Father’s Day is just around the corner. Have you gotten that special Dad in your life a Father’s Day gift yet? Why not give him a gift that gives back! We wanted to re-plublish this great list of options below to make those traditional Father’s Day gifts like neckties and t-shirts a little more meaningful.
Note: This post was originally published on 6/11/2010.
Father's Day might be the absolute toughest of gift-giving holidays. Your father is perhaps the single most important person in your life (next to Mom of course!), and Father's Day, more than birthdays and holidays, is the primary moment to share your appreciation for your dad, for all that he's done for you, which usually amounts to a pretty long list.
If your dad is anything like mine, however, finding ways to show that appreciation through gifts can be like pulling teeth. My dad claims he doesn't want or need anything, and I'm pretty sure he's telling the truth. But while physical gifts may have no intrinsic value to our dear patriarchs, every dad in the world will be happy with a gift that gives back. A tie is a tie that your dad may never wear. But if that tie helps put a child through school, it may mean a whole lot more to dad, to you, and to that child. Megan Casserly explained the triple satisfaction phenomenon best in her Forbes article:
The benefits are three-fold: The giver feels good about supporting a cause he or she cares about; the recipient gets a unique present with the added bonus of some residual feel-good; and the gift goes on to benefit anything from a family in need, to an animal in crisis, or the environment.
Dads are some of the most caring people on this planet. Since they really don't need much themselves, why not let them share the benefits of their gift around the world. Here are some ideas for gifts that can make this happen.
The T-Shirt
Caution: Age Sensitive!!!
Every guy loves t-shirts, but only dads can sport ones that scream "Old Guys Rule!". For every t-shirt or hat bought from Old Guys Rule this Father's Day, a percentage of each purchase will go toward the John Wayne Cancer Foundation. They've already raised over $100,000 this year!
The Coffee Mug
For $20 you can buy your dad a "Whatever it takes mug". Each is personally designed by a different celebrity, from Coldplay to Samuel L. Jackson, and comes in a gift box. Half of the proceeds will be donated to a charity of the celebrity's choice. Causes range from poverty alleviation and child abuse to environmental conservation.
The Necktie
If your dad is like mine (or like me), he probably needs some help classing things up a bit. Each purchase of one of these italian silk woven neckties from FIGS will provide a uniform for a child so he/she can attend school. They have custom ties too!
The Shoes
TOMS Shoes are pretty much the ultimate gift that gives back. For every pair of shoes you get your dad, TOMS will send another pair of shoes to a child in need.
The "Rugged Man" Shirt
We all know our dads try to look tough and rugged, even if they are, well... not. Get your dad this outdoor Malpai shirt, and Orvis will make a donation to the Malpai Borderlands Group.
The Vacation
The one thing my Mom always tells me is that my dad "just wants to spend time with me". Kind of hard when we live eight hours away from each other. But one way to spend time with your dad and to give back at the same time, is the volunteer vacation. Go to a foreign place, see cool sights, spend time with your dad, and help a community? That's a win-win-win-win. There are tons of vacations and organizations running them, but here are just a few:
- try American Hiking for the outdoorsy type,
- check out United Planet for trips around the world,
- and idealist.org has a great list of volunteer vacations for that do-gooder dad.
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Jean Case at the 2013 Yale Philanthropy Conference
