Tribute Donations

Finding meaningful gifts is often challenging. What do you get your loved one that seemingly has it all or never tells you what they want? Tribute gifts are a great solution. You can support a cause that aligns with a friend or family member’s passions for the perfect present.

Meaningful and Great for Last-Minute Shopping

Maybe you are like me. 

You are notoriously a great gift giver… but you also wait until the last minute sometimes.

You just have to wait until you are absolutely sure you are getting the perfect gift, right?

Well, let me ask you a question. Have you ever made a tribute donation in a loved one's name as a holiday gift? 

I have, and let me tell you, it not only was well received, but it also made me walk around with that warm glow, knowing I helped support an important cause during a critical time of the year for many charities.

Last year, for the first time, I used Charity Navigator’s advanced search to find highly rated charities that aligned with causes my loved ones care about and then used Charity Navigator’s Giving Basket to make tribute donations in their names.

The Elephant Sanctuary for a niece.

American Red Cross for my brother.

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art for my sister-in-law. 

… and the list goes on.

Mind you, I made all of these donations on Christmas morning, which is technically last minute, but also right on the minute!

Whenever you add all of the tax-deductible tribute donations and details to your Giving Basket and checkout, just like an online shopping cart. Very shortly thereafter, Charity Navigator sends the tribute gift notification emails to whichever email addresses you provided for your loved ones.

If you want these gifts to be delivered in person, simply input your email instead of theirs for the tribute gift notification email, print it out, and stick it in a card (with hope that a smile on their face will soon be there).

Tribute gifts work for the holiday season, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, or any time a gift is needed. It’s a win-win.

This content was contributed by Kyle Gardner CFRE, Charity Navigator’s Director of Direct Response. Kyle oversees our mass fundraising campaigns. He is a political news junkie, enjoys all things basketball, and is a proud Kansas Jayhawk. Kyle is passionate about Charity Navigator because he believes that philanthropists of all sizes are truly incredible people and deserve independent, no-cost resources like our charity ratings, giving tips, Hot Topics lists, impact information, and advisories.