Giving The Gift of a Non-gift

Gift Certificates

This is an easy non-gift, but to be a true non-gift the recipient must have nothing to show for it after it has been spent. As such a gift certificate to a restaurant is a good option. Another idea is a gift certificate for a service, such as maid service for a day, a hair cut, or spa appointment.

Name a Star After Them

Your local Planetarium or Museum can be called upon to help you with this one. The person generally does get a certificate showing them where there star is in the night sky, so there actually is a gift in this non-gift. You may find all the good stars are already taken and a decent telescope is needed to locate their star.

Image via Wikipedia

Adopt a Wild Animal in their Name

There are many charities that offer wild animals for adoption, you can adopt a polar bear, whale, or almost anything you want. The charity will send a picture of their adopted animal. The animal is adopted in theory only, it does not come to live in their house, but remains in the wild. The money often goes in part to administration as well as environmental protection. Even though this gift is a non-gift you may want to ask exactly how your money is spent before giving it away.

Sponsor a Child

Not everyone wants there very own wild Tiger, many people feel more compassion towards human suffering, to this end there are many charities where one can sponsor a child in their name or somebody elses. The recipient of this non-gift gets a picture of the child you have sponsored for them and a bit of information on that child and area that he/she lives. You can even pick if its a girl or boy, age, and country of origin. If you want a shorter commitment, pick an older child. This really is a non-gift you have to give over and over every year.

Sponsor a Local Zoo Animal

Most zoos do not get adequate funding so offer programs to boost their income, that is to say, they offer sponsorship of their animals. You are often given some choice what animal you sponsor for your gift and the recipient gets a photograph and usually a write up about the animal.

Plant a Tree in their Name

Some cities have parks that offer a person the ability to have a tree planted in anyones name. Often people do this to honor the birth of a child or the death of a loved one. Really you can have a tree planted in anyones time, you can often pick the type of tree too, and will get a map indicating which tree is theirs.

Give the Gift of Time

Offer coupons to the person saying you will do certain things with them or for them, all they have to do is redeem the coupon to you.

Image via Wikipedia Your non-gift could be the gift of life to another human or animal. 

Donate to Their Favorite Charity

To be a non-gift for them your donation has to go to a charity they support, not one you support. Reputable local charities are often better than larger organizations because the money doesn’t have to go to administration costs. Some charities offer thank you cards, or you can give the person a simple note “A donation was made in your name to_____”, along with the tax receipt, which also should be made out to them. Some suggestions would be the local food bank, animal shelter, or homeless shelter. Similarly money can be donated to find a cure for a disease that may afflict them or somebody they love.