Gifts that do good

Christmas decorations are appearing around our towns and suburbs, pageants and carols nights are coming up, it's a little over one month until Christmas Day. If you are feeling overwhelmed with the prospect of Christmas gift shopping, here are some ways that you can do it without giving unnecessary and unwanted stuff to your friends and family members - and you can help people who really need it.

Good Gift Catalogue from the Social Enterprise Finder - social enterprises are businesses that trade for community benefit. Check out this gift catalogue of good gifts.

Karma currency - Send charitable Christmas cards to family, friends, staff and customers where the recipient of your card will be able to choose the charities and ethical projects that they would like to support. 

Oxfam - Oxfam work to achieve long term sustainable trading relationships. You can purchase gifts that are hand-made by skilled people and that help their communities too.

Smith Family - when you purchase a gift from the Smith Family Joyspreader range, the money is used as a funding contribution to the programs your gift item represents. These are real education programs and resources that support disadvantaged young Australians to create better futures for themselves.

Tear Australia - every item in TEAR's Gift Catalogue represents a contribution to a long-term poverty-fighting project, each tailored to a community's needs, helping people gain the skills and resources they need to address local problems and come up with sustainable solutions.

Trees for Life - help a local not-for-profit that is revegetating our state and conserving remnant vegetation.

World Vision Australia - choose a meaningful gift for a friend, family member or loved one and make a difference to children, families and communities in need. 

Just Gifts - gifts that create livelihoods, better living conditions, education and work opportunities.

Give Good - UNICEF's range of charity Christmas gifts make a rea difference to children who need it most.