Last Updated on: 4th January 2026, 10:03 pm
One thing I’ve never been able to get my head around is why on earth anyone would donate to a charity in someone elses’ name as a Christmas present. It’s a terrible gift. Not because you don’t wind up getting any stuff, although I will admit to having that thought as a child. the problem is simply that gift giving can be hard and a lot of people really aren’t good at it.
Think back to some of the gifts you’ve gotten in your life. Maybe even this year. how many times have you opened something and thought to yourself, do you even know me? Yes, I have hands and I could use some gloves, but what about me would honestly make you think that I would need Andre the Giant sized hot pink ones?
Charitable giving is like that, but with higher stakes. The cause has to be the right fit, because you’re out there publicly putting my name on it. And I mean no offence when I say this, but there’s no one in my life aside from maybe Carin that I would trust to get it right. Not even my mom, and she’s an excellent gift giver.
In the best case, the person might almost get there.
Steve’s blind. He’d love to help out a blindness organization, I’ll bet.
Sure, but probably not any of the ones you’ve got in mind. Some of those people are straight up nuts and don’t need encouragement. Some of them have opinions or attitudes I don’t agree with. And others have strayed so far from what they were when I was growing up that they’re hard to recognize as the same folks who helped me. but now I’m endorsing their methods whether I like it or not.
But even worse, there’s a chance I’d end up giving to something that I want absolutely no part of because people have a tendency to think that what they like or believe in is what everyone else likes too. No, just because most of the family votes Conservative doesn’t mean that a few of us haven’t wised up. Yes, I know we’re a lot alike in a lot of ways, but the difference is that when I make the racist joke, I’m joking.
Hopefully, if you’re the kind of person who does this sort of thing, I’ve made you think twice about it. But if not, allow me to suggest another way for you to accomplish the same goal.
Take whatever money you were planning to donate *for* me and give it *to* me. Make it clear in a note that this money is for charity, and that if I don’t give to something, you’re going to want it back. And yes, you’ll be needing to see the receipt.
Maybe not as elegant as saying “hey, I donated to MAGA for you, enjoy the hat,” but I guarantee you it’ll cost you an awful lot less in the way of bad feelings.