Meaningful Mother's Day Gifts

Unique, Thoughtful, and Inexpensive Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

Apr 22, 2009

Looking for meaningful Mother's Day gift ideas? Give a gift that gives back. Check out these ideas for unique and heartfelt ways to honor your mom and help the world.

A recent survey, part of the 2008 Costumer Loyalty Engagement Index study by BrandKeys, spells it out pretty clearly: Mother’s Day is one of the biggest gift-giving occasions of the year. Men were estimated to spend $170 on Mother’s Day in 2008, and women were estimated to spend $110. The most popular Mother’s Day gifts? Cards, flowers, and a special meal were the top choices among the 1,200 people surveyed last year.

Blossoms and greeting cards are fine, but this year, why not give a more creative Mother’s Day gift? Here are some inexpensive yet meaningful Mother's Day gift ideas that will clearly communicate a message of love and appreciation. Plus, they'll help make this world a better place for moms and kids everywhere.

International Rescue Committee Gift Basket

For a unique Mother's Day gift that will help moms in need around the world, the International Rescue Committee offers a Mother’s Day Gift Basket. A donation as low as $25 buys a symbolic gift basket filled with services including high-quality prenatal care, obstetric services, education for women and key programs that the IRC provides for refugees fleeing violent conflicts in their homelands.

If you buy a basket in your mother’s name, the IRC sends you a touching tribute card describing the Mother’s Day Basket. Present this to your mom with a note about how she’s come to your aid time and time again, and you’re sure to get a big hug and a smile.

Dream Bank Pledge

Here's the perfect Mother's Day gift for a mom who's been longing for a trip to Paris. A new website with the motto “Give Dreams, Not Stuff” offers a simple way to help her take the first step toward turning her Parisian fantasy into a reality. At DreamBank.org, users can post a “dream gift” for free. Once that’s done, family members, friends, and even mom herself can contribute funds toward making this dream come true, at a cost of $2.25 per contribution -- less than the cost of wrapping a gift, as the site points out. Contributions can be made a little a time.

One other feel-good feature of this Mother's Day gift: ten percent of DreamBank revenue is distributed to a charity chosen by “the dreamers” who use the site (choices include African Wildlife Foundation, CARE, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières, Global Greengrants Fund, Kiva MicroFinance and Save the Children).

Heifer International Honey Bee Hive

For a donation of $30, the respected charity organization Heifer International will provide a family in need with a package of bees, the box and hive, plus training in beekeeping. This can be a huge boost for a family's livelihood, as the hive’s honey can be sold as well as consumed. If you make the donation in your mother’s name, the organization will send you a card describing your gift. Present the card to your mother along with a big jar of honey and a box of her favorite tea for a really sweet and unique Mother's Day gift.

This year, why not think outside of the chocolate box? A donation made in your mom's honor, accompanied by a heartfelt card or small memento, will make this Mother's Day truly memorable.

The copyright of the article Meaningful Mother's Day Gifts in Affordable Family Fun is owned by DJ Marks. Permission to republish Meaningful Mother's Day Gifts in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.