Looking for charity advice

TheQuestion

I'm particularly looking forward to Christmas this year, as I'm going to whole-heartedly embrace the principle that giving is more fulfilling than receiving. I have put the word out to my nieces and nephews to expect a bonanza this Christmas, as my mood has temporarily been elevated to that of benevolent crazy uncle.
The fact that they are, to a man and woman, self-serving, pampered, indolent and allergic to industry has prompted me to consider charity Christmas gifts, a fact I may have neglected to mention when spreading the bonanza rumour. So in the words of Chris Rea "I can't wait to see their faces...."
I'm looking for ideas for something that can be opened on the day that looks like it might be money. A card promising an African cow is nice, but I'd prefer something Irish, like a sleeping bag for a homeless person.
All suggestions welcome!

Shoe Lover

St. Vincent de Paul springs to mind and they are who I'll be supporting this Christmas. They do a lot of work through the whole year. Other suggestion could be focus Ireland or the simon community.

racso1975

Check if any of the local charity shops do gift cards. The charity gets the money even if their egos are too big to go into one and use the voucher. I find they are a fantastic necessity.

MouseTail

What a wierd thing to do. Why not donate to a charity and give a small token gift to your family members? Why do they need to know about the largesse of your charitable giving?

Posy

I'm locking this thread pending some clarification from the OP.
Donating to charity is a great thing to do at Christmas, but if you're doing so as some sort of trick, it doesn't sound very nice.