‘Tis the season…for gift guides! And what kind of blog would this be if we didn’t jump into the fray with our recommendations for your end-of-year gifts?
Since I’m not a shopper who likes to dig through a ton of options (TJ Maxx gives me a headache), I’m limiting my gift guide to two carefully-chosen suggestions – and of course, they both hit the sweet spot where travel and philanthropy meet.
Give the gift of travel! We all understand the power of travel to transform our lives. And we know that a passport is our ticket to the world. But a lot of young people can’t afford a passport, much less a trip abroad. The Passport Party Project helps underserved girls get passports and take their first international trip. Now that’s a gift. You can read about The Passport Party Project here.
Give the gift of health! Global health philanthropy is the core of Mockingbird’s mission. We’re still working on selecting the local health projects that will become the beneficiaries of our tours, but fortunately, there’s no shortage of worthy global health programs to support. Or perhaps a little unfortunately – because how do you choose? I appreciate GiveWell’s evidence-based, unbiased approach to rating charities, and I particularly appreciate that their top three charities are health-related. Their #1 choice is the Against Malaria Foundation, which distributes bed nets in sub-Saharan Africa. Even though malaria is preventable and treatable, it still kills more than 1 million people (mostly children) every year; insecticide-treated bed nets can help reduce the incidence of malaria and child mortality. You can read more about the GiveWell recommendations, and donate directly through their website, here.
Regrettably, this gift guide isn’t going to help you find a present for Aunt Sally, but while you’re shopping for the family, don’t forget a gift for the world. A well-chosen gift can make a world of difference in someone’s life.