Charity gift as a gift.. AIBU?

[KissesAX]

I have been on th recieving end of one of those Oxfam gift aid things in the past. 'I've bought a man in Uganda a goat on your behalf.. Merry Christmas'. As a kid I enjoyed the novelty of it bu AIBU to be against them now?

I'd rather not receive a gift these days than to have someone give me a charity gift. I just think it's a bit awkward that they're gifting you but it's not for you. Surely if you want to be charitable, then do it without using someone else's gift as a demonstration? AIBU thinking like this?

Unless you know the person is really into it, it’s not an appropriate gift because it’s something to make the giver feel good rather than the recipient.

It’s virtue signalling - and it runs the risk of shaming the recipient. It says ‘look at me, I am so virtuous and if you do t think so that you are granby and materialistic,’ so it shames the recipient, and elevates the giver, and as such it’s an inappropriate gift.

Charity giving should be done from your own money on behalf of yourself. Not as a gift/PA dig at others.

Agree about charity gifts.

Disagree about cards, though. It's a waste of paper. I'd rather donate to, say, an environmental charity.

Ds last year bought several Crisis at Christmas lunches on our behalf. I was very pleased that someone less fortunate would also be getting to sit down for a good feed and have company and clothing.

I’ve also bought carefully chosen charity gifts a few times and instigated charity shop Christmas shopping gift exchanges which is very good fun. Once again it really is know your audience.

One thing is for sure, a little bit of my soul shrivels and dies each and every time I pass the M&S counters laden with their gift packs of total and utter shite (and 3 for the price of 2!). I’d rather get nothing at all than one of those grim offerings.

Definitely a case of knowing your audience.

I've bought charity presents for people who have asked for them (my Mum asked to sponsor a hedge one year) and been bought charity presents by people who know me and know what charities I support.

I'd be annoyed if someone bought me a charity gift for a charity I don't support.

My kids have asked notoriously terrible at buying presents MiL for charity presents this year. She won't buy things they like and they can't bear the idea of opening yet another pile of cheap make up gift sets they'll never use, so Dd1 has asked her to sponsor a Dog's Trust dog, and DD2 has asked to sponsor a horse at a local sanctuary. Whether she'll do it or not remains to be seen.

We often buy token gifts from each other from charity shops.

Means you have the fun of exchanging gifts without spending a fortune AND the charity benefits AND you might get something you actually like AND its less obviously "look at me I'm so virtuous giving your Christmas money to charity".

I got a fabulous penguin woolly hat which my mum bought as a joke and is now one of my favourite items