Out of the Box Ways to Give

Out of the Box Ways to Give

The holiday season is in full swing, and with it comes the usual onslaught of gift shopping madness. If this time of year leaves you in search of more meaningful gifting options, you’re not alone. Finding a gift outside the norm may require extra thought and care, but the genuine gratitude you’ll receive will make it more than worth your while. Whether you’re looking for creative alternative gift giving ideas or ways to give back, check out this handy list of out-of-the-box ways to give in lieu of the usual seasonal fare.

 

1. A Charity Donation

This one is a favorite go-to when it comes to giving while giving back. Spread awareness of a cause you’re passionate about by donating in someone else’s name, or contribute to her favorite cause for a gift that makes the world a better place.

 

2. Babysitting Vouchers for a Night Out

Help a loved one and her significant other get out and about for a much needed date night by offering a series of vouchers, each good for a night of babysitting, a weekend or even a day trip without the kids. You can even get crafty and create a whole coupon book.

 

3. Make a Purchase That Sponsors a Cause

Many stores contribute a portion of sales to charity this time of year. Whether a store follows a one-for-one donation match system (like TOMS) or supports ongoing holiday initiatives like the Macy’s Believe campaign for Make-A-Wish, carefully selecting where you buy gifts online is a simple way to add giving back to your holiday.

 

4. Take a Class Together

One of our favorite gift giving ideas is choosing an experience you can share together. Support local artists, chefs and teachers by enrolling in a fun class for you and a lucky friend or family member. Find a great wine and painting night, yoga class or Italian cooking class to get out, have fun and learn a new skill together.

 

5. Sponsor a Charity Race

Help someone find the motivation to get out and get moving by sponsoring her entry into an upcoming charity race. Whether it’s a 5K fun run or a marathon, entering a race is great way to support a cause and reach fitness aspirations. For bonus points, sign yourself up too, and train together.

 

6. Sponsor a Student Group

Sponsoring a local student group in someone’s name is a fun way to connect a gift recipient with the local community and inspire kids in the area to achieve great things. Win-win!

7. Craft Something Handmade From the Heart

Wondering what to get the person who has everything? A thoughtful, handmade gift is a great way to show you care, and it’s sure to become a treasured keepsake in her home or office.

8. Commit Hours to Volunteer

Dedicating some of your time to a cause your friend cares about is a fantastic way to show her your love and support. Gift giving can be tricky, but donating your time is a great gift that gives back.

 

Related Links:
Macy’s Coupons
Toms Promo Codes
Michael’s Coupons
Groupon Offers

Ebates CARES: Back to School Backpack Drive

Cityteam back to school backpack drive with Ebates

Back to School can be already be a stressful time of year for parents. Between the endless school supplies list and getting your kids out of summer mode, moms, dads and caregivers have their work cut out for them. But for those who are struggling to make ends meet, this is just another time of year where the need is great and help is most appreciated.

Cityteam logo

This is precisely why Ebates CARES decided to join forces with Cityteam San Francisco, a non-profit that provides real help and real hope to men, women, and at-risk youth in the Tenderloin and greater Bay Area. Cityteam provides family services, hot meals, job and housing placement and beyond. They gave Ebates CARES the goal of raising 75 backpacks full of essential school supplies for kids of all ages and we are so proud to say we met that goal with a gold star!

Ebates CARES backpack drive

While shopping for and assembling the backpacks was certainly fun, the best part was this collection of happy little faces and knowing they had one less thing to worry about this school year. Plus, each backpack came with a hand-written note of encouragement from an Ebates team member on how to reach for the stars, both inside the classroom and outside.

Cityteam backpack drive

Cityteam back to school backpack drive

We had so much fun getting together and giving to children in need. If you’re interested in volunteering with Cityteam, they have chapters in San Jose, Philadelphia, Oakland and Portland as well as overseas. And if you can’t donate time, you can always donate a few extra bucks. Everything helps!

EbatesCARES logo

7 Charitable Stores That Give More Than Cash Back

Hands holding a post it note saying Give

When your online-shopping order finally arrives in your mailbox, it is a day to celebrate. But wouldn’t it be so much better if your purchase did some good in the world as well?

