Christmas Gifts for the Person who has Everthing

Only 4 sleeps until Christmas - and if you are still frantically searching for the perfect gift for that someone on your list that already has everything, then take a look at these great sites where you can support a worthy cause in their name, or send a gift certificate so they can choose how they donate.

• If you're buying for a passionate entrepreneur, you can't go past a gift certificate from Kiva, or Micro.  They can help finance a loan for hard working people in developing countries.
  
  
• Vittana works with microfinance organisations around the world to develop student loan programmes that allow the recipients to finish their studies and get their degrees.  If your loved one is someone who truly appreciates the value of their education, or has gone back to University to advance their career, or gets a bit misty eyed remembering back to their Uni days, why not give them a Vittana Gift certificate!
  
  
• On their website, Microfundo state that their "mission is to connect people through music & ensure that musicians earn a living from their art."  They have applied the microfinancing model to the independent music industry - and the result is a great way to support some fabulous artists from around the world.  So, if you need a great gift for a music lover who has it all, buy a them a membership at Microfundo.  As a member they will get exclusive access to hundreds of FREE live album downloads as they are produced - a ton of great new music, discounts and first access to ticket sales for live events, direct participation in creating the healthiest, most vibrant and prolific music scene you can imagine, and the satisfaction of helping artists from around the world earn a sustainable living from their art.
  
  
• Do you know someone that appreciates practical gifts, but really doesn't need anything more themselves? Heifer International, Oxfam, and Cool Earth offer meaningful gifts of real items that people living in poverty need to change their lives for the better.
• Need a present for a treehugger?  What better than a tree! 
  Mokugift supports the UNEP's Billion Trees Campaign - you can give a tree for only $1 and choose where in the world it will be planted.  The Nature Conservancy will plant a tree in their name in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil when you buy a gift tree from their  Plant a Billion campaign - trees are only $1 and you can choose how many you plant.  Or, you could gift them a tree (or two) in the Amazon with the 12 Trees of Christmas campaign at Cool Earth for only £1 each!
  
  
• Not sure where their passion lies?  Send them a gift certificate from Ammado or GlobalGiving.  They can choose from a wide array of projects from all over the world.
  

Image via Wikipedia

1% Can Change the World

It doesn't take a lot to change the world. With as little as 1% of your yearly income you could help end global poverty or reverse the environmental impact of consumerism. For most of us, giving just $1 out of every $100 we earn won't make a noticeable difference to our own standard of living, but when put together with the donations of others our $1 can truly change the world!

My 1 Percent is a community that exists to help individuals reverse their environmental impact and save the planet. It is launching this month, October 2009, and will help you donate a portion of your yearly income to a network of environmentally focused non-profit organisations.

One of the features of My 1 Percent that I really love is that you can set yourself an annual donation goal and track your progress against it. You can make one off donations or set up recurring donations - which will make achieving your annual goal easier.

Sign up for updates and join the My 1 Percent community when it launches this month!

Become a Hope Monger

A surefire way to end global poverty is for everyone in the developed world to give MORE. The great thing about Microgiving is that it enables even those of us with modest means to contribute and make a difference.

Today, Oct 5th 2009, Hopemongers launched a micro-giving community that empowers anyone with $10 to make a lasting difference in the lives of the world’s poor. Unlike some similar sites, the organisation charges nothing for its micro-giving services - so 100% of your donation goes to the organisations that partner with Hopemongers to effect real change for people in need.

The HopeMongers micro-giving community connects online donors with specific community projects around the world. You can fund as little as $10 to individual projects such as drilling water wells, building schools, or establishing orphan community care points.

Using social media technology that connects to Facebook, Twitter and mySpace, you can share projects and invite others to join you in the giving initiative. Special community “Cooperatives” on HopeMonger.org allow you to share you passion with other like-minded folk around the world.

Head on over to Hopemongers now. Find a project. Give $10. See the impact!

MicroGiving Monday: Blog for a Cure

Hi, my name is Lani. I am a stay at home mom of 22-month old triplets, and Meg was kind enough to let me take over her blog for a day, so I could share some news with you about an event called Blog For A Cure.

I have recently signed up for Team In Training, a fundraising program in which participants train for their first marathon, while raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I am doing this in honor of my sister-in-law, who is currently battling non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. She is 35 years old, and has a beautiful 7 year old daughter. When someone close to you is diagnosed with a devastating disease, it’s easy to feel helpless. Instead of sitting by, and hoping for a cure, I have decided to use the resources I have: time, the internet, and the support of the great bloggers in the world to help make a difference.

On Monday, Sept 28- Saturday Oct 3, 2009, Who Knew? Reviews will be hosting the first Annual Blog For A Cure, which is a new way to use social media to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, while making new connections and broadening our social media network.

It’s pretty simple:

• On September 28th, head over to Who Knew? Reviews, and click on the button to donate $1.00 to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. If you can donate more, feel free to do so, but the minimum to participate is $1.00. The first dollar will earn you 1 entry into each individual contest that you leave a comment on. Each dollar after that, will equal another entry to win one of the contests. For example, if you donate $10, you will have one entry each giveaway, plus 9 more to “spend” as you please on the other prizes. New prizes will be revealed every two hours.
• If you are interested in gaining new followers for your blog, sign in to Mr. Linky which will be active on the blog at midnight, Sept. 28.
• Cruise the list of other participants, visiting a minimum of 5 blogs.
• Click “follow” when you get to those blogs. For each new blog follower that you get, return the “follow”. Feel free to visit and follow each and every other participant that signs in to Mr. Linky- think how many new followers you will receive!
• Feel free to check back all week long to meet new bloggers, enter new contests, and gain new followers!
• On September 28th, or later in the week, about the Blog For A Cure Blog Party on your own blog, including the link: www.whoknewreviews.blogspot.com. Feel free to copy and paste this text, and encourage all of your blog readers to do the same.

If you do not want to donate, you can still help by blogging, tweeting, and posting on Facebook about this event, to help us spread the word and raise as much money as possible. Just imagine what a difference we could all make, if we all just donated ONE dollar.

Just think about it.

Oh, and the PRIZES!! Every 2 hours throughout M-Th, I will post a new giveaway on Who Knew? Reviews. Winners will receive prizes from Kolcraft, StephieMc Designs, La Plates, Orglamix mineral makeup, Krizzy Designs, and Boojiboo Aprons, Passion Moon Potions, Silver Mermaid Jewelry as well as many other prizes. Winners will be announced on Monday, October 5^th on Who Knew? Reviews.

There will also be a prize for the person who refers the most participants. When you get to the main link-up post, leave a comment on the post with Mr. Linky, with the name of the blogger who told you about the blog party (in this case-Meg!). The blogger who refers the most participants will receive a special, personalized gift from Stephie Mc Designs. If you are interested in promoting your business or blog, and would like to sponsor a prize, please contact me at lanik58@yahoo.com.

Grab the button below to start spreading the word about this event!

Let’s do something- together- to make a difference.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns, and thank you for your support!