Give twice when you send a charity holiday card. How? Well, you're sending your typical greeting card as you probably do every year, but the money you put toward the purchase of the card extends even further - to help out a selected charity organization.
Why Choose Charity Holiday Cards
If you'll be sending out holiday greeting cards anyway, why not donate to a good cause as you do it? With so many options out there, it's easy to find a good cause that has a special place in your heart. Americans spend roughly 7 billion dollars on greeting cards per year. Some companies donate all profits to a given cause; others donate a percentage of the sale price.
Finding Your Cards
There are two ways to look for charity holiday cards. You can search for cards made by your favorite charity or you can find a charity card company you like and pick one of their member charities to support. Many retailers offer special holiday charity cards for your business so you can send them out to employees.
UNICEF Charity Holiday Cards
Visit the UNICEF Market to buy cards with themes of Christmas, winter, Hanukkah, and peace. There are over 60 card designs to choose from. Most cards come in a boxed set that includes 12 cards and 13 envelopes. Prices range from about $11 to $20 per set. While the website doesn't specify amounts, they do share that all card sales help fund things like vaccines, nutrition, education, and emergency relief for the most vulnerable kids in the world.
United Way Charity Holiday Cards
If you visit the United Way Store, you'll find a link to United Way Worldwide where they sell holiday cards featuring the United Way logo. Cards cost under $1.50 each and you have to buy in sets of 250. Envelopes come with your return address on them and you can add a personalized message to the cards.
Greet for Good
Greet for Good features information and links to over 250 charities that sell holiday greeting cards including e-cards. Buying cards from any one of these charities will automatically boost their funds to carry on with their work. Browse the Traditional Holiday Cards section for cards with Christmas, winter, and Hanukkah themes. You can organize your search by charity name, charity location, and even the percentage of sales that go to the charity. Here are a few (the complete list is quite long), so there's really something for almost every cause!
- American Brain Tumor Association
- America's VetDogs
- Arbor Day Foundation
- Center for Educational and Vocational Preparation for the Disabled
- Doctors of the World
- Feeding America
MAC Cosmetics' Kids Helping Kids
Each year, MAC Cosmetics has a new collection of greeting cards that features kids' art. All the profit from these cards goes to help children with AIDS all over the world. These cards are limited edition, so you'll only see them as early as October or November when the holiday collections come out. For $6.00, you get a box of six cards. As a side note, if you're interested in purchasing makeup for a good cause, profits from any of the Viva Glam lipsticks and glosses go to the MAC AIDS Fund to fight AIDS. These lipsticks and glosses are available all year.
Good Cause Greetings
Good Cause Greetings gives 10 percent of card sales to charities. They boast great customer service, the ability for customers to design their own cards, and the use of Earth-friendly products (chlorine-free, recycled paper and soy-based ink). Price per card depends on how many cards you wish to order. Personalized envelopes are also available on card orders that include at least fifty cards. Some charities they support include:
- Breast Cancer Prevention Partners
- Homeless Pets
- Global Health Council
- National Alliance to End Homelessness
- Youth Aids
Cards for Causes
Cards for Causes donates 20 percent of all card sales to select charities. Holiday cards cost around $2 each with a 25 card minimum purchase and themes range from Shalom to Christmas. You can even make personalized photo cards. In each card you can choose a pre-selected verse, write your own text, and even add a line that names the charity you chose to support all for free. You can support any of the listed charities or submit a new charity to support.
Artline Greetings
Artline Greetings also gives 10 percent of the sale price to the 18 charities they support. The cards are printed on recycled paper and most have a minimum order of 200 cards (most cards are $1.79 each). You can choose between plain envelopes and printed ones (for an additional cost). Charities include those that support (among others):
- Children
- Fighting hunger
- Fighting homelessness
- Environmental awareness
Donating to Spread Holiday Cheer
No matter which type of cause has your heart, you can find a way to donate by purchasing charity holiday cards that benefit nonprofits. You were going to buy greeting cards anyway, right? In some cases, all profits go to the charity of choice. In others, a specific amount is donated to the cause (usually 10 percent). Either way, buying holiday cards that are attached to charities is a great way to extend the giving and spread the holiday spirit.
