It’s important to celebrate major milestones in life. Birthdays, Christmas, baby showers, major anniversaries – they’re lovely moments in life to mark with a sense of occasion. You can also mark the occasion by celebrating a cause you feel is important.

Once you start earning your own money and you’re a few years into your career, it’s usually within your means to buy what you want or need as the desire or requirement arises. Within reason, of course – houses, cars and overseas travel might be a slightly longer burn.

At events like weddings, it can be really hard to buy a gift that the couple actually needs, especially with 200 other guests to compete with and with couples living together prior to nuptial celebrations. There’s little need for them to receive three toasters to add to the two they already had.

Then there are birthdays and Christmas. Not to sound ungrateful, but another tea towel or pair of hot pink leopard print socks or the standard shower gel gift pack from your Aunty Marg isn’t exactly top of your Santa wish list. That says nothing of the waste.

Having said all that, most of us love to give our loved ones something. So, if your family and friends are super keen to bestow gifts upon you, why not direct them to give to the cause you feel matters most?

Here are some helpful tips on how to forego a gift graciously and make a contribution to a valuable cause you care about instead:

• Planning a wedding? On the invites, let your guests know that they don’t have to buy gifts, instead they can donate to one or two charities of your choosing. GoFundraise let you set up your own fundraising page, so you can see how much your guests have donated. You could even place little reminder cards on your guests’ tables, or send a little thank you cards with a charity picture on the front (including a short note on what the money has funded). You never know, you may even motivate your guests to become long term supporters.
• Got a birthday coming up? Let your friends and family off the hook; tell them about a cause you care about and ask them to donate instead of purchasing presents. GoFundraise let you set up special birthday pages, where your loved ones can donate.
• Christmas is the season of giving. Almost all charities run specific Christmas appeals to help disadvantaged communities and people who cannot afford to celebrate Christmas, or won’t have anyone to celebrate with. Get googling and find out what appeal your charity is running.
• Mother’s Day gifts have never been easier. Purchase a Mother’s Day Vaccination Pack from UNICEF instead of buying that bunch of carnations, or donate to a charity that supports women’s health, safety or empowerment initiatives.
• For Father’s Day, support men’s health. There’s the Prostate Cancer Foundation and The Australian Cancer Research Foundation will send your dad a card, to thank him for the donation.

To celebrate #GivingTuesday, we are asking Australians to give a little and then share their efforts with a photo or post on Facebook or LinkedIn. All you need to do is tag @good2give  #GivingTuesday with your post.

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