Struggling to find the perfect gift, or looking for a creative and unique way to say thanks? With so many charities in need of help, why not donate to a charity in someone else’s name!
Donations leave a positive and tangible impact on the world. That’s why they make for a thoughtful gift, especially when you find a charity or organization that’s meaningful to the gift recipient.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about donating to a charity in someone else’s name!
This step-by-step guide has all you need to know to get started. So follow this guide to learn exactly how to make a donation in someone’s name
Understand What a Charitable Donation Means to Someone
Donating in honor of someone means that you’re giving to a favorite charity with that person in mind. It does not mean that the donation comes from that person, but that the donor wants the donation to be associated with a loved one.
Often, charities will have the option of choosing whether you want the donation plaque/letter to say “in honor of” or “in memory of”. If it says “in honor of” that usually means that this person is still living. However, the latter likely means that the person has passed away.
For example, you might use the “in memory of” line if you’re donating to a breast cancer research organization and you want to associate the name of a relative who died of breast cancer with the research center.
Choose a Charity For The Gift Recipient
When you make a donation in someone’s name, consider the person’s age and what they like. For example, young children will have a more difficult time grasping the concept of a donation made in their honor, but there are ways to help them appreciate it. If you’re donating for a child, consider also purchasing a small toy that’s associated with the charity like a plush dog if you donate to an animal shelter.
However, if the person is more mature and able to understand the beauty of a donation made in their honor, it’s sure to make a great birthday gift! What’s important to consider is what charity the recipient would most like to have their name associated with. Take a few days to investigate what the recipient loves and what would be meaningful to them. Once you know this, you’ll easily be able to find a charity that aligns with their values.
Learn About the Charity
Many charities offer you the option to customize your gifts and select which project you’d like to donate to, or how you’d like your contributions to be distributed. This way you can make your donation gift more personalized for the recipient.
This information is also helpful in discerning that you have chosen a legitimate charity, rather than a possible scam. Large organizations or charities that at least inform you about what they plan to do with your donation upfront tend to be more trustworthy. You may find pages of statistics about how your donations help their cause to help verify the organization’s legitimacy.
That’s not to say smaller charities cannot be trusted, but there are common scams in the world of charitable giving, and it pays to check the website and reviews with charities you’re not familiar with.. This ensures your altruistic gift goes exactly where you want it to!
Take your time as you research which charity you’d like to donate to and how you’d like to make your donation. This way you know you’ve considered all of your options, which makes the gift even more meaningful!
How to Make a Donation in Someone’s Name
When making a donation, most charities will give you two options. The first is to donate in your name, and the second is to fill out the information of a special person whose name you would like to be associated with the donation.
If the organization doesn’t make this information readily available, give them a call or send them an email. Charities are usually happy to point you in the right direction to donate in honor or memory of someone. They may even conduct the process for you since you are making a generous donation, after all!
Let’s take a look at an example of how to donate on behalf of someone on a charity’s page.
Make a Donation in Someone’s Name with Food For Life Global
FFLG has an option to donate on behalf of someone on their donate page. Here are the simple steps you need to complete the donation:
- Enter the name and email address of the special person.
- Select whether you’d like to donate once or monthly.
- Choose the amount you’d like to donate.
- Pick the region you’d like to donate in.
- Enter your details, including name, contact, and address.
- Enter your credit or debit card details.
- Donate!
Receive or Write a Donation Letter
If you’ve donated to your charity of choice, the person you’re made the donation on behalf of might get an e-card or email to notify them of the contribution, and you’ll likely receive a letter of thanks from the organization. If the website had a place to put in the name of the person you are honoring with your donation, this will likely be included in this letter.
If you don’t receive a letter, you can always write one of your own to give to the honoree of the donation.
Here are some things you might want to include in the donation message:
- Information about the charity
- What the donation will go towards (i.e. a well, feeding children, etc.)
- If their name is associated with anything besides the money donated (i.e. plaque)
- How much money was donated, if this is appropriate for the honoree to know
Present the Donation Gift to the Person or a Family Member
Once you’ve narrowed down the favorite charity of the gift recipient and made the donation in their name, it’s now time to think about how you’ll present this gift to your loved one.
You have a few options depending on what came with your donation.
For example, depending on the size of your donation, some organizations might send you a few freebies such as t-shirts or mementos. You can always wrap these and give them, along with the donation letter, to the recipient.
If the only thing that you received was a donation letter, you can always gift this in a nice envelope. However, if you want to make it a bit more exciting, consider designing your own letter with a free website like Canva. With free and easy-to-use designs, you’ll be able to design a very eye-pleasing letter to let your recipient know that you’ve donated in their name or honor.
Next, simply go ahead and offer the donation as a gift to the recipient!
How Can I Donate to Food For Life?
Ready to make a donation in honor of someone?
Why not donate to our charity!
Food for Life Global is an organization that provides vegan meals for hungry and starving children around the world. We have an international network of 265 affiliate projects in 60 countries serving up to 2 million plant-based meals daily. We’ve served over 7 billion meals so far — which is no easy feat in itself!
With a small donation of just $20 you, or your honoree, can feed 50 children. If you can spare a little bit more, $100 will feed 400 children!
When you make your donation you’ll see the option to make your donation in memory or honor of someone, so there are no questions about whose name will be associated with the donation.
Save lives today and donate!
FAQs
Absolutely! It is perfectly legal to make a donation in someone else’s name.
However, keep in mind that this does not mean that all of the information that you fill out when making a donation will be their information. Most organizations will have a place where you can fill in whose name you would like associated with the information.
All billing information for the donation should be with your name and credit or debit card/bank account information.
In short, yes. You can write off charitable donations that were made in someone else’s name as long as you keep the receipts and appropriate information. Tax deductions for charitable giving can vary based on a number of factors like country, type of donation, the charity you are donating to, and so on.
Be sure to confirm this advice with your accountant or advisor as your situation might require specific materials, and keep records of your donations.
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