Shop our list of stores that give back, and get the goods you want while helping those in need. You’ll love what these charitable stores are doing to make a difference in the world. Plus, when you shop with Ebates, you’ll earn Cash Back on your purchases while you’re shopping for a good cause. It’s a win-win!

Toms

How TOMS gives page

Toms is not only becoming a household name in comfy footwear, but it’s also gaining a reputation for its “One for One” slogan. For every pair of shoes you purchase, the company gives a pair to a child in need. But the company’s good work doesn’t stop there. For each eyewear purchase, Toms provides sight-saving surgery or prescription glasses for a person in need. When you purchase a bag, the company provides training for birth attendants and materials to ensure children are born safely all over the world. Toms also sources jobs in the countries in which it donates, and has given to support the eradication of diseases.

Savings Tips:
• Sale items still provide to those in need while saving you 25 percent.
• Sign up for emails and save 10 percent on your initial order with a promo code.
• Shop often to find free-shipping offers with minimum purchase.
• Sign up for Toms Passport Rewards and earn stamps toward rewards and get exclusive savings.

Better World Books

Better World Books accepts book donations and sells those books to be enjoyed by another reader. The company has raised funds to help literacy programs while keeping books out of landfills. Every purchase also provides a book donation to someone in need.

Savings Tips:
• Save up to 90 percent when you shop used textbooks.
• The Bargain Bin offers three books for $10 or four books for $12, so you can save big on your next order.
• Shop for good and get free shipping worldwide.

National Geographic Store

National Geographic store page

National Geographic has always been about making a difference, and your purchase is no different. Every item delivered to your door will help this nonprofit in its pursuit of conservation, exploration, research and education. You’ll find gifts and gadgets to enjoy at home or during your next travel excursion.

Savings Tips:
• Save up to 70 percent on jewelry, clothing, books and more with sale items.
• With the corporate gift program, you can get up to 25 percent off corporate purchases that meet the minimum order requirements.
• Sign up for emails to get the latest discounts and special offers.

ASOS

ASOS Africa page

ASOS Africa takes its Fashion With Integrity program to the next level with a fashion line specifically for a cause. When you purchase an ASOS Africa or Jessica Ogden for ASOS item, the company donates $9 to find solutions to help the Kenyan economy. In addition, each item is made in Kenya to promote jobs and support SOKO, a workshop with the same values.

Savings Tips:
• Save up to 70 percent with special sale items. Dresses, tops, jeans and accessories are all marked down to a fraction of their original price.
• Students registered with UNiDAYS save an extra 10 percent on every purchase.
• Get unlimited two-day shipping when you sign up for Premier Delivery.

Build-A-Bear Workshop

Over the years, Build-A-Bear Workshop has donated more than $46 million through its Share Your Heart Program in partnership with Petfinders, Toys for Tots, Huggable Heroes, Make-A-Wish, Save the Children and Barnardo’s.

Savings Tips:
• Shop outlet goods to save up to 40 percent off special items.
• During special holiday sales events, get great deals like buy one, get one 40 percent 0ff.
• Join the Stuff Fur Stuff program and earn points toward a $10 certificate.
• Spend $40 or more and get free shipping on your order.

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Petco

The Petco Foundation page

The Petco Foundation helps find loving homes for thousands of pets every year. The foundation funds animal programs such as cancer research and therapy-pet initiatives to help make the world a little better for our furry and not-so-furry friends.

Savings Tips:
• Shop sale items and save up to 50 percent on toys, food and supplies for your pet.
• Save up to 20 percent when you get your pet’s food automatically delivered to your door, plus get a $30 e-gift card when you enroll.
• Earn 5 percent back on all purchases with Petco Pals Rewards.

Kohl’s

When looking for charitable companies, Kohl’s is a leader in the giving department. Purchase select children’s books or a corresponding plush toy to support kid’s health and wellness programs and environmental initiatives. The Kohl’s Cares program gives 100 percent of its profits to charity, with nearly $300 million raised.

Savings Tips:
• Save up to 70 percent during clearance events, and get up to 80 percent off with final clearance items.
• Shop during the Kohl’s Cash program to earn $10 for every $50 you spend.
• With Yes2You Rewards, you’ll earn a $5 reward when you earn 100 points.

