GIVE A LITTLE BIT

How can you give more by giving less? How can you put a smile on someone's face and help save the world at the same time? How can you give from the heart, not just to your intended recipients, but to to recipients you may never meet as well?

This year, instead of shopping 'til you drop, consider making a donation to the charity of your giftee's choice. By making a pledge to a reputable charity in the name of a loved one you do so many things, none of which involve parking lot musical chairs or 1-hour sales. And your gift of an adoption, tree planting or research funding is a one-size-fits-all proposition. No need for exchanges or refunds, and like Aunt Fran's preternaturally sweet iced cake, a donation won't rot your teeth or upset your stomach.

Donations, particularly the online kind, can also be a lifesaver, not just for a child in Somalia or a seal pup in the Antarctic. They can save your hide as well since they can be purchased literally minutes before Old Saint Nick cleans the inside of your chimney with his XXXL red felt suit.

We've listed a few of our favorite charities below, but this is a mere drop in the bucket. We suggest giving to one with whom your recipient would find a connection. If they're a surfer, then the Surfrider Foundation might do the trick. If they're a Chicago Bears fan then the National Wildlife Federation or Chi Town's A Safe Haven could work. Get creative and have fun with it. There are tons of great options covering myriad causes.

Now that you've figured out what gifts to get everyone this year, the only thing left to do is to figure out an excuse to avoid Aunt Fran's cake this year.

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SPONSIBLE CHARITIES

• UNICEF- The United Nations Children's Fund works for children's rights, their survival, development and protection
• World Wildlife Fund- The WWF's ultimate goal is to build a future where people live in harmony with nature
• The Orangutan Conservancy- Working to forestall the total extinction of this severly endangered species
• Conservation International- S to protect Earth's biodiversity "hotspots," high-biodiversity wilderness areas as well as important marine regions around the globe
• Global Green USA- Aimed at stemming global climate change, eliminating weapons of mass destruction and providing clean, safe drinking water
• Doctors Without Borders- An independent international medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural or man-made disasters, or exclusion from health care in more than 70 countries
• Save the Manatees- Working to protect Florida's gentle sea cow from propellers and pollution
• Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS- DIFFA pairs the design industry with a disease that has claimed many of its members with the hope of finding a cure
• American Cancer Society- Working toward a cure for the deadliest disease in the world
• American Civil Liberties Union- Protects America's freedom to life, and liberty and from warrantless wiretapping
• The Humane Society of the United States- Protects not just dogs and cats from abuse and abandonment, but monkeys and rabbits from inhumane testing practices
• African Wildlife Federation- Fighting to save numerous species of African wildlife from the ravages of human encroachment