The Season of Giving & GiveBack.org

In the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping, baking and party preparations it is important to remember the spirit of the holidays. The spirit of giving can be forgotten under all the tinsel, lights and various red and green decorations. As a mother, it is my job to instill a love of charitable giving with my children. Every year we donate new, unwrapped toys for children in need in our community. Sometimes it is hard to find time to fit this activity into our busy schedule. Luckily I learned about GiveBack.org.

At GiveBack, you can create your own foundation. Then you can easily manage and keep track of your charitable giving all online. Donate or shop at over 400 online stores and up to 15% of your purchases will go directly to your foundation account. Search for any charity registered with the IRS, and rest assured that your entire donation goes directly to the intended recipient. Overhead for GiveBack.org is covered by sponsors.

Did I mention it is easy? It only took a minute to set up my foundation, and then as long as I want to search for charities. There is a wide assortment of charities listed, but I was interested in a very specific type. I did a search for PKU charities, since my children both have Phenylketonuria. It is an inborn error of metabolism that requires lifetime treatment.  I was pleasantly surprised to find:

• National PKU News
• Children's PKU Network

...among many others! PKU is very rare, so I was surprised to find many options listed. I am impressed.

As for the shopping available? Well, it was a great list of shops participating. I found LEGO Shop at Home, where you can earn 2% , and also The Land of Nod where you can earn 5% of your purchase for your foundation. I think this is such a clever and easy way to donate.

And if you are feeling lucky? Share the story behind your created foundation. Did you set it up in honor of anyone in particular? Why are you driven to give? Each week MISSION Co-Founders Steve Nash and Serena Williams will choose one story and award a $1,000 M Award to that member’s foundation. 

I hope you and your family will consider giving back this holiday. If you are looking to donate money, I hope you will take a look at the convenience GiveBack.org has to offer.

*Disclaimer - I am a member of the One2One Network and blogged about GiveBack.org as part of a voluntary campaign. All opinions expressed are my own. By blogging I am eligible to win a BlissDom'11 package in their giveaway. No monetary compensation was received.