This post marks the last of my gift guides (see the rest here), and it is my favorite.  I think giving back and donating to charity is something we should do throughout the year, but is even more important during the holidays.  Credit goes to my friend Sonia for this post, as her fantastic charity gift guide was incredibly helpful for me last year. As you give your friends and family presents, consider giving them one that gives back to others in need.  Here are some of my favorite products and charities.
1. Â Punjammies benefitting International Princess Project ($35) – Punjammies are made by Indian women rescued from sexual slavery and are rebuilding their lives. They are beautiful products that support an incredible cause.
2.  Girl Up – As a woman raised in the United States, I’m very much aware of the incredible opportunities I’ve had, and most girls around the world do not have access to the same. Girl Up is changing that, with girls helping girls.
3. Â ReSurge International – I had the opportunity to attend this charity’s Transformations Gala last month, and was blown away by the work they do. Bringing medical care and administering reconstructive surgeries (cleft palate repair and burn reconstruction) to areas in need, ReSurge is also one of the most lean charities I’ve seen, with over 90% of their funds going directly to the surgeries and care of patients.
4. Â Empowerment Scarf benefitting Somaly Mam Foundation ($30) – The Somaly Mam Foundation does incredible work, saving women in Southeast Asia trapped in sexual slavery. Show your support with this bold (and festive) scarf.
5. Â Kiva.org – A recommendation from my husband, Kiva allows you to lend to aspiring entrepreneurs around the world working themselves out of poverty. The organization is putting a new spin on the saying “give a man a fish, you’ll feed him for a night; teach a man to fish, and you’ll feed him for the rest of his life.”
6. Â First Book – Literacy is an issue that I feel strongly about, and I love that $50 to First Book gives a child 70 books, or a year of bedtime stories.
7. Â Akshaya Patra – Having witnessed the poverty problem in India, I am a major supporter of Akshaya Patra, which feeds a child for a year for a mere $15. For the cost of a pair of Louboutins, you can feed 50 children for an entire year.
8. Â One Laptop Per Child – I had the opportunity to hear Nicholas Negroponte of OLPC speak, and was impressed at the positive impact his low-cost laptops have had on children around the world. For $199, you can give one of these computers to a child in the developing world – and the chance to change his/her life.
