Charity gifts, bad idea for teens?

I have a bit of a problem of what gifts to give to my two half sisters, ages 13 and 16. They have everything. I mean it, they have so much stuff its not funny. I really don't want to give them something that will just get added to the pile of things they receive on Christmas day, and I find it very hard to choose something they will like as they are kind of fussy, and I hardly see them (maybe only once a year) so I really don't know what they're into. They are very caring girls though, and love helping people. I would love to get them a charity gift, I thought maybe some chickens from World Vision for example, and I could write in the card something like 'I really wanted to send you some chickens, to provide you with eggs every day, but you already have some.. so I bought some for a disadvantaged family in Africa who really need them instead and said they were from you."

What do you think? Is this kind of thing a bad gift idea for teens, I mean will they likely to feel disappointed at not receiveing something for themselves?

I think it sounds like a great idea.

Lovely idea.

I like it and think it would be a good gift! You could also print a voucher and say something like "I'll donate $x to a charity of your choice" so they can pick the cause they want to support.

i got a chicken this year i thought it was awesome :) im not a teenager but i thought it was cool

I think it's a great idea, you would know the girls better than me but most girls I know of that age wouldn't appreciate it. I would get them something small (a movie voucher?) to go with it.

thank you, I think I'm going to do it! I'm sure they are old enough to 'get it', I mean I don't think I'd do it for my younger neices and nephews but at their age I'm pretty sure it'll be ok. The first time I was in Africa the oldest half sister was 13 at the time, and she sent over some things she had made for me to give to the kids there and also was very interested in having a penpal there.. the more I think about it, the more confident I am they will be happy :)

Awesome idea. My nan bought me a mosquito net this year :D

That said, I do mildly prefer the Oxfam cards because there is no religious obligation on recipients of their aid. And they kinda had the idea first. That is just me though - and don't let this old fusspot stop you helping the world!

Last year for Xmas I bought my snooty spoiled 11 yo BIL (who has everything a kid could want plus infinity) an Oxfam goat :) He didn't like it or really get it because he doesn't know about poor starving people :shakehead: and MIL thought it was cheap. Meh.

I think it's a great idea!

i love the idea and you know the girls better than us as to if they will like it. i think some teenages would love it and some would hate it/not get it
My mum always does a KIVA donation for every occasion - even for my littlies (2 and 4 yo). they get a present too but i explain we are helping others who have way less than us too. they love choosing who to donate to - and we then look at pics of the country they are from etc (much younger kids but i love to instil charity from young age)

Thanks for the replies, I ended up calling my dad (they are his girls) and asking him what he thought. He thought it was a great idea, and said they would really appreciate it as they had watched something on tv about it recently. Also the oldest one has since said she would love to come with me on one of my trips to Africa to volunteer, so I have no doubt they will appreciate it. So I got them a goat! I did it through Oxfam, (thanks Audax!) even though they don't list Tanzania (country close to my heart) as one of the countries they assist in, but the World Vision website wasn't working for me. So anyway, I was telling my other two sisters about the goat gift and they also thought it was a great idea and even asked me to do the same for their kids! So in the end I bought 1 goat, 5 chickens, toys for kids in South Africa and a mozzie net for my mum. $140 to charity, no junk gifts, no waste, and everyone is happy :D

What abt the oxfam poo?! That's the best gift ever! ;-)

Yeah we love the oxfam unwrapped range. We have done it for teenagers. To be honest when they opened it they were taken aback. Hopefully it gave them pause for thought though.

we love the TEAR "arguably the world's most useful gift catalogue"

we've mostly had great responses, but a small number of people have been critical, saying that we haven't given *them* a gift ... but those responses have been such a minority we haven't taken it too much to heart ;)