Oxfam America
Not every gift has to be warm and fuzzy. Through Oxfam America, you can give everything from a heap of manure ($12) to a can of worms ($18) — both of which help fertilize land for cultivation — to an emergency toilet ($50). Of course, if warm and fuzzy is more your style, you can also give gifts like a pair of sheep ($90), a dozen chicks ($25), or art supplies for kids ($15). Oxfam America, which spends about 80% of its funds on programs, will send your recipient a card with an image of your gift. Well-established gift programs, like Oxfam America's, are a much better choice than giving money over the phone or — except for well-established organizations like the Salvation Army — on the street. "You have scams where you have sound-alike names for a cause that you may believe in, but it's actually not really a charity," Berger warns.