Present Aid: ethical gifts for all occasions

Our new Present Aid catalogue is full of gift ideas with a difference. This year, why not buy someone a goat, some worms or a beehive, a tap or a toilet? Ideal for all occasions, these remarkable gifts have the power to transform lives. And whether you are looking for a Christmas, birthday or anniversary present, with more than 40 gifts to choose from, you are sure to find something for everyone. There are gifts to suit a range of pockets: from £6 which could buy a reading manual, to £600 for solar panels that could light up whole communities or even £4,100 that could pay a health worker’s salary. And of course, there are plenty of gifts in between that will make any occasion special. Whatever you choose, you can be sure that a gift from Present Aid is a gift with real meaning and lasting benefits.

So, how does it work?.

Buying an ethical gift for your friends or family could not be easier:

1. Search for the perfect gift online –by price, person or both. When you find something you like, simply add it to your online shopping basket
2. Once you have finished shopping, view your basket, make any changes and proceed to the checkout.
3. Fill in your contact, delivery and payment information. You will receive a confirmation email once we have received your payment.
4. You will receive your gift card by post 4 to 5 working days later (for mainland UK, or up to 11 days outside the UK).

So where exactly does the money go?

We're all concerned about wastage when making charitable donations. We want to know that our gifts are not going to be squandered along the way. With Christian Aid’s virtual gifts, you choose how your money is spent in the fight against poverty. Our gifts are listed by category, each of which relates to a project fund. Your money goes directly to the relevant fund and will be spent where the need is greatest within this sector. There are six funds for you to choose from:

So, if you buy a goat, ducks or worms from the farming category, your money will be spent on livestock and agricultural projects throughout the developing world; choose a community tap from the eco-systems category, and your money will go into the ‘water and environment’ fund to pay for clean water projects that fight disease and make crops grow.

Each gift has a product code, the first letter of this which also helps you work out which fund your gift corresponds to. For example, a can of worms has the product code A001 V06; you know your money will go to the ‘agriculture and livestock’ fund as the first letter of the code is A. The list above contains the funds’ corresponding code letters. Make your gift count for more

Don’t forget that if you’re a UK taxpayer and you tick the Gift Aid box on the order form, we can claim an extra 28p for every £1 you give.

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