Chances are you have found some wonderfully appropriate gifts for your friends and family, but there are a couple of names on your list that have not provided any inspiration in the gift-giving arena. How about this for an idea? Give a donation to charity in the recipient's name. That will save you from the marauding crowds at the mall, having to wrap the gift, mailing it, wondering if they liked it, and all the other negatives that come with gift giving, and it will make you feel good. They will not have to pretend they liked the gift, sneak to the mall trying to figure out where you bought it so they can return it, or worse still have to drag it out of the closet everytime you come to visit. And, like you, it will make them feel good. But most importantly you can do a lot of good, sustainable good by giving a gift that provides a chance to change the life for the better for someone who desperately needs it.

We are giving donations through ACCION this year. ACCION provides “micro” loans to people to have a significant impact on poverty. They operate in 22 countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, and in the U.S. Since 1996, ACCION affiliated programs have made $9.4 billion in microloans to more than 3.97 million people, with a historical repayment rate of over 97 percent.

What a record - in 10 years they have loaned more than $9B to almost 4 million people and 97% of it was repaid. As Donna Dubinsky, Founder, President & CEO, Handspring says, "Giving to ACCION is more than a donation - it's an investment in the future. With ACCION, I know each dollar I give will be leveraged to help many microentrepreneurs. I feel I'm part of a permanent answer to poverty."

And the reason we chose ACCION is that is so highly endorsed by so many emminent organizations:
Clinton Global Initiative Certificate of Commitment 2006
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Grants $5.8 million to ACCION International
Clinton Global Initiative Certificate of Commitment
Fast Company Names ACCION One of Top 25 Organizations Changing the World
Charity Navigator Awards ACCION Four-star Rating for Second Consecutive Year
American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP) Names ACCION a Top-Rated Charity
ACCION Meets Better Business Bureau (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance Standards
ACCION Accredited by World Economic Forum
Worth Magazine Names ACCION One of 100 Best Charities
President Clinton Honors ACCION for Excellence in Microenterprise Development

So, consider giving a donation to charity, but please also ensure you are giving the money to an organization that will do the most good with it. You can check the ratings of charitable organizations here.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive