Mo Money Mo Problems: so think about giving some of that phat check awayTax rebates are trickling into American mailboxes. Some of us will be getting a pretty sweet chunk of change back, and with the economy going down the tubes, there are plenty of places we can think of to use that money. But if you don’t absolutely need it to pay rent, put food on the table, or pay off some debt, some people think you should give your rebate (or at least, part of it) to charity. A number of churches have started funds where people can donate their tax rebate money to charities that haven’t been doing so well due to the crappy economy.

"It's an unbelievable amount of cash that people of faith or people of conscience could choose to say, 'You know, we could get along without this. We could put this money to use,' " said Ken Sehested, co-pastor at the Circle of Mercy church in Asheville, N.C.

His congregation of about 50 adults, which is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and Alliance of Baptists, voted to give at least 10 percent of their checks to charities. He and his wife plan to give their entire $1,200 check to the church's partner congregation in Cuba.

Kiva.org: give to entrepeneurs all over the world and help end poverty You may already have a favorite charity where you’d like to designate your money, but if you’re looking for some suggestions, Low Impact Living has some tips for spending your money in eco-smart ways that will save you money later on, and also happen to be good for the planet. Or how about helping communities in need all over the world—including Darfur, India, and Colombia—by donating to the American Jewish World Service, which funds hundreds of grassroots organizations working to promote health, education, economic development, disaster relief, and social and political change in the developing world.

And here’s our favorite idea for your rebate check: Use it to make a micro-loan to empower an entrepeneur in the developing world to lift him or herself out of poverty. And since you’re only loaning the money, you can even get it back to spend on a night out on the town in a few months, or reinvest in another venture, or donate it. Check out kiva.org to choose the micro-loan you’ll support.

I'm in the process of writing a piece examining the Jewish nonprofit world's antidemocratic, intensely insular culture and how it's impacting the larger community. There's still more reporting and research yet to be done, but I wanted to mention one of the organizations that will be in my piece. It's currently in a time-sensitive contest that you can help it win, and it's utterly deserving.

The organization is DonorsChoose.org, which is at the forefront of a galvanic shift in philanthropy, from elitism toward democracy. Donors Choose uses an eBay-like online marketplace to connect teachers directly to donors. If a Bronx middle school teacher needs $300 for, say, the kind of earth science books wealthy children take for granted, she can simply posts her request on the Donors Choose website and anyone with $10 can contribute to helping make that lesson plan a reality.

That’s the kind of philanthropic experience that will force the young to feel called to give, and as a consequence, help bring America’s nonprofit tradition into the next generation. The central idea fueling Donors Choose is so powerful it has the potential to help flatten, democratize, and eliminate those petty nonprofit bureaucratic middlemen from many more philanthropic sectors than education.

Right now, Donors Choose is one of five finalists in an American Express contest that will reward $5 million to a charity selected by AmEx cardholders. Vote now for DonorsChoose.org.

Since I’m nearing the end of my summer at Yeshivat Hadar, there have been the requisite discussions among students about what would be most appropriate as gifts for our teachers.  And as usual, the debates have been heated and somewhat personal.  Besides negotiations as to how much everyone will give, we have to decide if and how much we want to donate back to the yeshiva.  And of course, everyone has an idea of what would be fantastic, and what would be a horrendous faux pas. 
Tis A Gift To Be Simple: and simplicity is a good guideline for gifts, too.
I am something of a gift maven.  I am the kind of person who buys something months in advance of someone’s birthday simply because I think it’s a very appropriate gift for that person, and I’m afraid it will be gone when I come back for it.  I write long personal cards full of superlatives, and I wrap things with pretty paper, and tie them up with sparkly bows.  That said, I don’t find gift giving to be easy.  In fact, sociologically, giving someone a present is a sign of aggression and I find myself acutely aware of this when I’m searching for the perfect birthday present.  I want to find something that my friend will like, and that will make it clear I was searching for exactly the right thing.  I’m also aware of this whenever I enter any Jewish institution, since they tend to be plastered with the names of donors, who kindly or generously gave this elevator, this classroom, this desk, this siddur, etc.  Jews, in fact, seem to be the progenitors of the aggressive gift, and while it seems to have gotten us in with some helpful types in the Bible, giving things away hasn’t exactly done wonders for contemporary Jews. 

Still, I think it’s important to show gratitude to our teachers and friends, and as a result I’ve come up with three golden rules of Jewish gift giving.  These should work for almost any Jewish occasion that would require a gift.

