Charitable Christmas Gift Ideas

GFA World’s Charitable Christmas Gift Ideas

For many people, Christmas is a time for charity and generosity to those who are less fortunate, so as the holiday season approaches each year, they search for charitable Christmas gift ideas. Indeed, the holidays are the most critical time of year for charities, with many raising 30–50 percent of their revenue in November and December alone. There is even a day following Thanksgiving that is dedicated to generosity: Giving Tuesday. Last year, $3.1 billion was donated on Giving Tuesday. That seems like a lot of money, but it is only a 0.6 percent increase from the amount raised in 2022, and there was a 10 percent decrease in the number of adults who participated in Giving Tuesday this last year.[1]

Despite spending on charitable Xmas gifts not growing much in recent years, the need for charity remains high. Although much progress has been made in global poverty reduction, headway in this area has significantly slowed in the last few years. Approximately 700 million people—8.5 percent of the population—still live below the extreme poverty line of $2.15 per day. Three-quarters of that 700 million live in Sub-Saharan Africa or in fragile and conflict-affected countries.[2]

GFA World’s many charitable Christmas gift ideas focus on helping end the cycle of poverty. Millions of people living in Africa and Asia are entrenched in generations of destitution. Families live hand to mouth, which leaves few resources or opportunities to improve their financial situations. GFA missionaries minister among these families—the ones who have low social status including widows, single mothers and those suffering with leprosy. Our simple, income-generating gifts can help a family rise above the grip of poverty and find a brighter future.[3]

One person who knows this firsthand is Taden.[4] Taden’s father died when he was young, creating a hole in the family and plunging them into financial crisis. The boy and his mother cultivated their land, leaving Taden no time to attend school. Survival depended on working hard. Taden’s childhood consisted of trying to make ends meet, but sometimes crops wouldn’t produce enough, causing more financial tragedy for the family. Taden grew up and got married, and the couple was blessed with two children. He continued to work in the fields around his village, as well as working multiple other jobs, but he earned very little for his backbreaking labor. Even though Taden was doing all he could, it was never enough to pull the family out of poverty. Eventually, the family had to make the difficult decision to travel to a neighboring country for six months of the year to work in sugarcane fields. This meant his two children could not attend school, and it began to look like their future lives would be much like Taden’s.

Then one day, in the off months of the sugarcane fields, the family found a glimmer of hope. GFA Pastor Naimish visited Taden’s family, asking if they needed prayer and offering encouraging words. Taden shared his life story with the pastor, who, in turn, shared about the love and hope of God. The following year, they would see that love in action. Pastor Naimish invited Taden to attend a GFA World Christmas gift distribution program where he and his family received a cow. As the cow grew, it provided more than four liters of milk a day, which the family made into ghee and sold each month. The profit from this was enough to lift them out of the harsh grip of poverty. Taden’s children were able to attend school, opening up many doors for their future through education. The cow later gave birth to a calf, and the income from two cows lifted them even further from poverty.

Through the charitable gifting of people across the globe, Taden and his family had their lives changed forever. It doesn’t take much to help GFA World provide life-transforming farm animals. A pair of chickens is just $11. Hungry families can eat, sell and hatch the eggs, supplementing both their diets and their income as the flock increases and allowing them to get on their feet financially. For just $65, a family can receive a pair of pigs. Pigs fetch a good price and provide ample substance for sale or consumption, helping a family gain financial independence.[5]

Other charitable gift giving ideas with GFA World include disease-preventing mosquito nets, purifying water filters, Jesus Wells that provide safe water, warm winter clothing and income-generating sewing machines.[6] When people receive one of these gifts, they see that God’s people love them and that God Himself loves and cares for them, too.

Whether you wish to give a one-time donation, make a monthly commitment or create an annual tradition of giving, GFA World depends on the generosity of people to continue meeting physical needs and showing the powerful love of God in Africa and Asia. Consider partnering with GFA World by providing one or more of these charitable Christmas gift ideas to someone in need.

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[1] “2023 Holiday Season Donation Trends.” Charity Navigator. Accessed October 23, 2024. https://www.charitynavigator.org/about-us/news-thought-leadership/2023-holiday-giving-insights/
[2] “Poverty: Overview.” World Bank Group. October 15, 2024. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/overview#1
[3] “The People We Are Impacting Together.” GFA World. Accessed October 23, 2024. https://www.gfa.org/giving/christmas/the-people-we-are-impacting/
[4] Ibid.
[5] “Christmas Critter Campaign: Where will you be in 100 years?” GFA World. Accessed October 23, 2024. https://www.gfa.org/giving/christmas/
[6] Ibid.