Give a guy a gift that gives back

Buying gifts for guys can be really difficult. But, take it from this guy, the truth of the matter is that most men don’t need much. It’s the idea of giving, sharing and generosity that makes the holidays so special. And, that is the thought behind a gift that gives back; the giving goes well beyond the material object. Along with the iPod, the beer mug or the electric shaver, both the giver and the receiver get the joy of providing hope, generosity and optimism far and wide.

So what are you supposed to buy for the guys in your life then, and where do you get it? Although most men don't need much, we are all different. So, is your gift recipient a sports fanatic, a techie, a chef...? The great thing is that there are gifts that give back for all of these people.

The Iron Chef

Guys like to grill. The only thing guys like more than grilling is grilling with cool new grilling technology. This new electronic grill fork from AlwaysPerfect has nine different settings to help you prepare different foods and a built in thermometer to make sure your food is grilled just right. When you buy this gift from GiftBack.com, you can instantly donate 10% of your purchase to a charity of your choosing (there are hundreds of listed charities). You can top off this gift with a motorized grill cleaning brush, also available at GiftBack.

The Athlete

The Lance Armstrong Foundation is offering a whole lineup of sports apparel this year, a great gift for your athletic brother or significant other. From cycling gear to bags and water bottles to the popular wristbands, any LiveStrong merchandise you purchase helps to fund the fight against cancer.

The Gamer

Video games used to only pertain to the younger generation, but nowadays men into their late sixties and beyond are rocking out to guitar hero or getting in shape with Wii fitness. My suggestion for this year’s gamer gift – get the new Band Hero Super Bundle for Nintendo Wii. As part of Best Buy’s “Give a Gift that Gives a Gift” campaign, your dad, boyfriend or great grandfather can shred the guitar, drums or vocals, and a portion of their rocking benefits the @15 fund. Also for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

The Trendsetter

We will call this “gifts that Gucci”. If the guy you’re gifting for tends to be especially trendy, check out Emporio Armani’s line of Product (RED) merchandise – from sunglasses to watches to t-shirts. As with all Product (RED) gifts, 50% of the profit made from these gifts will be donated to fund Antiretroviral treatment for suffering AIDS patients in Rwanda, Swaziland, Ghana and Lesotho.

The Techie

If you are looking for gifts that give back, this is the year of the techie. With Best Buy launching its “Give a Gift that Gives a Gift” campaign, technology buffs have become the world’s biggest charity buffs overnight. The campaign, which benefits the @15 Fund and its various programs and charities, features all sorts of tech – from Netbooks, photo printers and digital eBook readers to flat screen tvs, HD camcorders and stereo headphones.

The World Traveler

With the growing trend of “Voluntourism,” people of all ages are experiencing the world and enriching their lives while building better societies around the globe, be it by cleaning up natural disasters or providing medical aid in third world countries. Particularly among college students, volunteer vacations are among the most popular ways that travelers can give back. This holiday season, give your son or brother the book “100 Best Volunteer Vacations to Enrich Your Life” by Pam Grout and available from National Geographic.

Gifts that give are more than objects wrapped in paper. For someone on the other side of the world, this gift might be an opportunity wrapped in hope, or life wrapped in optimism. Getting a guy a gift can be complex, but regardless of what you get him, he will be happy to know that part of his present is impacting someone in need, just as much or even more than his new iPod is impacting him.