Charitable Holiday Giving

Given the current state of the economy, charities and non-profit organizations everywhere need all the help they can get this holiday season.

Charitable holiday giving is incredibly easy, thanks to the online donation systems and charity gift shops set up at the reputable organizations we've highlighted below.

Gifts that benefit a worthy cause - whether environmental, related to research, ending poverty, etc. - are available for pretty much any dollar amount, so you can give as much or as little as your budget permits.

AdoptAShark

Believe it or not, sharks are currently being finned and fished nearly to the point of extinction - a tragic event that could profoundly effect every other organism in the planet's oceans. In the last 15 years, man has depleted shark numbers by up to 80%.

A Southern California-based nonprofit group called Iemanya Oceanica is dedicated to the important research and education necessary to save sharks. With their AdoptAShark program, a donation of $49.99 helps researchers place tracking tags on sharks to watch their migration patterns and aid in conservation efforts. Each adoption pack comes with a personalized certificate of adoption, a plush shark, pictures of the adopted shark, stickers, a T-shirt, information about marine conservation and more. Learn more at AdoptAShark.com.

Brandy and Val's Special Story

Author Ilene Fine began writing "Brandy and Val" books to share the story of her rescued dogs with children. Each educational book features photos of both dogs and a unique tab-page design that makes it easy for children with motor-skill deficits to turn pages. 100% of the profits from each purchase of "Brandy and Val's Special Story" is donated to the animal rescue where they were adopted. Fine's other books and toys benefit local and national animal rescues, as well, and share the importance of giving a lifelong home to shelter pets. Learn more at BrandyAndVal.com.

CharityChoice

Charity Choice Gift Cards are 100% tax deductible donations, available on physical cards (plastic or biodegradable corn-based), eCards or printable cards. Cards start at just $10 and recipients can choose from over 100 charitable causes. Charity categories include animals, children and youth, cultural, disabilities, disaster relief, elderly, environment and conservation, general and international, health and disease, homeless, hunger and poverty, military, and service and benevolence clubs. Learn more at CharityGiftCertificates.org.

Farm Sanctuary

Farm Sanctuary's shelter animals in New York and California need sponsors to help fund their monthly feed, shelter and veterinary care costs, and the Adopt-A-Farm Animal Project enables anyone to send a gift adoption for a needy farm animal. By becoming an adoption sponsor, you'll commit to a year of care for a rescued farm animal (though you can make monthly, quarterly, biannual or annual payments). When you adopt a farm animal for a loved one, he or she will receive an adoption certificate and photo of the animal - and they can visit their adopted farm friend in person at any time. Learn more at FarmSanctuary.org.

Givft

With a tax-deductible charity gift card from Givft (which start as low as a $10 donation and a small service fee), a gift recipient can choose to send funds to any cause that is close to his or her heart. The charity list includes organizations such as the Nature Conservancy, the Smithsonian Institution, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and many others. Learn more at TheGiftThatGives.org.

GlobalGiving

GlobalGiving Gift Cards can be purchased for as little as $10 and benefit local as well as global causes. Once recipients receive their gift card (either via e-mail or mail), they can choose a grassroots effort to support by location, theme or funding percentage. GlobalGiving Gift Cards are 100% biodegradable. Learn more at GlobalGiving.org.

Kiva

Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending site, and Kiva gift certificates (starting at $25) let recipients help entrepreneurs in both the U.S. and developing countries start a business. Anyone who receives a Kiva gift certificate can track the loan's progress by watching how the entrepreneur's business grows. Once the initial loan is repaid, the money can be lent to a different entrepreneur - a gift that keeps on giving. Learn more at Kiva.org.

MicroPlace

MicroPlace's goal is to alleviate global poverty by offering small investments that enable loans to the world's working poor - most of whom are women. These micro loans can enable a woman to start her own business and work her way out of poverty. $20 is the minimum you need to invest in an organization that provides loans to MicroPlace entrepreneurs. Plus, between December 15, 2009 and January 1, 2010, MicroPlace will match your gift of $20 for someone else on your gift list. Learn more at MicroPlace.com.

Save the Children

Save the Children's 2009 Holiday Catalog is filled with gifts that give joy and lasting change to children in need. You can search by program (education, health, animals, agriculture, etc.) or by price. Gifts start as low as $20 and the honoree receives a free gift card personalized with his or her name and a photo and description of the item you choose. In 2008, 92% of all expenditures went to program services, so when you give through Save the Children, your gift is truly making a difference. Learn more at SaveTheChildren.org.

Sierra Club

The Sierra Club has been protecting the environment since 1892, and their new Sponsor A Wild Place program lets you sponsor a region that needs environmental protection starting at as little as $20. You can choose to sponsor the following areas: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Great Smoky Mountains, Glacier National Park, Adirondack Park, Yosemite National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Giant Sequoia National Monument, Yellowstone National Park, Everglades National Park and Acadia National Park. There are several sponsorship levels for each Wild Place, including virtual sponsorships that can be downloaded immediately, as well as packages that include plush animals, personalized certificates, fact sheets and more. Learn more at SierraClub.org.

Starlight Children's Foundation

Starlight Children's Foundation has been improving the quality of life for seriously ill children for more than 25 years. Starlight provides entertainment, education and family activities for children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses, as well as life-changing injuries. Donations to this organization help families cope and children enjoy life more. You can donate by location (U.S., Canada, Australia, Japan or the U.K.) or shop the online store for gifts that benefit Starlight. Learn more at Starlight.org.

UniversalGiving

UniversalGiving provides the opportunity to search for giving and volunteering opportunities in more than 70 countries, and they never take a cut from the donations made through the site. They offer a number of gift packages in various donation amounts, or you can search by cause (i.e. poverty, arts, disaster relief, etc.) and region. Learn more at UniversalGiving.org.