Friday, November 20, 2015

This Holiday Season Give The Gift Of Giving

This holiday season, The Dallas Foundation has a gift that’s both convenient and priceless: Giving for Good cards. They’re just like retail gift cards, except the value on the cards can be donated to hundreds of 501(c)(3) nonprofits in the United States.

When you buy Giving for Good cards and distribute them to friends, relatives, colleagues or clients, you’re giving them a chance to experience the joy of supporting a charity they admire. You also experience the joy of receiving a tax deduction for your purchase. This year, The Dallas Foundation is encouraging people to give to local charities as part of the #GivingTuesday movement on December 1.

Created by the 92nd Street Y in New York City in partnership with the United Nations Foundation to counterbalance the post-Thanksgiving shopping frenzies of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday aims to nurture charity and celebrate generosity via social media. Giving for Good cards are a unique means to foster philanthropic giving among others. “Giving for Good cards present a fun and easy gift-giving opportunity for the holiday season,” said Mary Jalonick, president of The Dallas Foundation. “The recipient of the card gets to choose any nonprofit across the country to benefit. The real value goes beyond the dollar figure on the card, though. Their value is encouraging philanthropy.”

Since The Dallas Foundation introduced Giving for Good cards in 2011, they’ve raised more than $350,000 for nonprofits in Dallas County and across the United States. International corporations have ordered them for employees, attorneys and financial advisors have given them to valued clients, and grandmothers have bought them to help teach grandchildren about charity. One family even presented Giving for Good cards to guests at their son’s wedding reception. The Dallas Foundation has created four new holiday-themed card designs this year. Buyers also can choose designs appropriate for birthdays, celebrations or other special events. Businesses can order customized designs that include their company names or logos on the cards. Giving for Good cards can be purchased online at http://www.dallasfoundation.org/AboutUs/GivingforGoodCard/tabid/330/Default.aspxg.