects helping charities worldwide c? This organization passed donations to other charities. 14 Not reviewed on GuideStar yet. card/encl. + P $35 + gift certificate
Prosthetic Hand Foundation Give a Gift - Give a Hand land mine victims c3?     Not reviewed on GuideStar yet. card   $50  
Partners International (on-line shopping)Harvest of Hope Christian mission c3 81   Not reviewed on GuideStar yet. (certificate)   $6 Click here for their Washington contact information.
Medical Benevolence Foundation (on-line shopping)Alternative Giving International health-related mission c3 80+   Rated 4 stars by CharityNavigator. Click here for their review.Not reviewed on GuideStar yet. card/encl. (sig) P $2  
Agros International (on-line shopping)One Seed Gift Catalog Poverty alleviation c3 71 Meets all of BBB's 20 standards for charity accountability. Click here for their review. Rated 3 stars by CharityNavigator. Click here for their review.Not reviewed on GuideStar yet. (card, self-print) P $25 Click here for their Washington contact information.
TisBest Philanthropy (on-line shopping)Charity Gift Cards meaningful gifts c3 Meets all of BBB's 20 standards for charity accountability. Click here for their review. Not reviewed on GuideStar yet.(+)(+) ID-1 PS $10 Click here for their Washington contact information.
Helping Children Worldwide (on-line shopping)Gift Catalog Endemic poverty c3 92     card/encl. P $5  

Organizations in Washington (WA)

Please refer to the legend for explanations.

Organization Program Area of concern IRS % Other Contact Phone Location ZIP Kind From Notes
 The Whale Museum (on-line shopping)Orca Adoption stewardship of whales -   s     Friday Harbor 98250 adoption package $35  
Church of Mary Magdalene Beauty&Strength homeless women -     Elise 206-621-8474 Seattle 98104 calendar $10  
Tent City   homelessness -   B   206-448-7889     card/encl. $5  

Legend

Organizations and Programs Gifts and Notes
Organization Name of the organization and link to its homepage
Program Name of the program or project. Links in this column often also go to contact information.
(on-line shopping) On-line shopping for alternative gifts
Area Area of concern according to the organization
IRS IRS code - indicates if the organization is a charity or a commercial fundraiser. Links go to government sites, usually to charity profile reports.
c3 501 (c) (3) - charity
c registered charity (probably 501 (c) (3) )
x-r exempt for religious purposes
- Not listed in Washington Database
% Percentage of total expenses that went to program services. (read more ...)
Clearing house that passes a percentage of 85% or more to charities. Percentage that goes to stated goal depends on benefiting charities.
BB Meets the 19 or 20 standards for charity accountability by the Better Business Bureau.
Other Indicates other criteria we verified
(heart) We endorse the organizers. (Click on the heart to see why.)
(4 stars) rating at Charity Navigator; 4 stars is highest  (click on picture for profile)
B We know beneficiaries who are happy with the organization
(+) endorsements or awards by others. (Click on the plus sign for details.)
s We tried out the online store
Not reviewed on GuideStar yet. There is an entry for this organization at guidestar.org
Kind Kind of a typical gift.
card/encl a greeting card with an enclosure (a little piece of paper describing what the donation is for)
self-print print out your own certificate
arts&crafts The category arts&crafts is not exacly within the scope of AlternativeGving.org, but we're including Ten Thousand Villages for their pioneering merits.
ID-1 gift card in ID-1 format like those from store chains.
(certificate) Certificate (or card) on request
+ further kinds available
(sig) If requested, the card will be sent to the donor to personally sign and send.
Style Style of gift.
P Professional; enclosures are printed
E Economical; e.g. a simple photocopy as an enclosure
H Hand made
S Option to self-print
From Price of the cheapest gift
# Package: E.g., cards may be packed in sets of 5. Click on link for details.
Notes Anything that doesn't fit in the other columns
(WA) Program has a contact in Washington state. Currently, this page is focused on Washington; we will be happy to highlight other regions when we find volunteers there, too.
(gifts not on on-line shopping) additional items not available through on-line shopping (available e.g. at fairs)
(registry) This organization provides a gift registry (for such events as weddings)

Information that has not been verified is shown in gray text.

The lists here are only a start. We are happy to extend them - please visit the Get Listed page if you'd like us to include or change the entry for an organization.


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