Hasta La Ideas

In our fifth installment of Unclutterer’s 2009 Holiday Gift Giving Guide we’re discussing charitable giving.

In our 2007 Guide, we suggested charities that you could donate to in someone’s honor. We continue to love this idea and suggest checking out Charity Navigator and Charity Watch to learn about legitimate charitable organizations. Giving to charities is nice because it’s completely clutter-free for the person honored through the gift.

This year, though, we want to focus on giving in a different way. As you enjoy this holiday season, consider giving a gift to someone you don’t know. It’s a way to experience the giving spirit without knowing who will benefit from your generosity. And, in some cases, you can clear things you don’t use out of your home. A handful of ideas:

• Join the bone marrow registry.
• Give blood.
• Donate clothes and household items to charity.
• Cut off your ponytail and donate it to Locks of Love.
• Donate needed items to a food pantry.
• Volunteer your organizing talents to a group in need.

In what ways do you plan to donate to people you don’t know? We’d love to read about your ideas in the comments. Also, don’t forget to check out our Unclutterer’s 2009 Holiday Gift Giving Guide Index Page for a listing of all the articles as we publish them.