Really cool donation gifts that give back

Why It's Good:

Of course, giving is this season's greatest reward. But you haven't finished shopping and you still have people on your Nice List to get gifts for. Donation gifts help support great causes and give your friends and loved ones a fun little memento, too.

Why It's Green:

With this list, you can give a gift and do some good for the environment at the same time. Protecting manatees and rainforests, planting carbon-emissions-capturing trees and helping to create more sustainable farming practices are all benefits of these thoughtful gifts.

Where To Get It:

To buy these donations gifts, click on the above product links.

What Gives? Your Gifts Do!

There's something here for the whole cast of characters in your life, from the friend who loves how her farmers' market supports local growers, to the pal who must pet every doggie she encounters. And if it's the thought that counts, these gifts will show that you really care.

For the Wine Drinker or Crystal Collector:
Farm to Table Waterford Crystal Wine Glasses, $25 per glass, $85 for a set of 4
Buy a special edition Waterford Crystal Sauvignon Blanc wine glass (or four) to help support sustainable farming practices and benefit Farm to Table's Grow for Good program.

For the Snow Globe-Trotter:
Save a Snowman, starting at $10 per month
Choose a snowman and adopt him. Your friend will receive his or her snowman's photo, a detailed profile, an official adoption certificate and (our favorite part) a personal letter from the snowman. The Save a Snowman organization works to get kids involved in stopping climate change.

For the Picnicker and Park Lover:
Kimpton's gifts give proceeds to The Trust for Public Land, starting at $18
Call it a two-fer: You get someone a delicious soy candle, a luscious bamboo throw or the cutest yoga mat we've seen—and The Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit that conserves land for parks, community gardens, historic sites and rural lands, gets all the proceeds. That's what we call a gorgeous and green win-win.

For the Tree Devotee:
MokuGift Tree, $1 per tree
Purchase an electronic tree for a friend off this site and an actual live one gets planted. Second Life-rs will especially enjoy this gift, as they get to proudly display a virtual tree-filled island on the online-society website. Even without a Second Life account, however, you and your recipient participate in the United Nations Billion Trees Campaign and can breathe easier knowing that greenhouse-gas-eating seedlings are being planted in Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.

For Anyone Who's Ever "Oooh'd!" Over a Cute, Exotic Animal:
World Wildlife Fund's Adopt an Animal, $50 with plush animal
This year, you can help save a species from extinction by "adopting" an animal that your recipient won't have to clean up after or take for a walk: a stingray, meerkat, panda, puffin or butterfly, among others. You send the recipient an Adoption Gift Certificate and they choose to save any of the many threatened animals, and receive a photo and a stuffed plushie of that most famous symbol of endangered species, a polar bear.

The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund's Adopt a Gorilla, $50 for a baby gorilla
For your prime mate, um, why not give a primate? Adopting a gorilla helps protect the world's remaining 380 critically endangered mountain gorillas by supporting anti-poaching patrols seven days a week. Your gifted one will receive an adoption certificate, a profile, and a year's subscription to the Dian Fossey newsletter. If you double your money, you get a momma and a baby; you can also adopt a great silverback gorilla for $300.

For the Domesticated (Mostly) Animal Lover:
Best Friends Animal Sanctuary Sponsorship, $25
Give the gift of sponsoring a real, live animal that needs a little TLC (and some cash) like a cat, dog, horse or crow. It's not just mountain, island and rainforest species that need love—barnyard and backyard creatures do, too.

For the Adventurer-Hiker:
The Nature Conservancy's Adopt An Acre of Rainforest, $50
Your favorite land rover will receive a photo of the rainforests in Osa Peninsula and a personalized "adoption" certificate. To keep him or her informed of the latest on lands the Conservancy is working to protect, they also get a one-year subscription to award-winning Nature Conservancy magazine.

For Anyone Who Has Too Much Junk (Mail) in the Trunk:
41 Pounds.org Program to Get Rid of Junk Mail, $41
Family and friends will silently thank you every day as they make their daily (much lighter) trip from the mailbox. Your gift curbs tree-cutting, which emits carbon gases, so you're doing your part to fight global warming, too.

For Scuba Divers and Those With Sea Legs:
Oceana's Adopt a Creature, starting from $35
When you adopt an ocean creature for a loved one, your donation helps Oceana protect them and their habitats. Gift recipients receive an official adoption certificate, fact sheets, cookie cutters in your creature's shape and a yummy sugar cookie recipe. Giving has never been so sweet!—Jennifer Prediger