Charles Lee

For the month of June, I would like to highlight a non-profit organization my friend, Jeff Shinabarger, helped to establish called Giftcardgiver.com that collects unused gift cards and then redistributes them to other charities that may be able to use them for their respective works.

The following are some stats about gift cards from their website:

• The holiday gift card industry has risen to be a 45 billion dollar industry this year alone according to TowerGroup, a research firm by MasterCard International.
• The National Retail Federation states that 81% of consumers received a gift card last year.
• As reported by www.post-gazette.com, American Eagle Outfitters had more than 25 million dollars in un-used gift card value in 2003.
• According to ACS Unclaimed-Property Clearninghouse Inc., roughly 10% of gift cards are NEVER redeemed (www.wsj.com).

The theory behind this is simple… How many unused gift cards do you have in your wallet? You could benefit some great organizations by donating your gift cards.

As described at www.giftcardgiver.com, five bucks in a gift card will buy you a pair of socks…but 10 people giving 5 bucks will buy a kid a winter coast or 100 giving $5 from Home Depot will give that same kid a warm bedroom to sleep through the night.

The possibilities seem to be endless here… You have to love this simple and creative way of sharing our resources!

Would you take a moment to consider participation? It just takes one to affect the life of another.

Catalysts for Change is a group I started on Virb.com and Facebook. This group is dedicated to living as catalysts for cultural change as it relates to the injustices of the world. Each month, I highlight a non-profit that is making a significant difference in the world to bring relief and development for people who experience injustice. My hope is that these highlights would bring awareness, create conversations, strengthen networks, and mobilize us into action. I invite you to add your comments about and experiences with the various organizations highlighted each month.

This post is tagged Charity, Gift Cards, Gift Cards and Charity, Giftcardgiver.com, Jeff Shinabarger, Unused Gift Cards