Charity gifts

[PrivateJourney]

If you want to donate to Charity, that's fine, great in fact.

If you don't want to give me a present, that's fine too. I agree much present giving between adults is silly.

But, I can't see how you giving money to charity is the same thing as giving me a gift?

Inspired idea by the Charity fundraisers though.

Agree. Also, charity favours at weddings - same principle.

It may be puritanical but I think that charitable giving should involve self-sacrifice.

I give £20 and I go without that takeaway = fine.
I give £20, you go without your Christmas present, and I^ still get my takeaway = not fine.

italics fail...

I think the point is you choose a charity that's dear to you.

Well quite kittens. Dear to the giver, not the receiver of the present.

I think it can be ok if it's a charity/cause that the recipient supports. DD loves animals and has had all sorts of adopted creatures (donkeys, snow leopards, etc) and has always been very pleased with those. I suspect 'I've made a donation to the injured carpet fitters benevolent society' would not be met with such enthusiasm.
(Nothing against injured carpet fitters of course)

Agree with MaidofStars

Think it is fine is person says "for my birthday could you consider making x donation to whatever charity".

Not fine for someone to say "I have made a donation on your behalf to whatever charity"

I totally agree. I think it's more to make the giver look/feel good. So you 'bought' me a goat in Africa? No you didn't, you gave some money to charity and want me to know how holier than thou you are because I bought you something nice and materialistic that I thought very carefully about and picked because I know you will love it.

I've never recieved one of those as a gift, but I don't like them. They are more about the giver than the reciever, and that's just not what gifts are supposed to be about. I hope people that give these so called gifts do so for a charity that the reciever supports, and not that they support.