The Three Golden Rules of Jewish Gift Giving

1. Unless the person in question has died, giving money to a charity in someone’s name should at the very least be supplemented by a beautiful card.  Ideally, charitable donations will come with an additional small gift/keepsake for the giftee.  Because unless Aunt Sylvia can walk around with the Sylvia Glass Classroom, she has nothing to put on her coffee table so that her friends will sneak a peak and be jealous of how wonderful her great nieces and nephews are.  Plus, the classroom will soon be studded with old gum and wadded up pages from textbooks, but she’ll keep the card in her hope chest forever.

2. There’s a reason they call us the people of the book.  I highly recommend books for any and every occasion. If you can’t come up with an idea on your own find a medium sized independent bookstore (you can search for one close to your home at Booksense) and ask an employee.  At indie bookstores (a category that includes Judaica bookstores) the employees are far more likely to be well read and able to guide you towards an appropriate and classy choice. 

3. Buy them an unusual ritual object.  Everyone gets candlesticks and a Kiddush cup for their bar or bat mitzvah, but the best way to ensure your gift doesn’t end up in the bag of returns is to give something different, but still useful.  Consider an etrog case, a matzah cover, or a challah knife.  Other oft overlooked ritual items: an omer counter, a blech/hot plate, or a noisemaker for Purim.

Natan is an organization for young philanthropic Jews who want to distribute cash to small and start up organizations promoting change in the Jewish community in the States and in Israel. They’ve supported a number of awesome and impressive projects in the past (Mechon Hadar, Storahtelling, and Jdub Records, to name a few) and the deadline for 2008 Jewish Identity in North America grants is coming up in about a month.
Avodah, Jewish Service Corp: Another Natan Grant Recipient
So if you have an idea for an organization that will breathe new life into the North American Jewish community, or if you already work for or with such an organization, and you could use some cash for your operating budget, or for specific projects, I hope you’ll consider applying. To download the request for applications click here. To download an application click here, and make sure to have it in by the end of the day on June 25, 2007. Good luck!

There's only one way to get out of the obligation to give your friends wedding presents: They have to divorce within a year of the wedding. Rather than waiting to see if the marriage lasts, try these five usual gift ideas. After all, if the gift is clever enough, they might forget it's a year late.

Dining Out: Everybody likes a free meal1. The dinner date

You can’t go wrong with a dinner for two at a top restaurant in the couple’s town. If you don’t live in the same city (or don’t know what places would fit the bill) look on Citysearch. Call ahead to get a gift certificate for, say, $100 or $150, which should cover it even if you live somewhere expensive like New York. If the couple has children, you could really dig yourself out of the hole by offering to baby-sit.

Drink Up: Who wants one bottle when you could have twelve?2. The starter wine cellar

A case of wine (12 bottles) is a creative and infinitely useful gift. Even if the bride and groom don’t drink it, they’ll be covered for dinner parties for the next few months. This gift will most likely set you back over $100, but your local liquor store will usually give you a 10-20% discount. (Who has to know?) Since many states won’t let you ship wine, this works best if the couple lives in your city, or if you’re planning on driving to see them. If it’s awkward to suss out the couple’s favorite kind of wine, then just buy your favorite or ask the clerk for a recommendation. You could also try my favorite: Francis Ford Coppola’s Diamond Claret.

The Gift of Giving: Paying it forward

3. The gift that keeps on giving.

Charity can ease everyone’s conscience—which benefits not only you but the couple, after that ludicrously expensive wedding. Network for Good and Just Give are clearinghouses for charitable gifts, both with easy-to-navigate websites, that make giving in the couple’s name easy and offer a wide range of causes. Donate whatever amount you were planning to spend on the gift.

Squeaky Clean: White towels match every bathroom4.) The updated trousseau

My save-the-day wedding gift to give comes from Basiques, a cute Manhattan shop which recently relocated to Houston, Texas. At $199, this present is simple but swank. It’s a set of insanely plush terry towels: two bath, two hand, and two washcloths presented in a toile hatbox that the couple may like as much as what’s inside. The towels are white and the washcloths are monogrammed in whatever color you want. Who doesn’t need monogrammed white towels?

Choose Your Own Adventure: It's like giving them back their registry virginity5.) The one-size-fits-all

Sending them a gift certificate for wherever they registered is just plain efficient. Stores tend to close registries not long after the wedding, but a certificate allows the couple to fill in whatever they wanted and didn’t receive. Plus it won’t involve the couple having to return anything. Think about this: You were already late with the gift and now you’ve made it worse by giving them some vase (you love it; they think it’s hideous) that they now have to schlep back to the store? Not exactly the best way to make amends.