13 Simplified New Year’s Resolutions

2016 woman standing in the sunIt’s that time of year again when we reflect on the last 365 days and audit them for triumphs and mistakes, what worked and what didn’t work. As we focus on areas that still need improvement, we set a goal that will undoubtedly make our lives better and happier. The only problem is that most New Year’s resolutions tend to be a bit lofty and many people end up failing to meet them. Instead of leaping head first into a big goal this New Year’s Eve, we at Ebates advise taking some baby steps instead. We have taken 13 common New Year’s resolution ideas and whittled them down to microresolutions anyone can meet.

1. Lose Weight

This is a tough one. There are almost too many ways to approach losing weight if you feel you need to. First, forget the number on the scale and ditch the time table. The added pressure of trying to lose X amount by Y date can sabotage you. Instead, think of one or two things you can easily do starting right now, like eating salads for lunch or moving your body for 10 minutes, three times a day. Don’t think of this as underachieving. Think of it as just the starting line! Once you conquer this goal and make it a habit, you can move on to the next step with confidence.

woman smoking a cigarette2. Quit a Habit or Addiction

Again, there are many ways to approach dropping a bad habit or addressing your addiction. Remember that in some cases, you could be dealing with a chemical dependency. Behaviors are also very hard to break. Your first goal should be finding a method of help that would best suit your situation. Whether it’s literature, professional help, 12-step groups or beyond, make seeking help your goal. From there, an action plan will surely emerge to get you to the bigger goal of kicking your habit.

3. Get a New Job

This one is just not totally up to you, sorry. Whether or not you score a new job is up to one person–the hiring manager who will extend you an offer. Instead, update your resume and LinkedIn profile, seek out career counseling to get some feedback on your approach to job searching. You can also set goals for how much time you will spend searching for and applying to jobs, such as an hour or two a day.

4. Get Out of Debt

Depending on how deep in debt you are, this is something that can easily take more than a year. The first step is finding out how many expenses you are willing to cut from your budget and how much money you can easily put aside each month or each paycheck to both pay off your bills faster and avoid accruing even more debt. These are small, sensible goals you can stick to. And before you know it, your debt will become a lot more manageable.

planner organizer5. Get Organized

Blanket statements like “I’m going to organize my life!” can overwhelm you in seconds flat. You may have multiple areas in your life that need to be organized but picking one should be your first goal. Whether it’s your closet, your desk, your schedule or that mounting stack of coupons on your kitchen counter, start in one place and do not move on until it is in order. Clean out that closet and find a place for everything then buy yourself a weekly planner and get that schedule in check. Make steady progress and you’ll feel more organized in no time.

6. Spend More Time With Loved Ones

Finding more time for anything can sometimes just not be an option with the demands of work and other responsibilities. As an alternative, why not make the time we already spend with family and friends count? Putting away your phone or turning off the TV during meals is a good start. Planning fun activities in advance for the weekends doesn’t have to require a lot of money or travel. Sometimes it’s just your attention and not your schedule that need the adjustment.

7. Live Stress Free

For those who suffer from anxiety, this is not a simple goal and perhaps not something you can do on your own. Seeking the help of your doctor is a reasonable goal. You can also sign up for a yoga class. Practicing gratitude is also very effective in alleviating stress. Do this by keeping a journal of things to be grateful for and update it every time you are feeling overwhelmed. Also, count your complaints. Every time you have the urge to complain, recognize your frustrations but also counter them with finding something positive in the situation.

8. Enjoy Life to Its Fullest

First of all, what does this even mean to you? Generally, we think most people just want to be happier. When you’re happy, you enjoy life. So how can you be happy? Again, we suggest starting small. Do one thing every day that you enjoy, but that is good for you or constructive. This can be exercise, calling a loved one, painting your toenails, whatever. It doesn’t have to cost money or take a lot of time. Knowing that you are dedicating a portion of each day to self-care reinforces the idea that you are important.

woman at airport9. Travel More

Vowing to travel more this year could be a lofty resolution. Plus, you never know what 2016 is going to throw at you to derail any dream destinations you have set in your mind. Planning one trip, however, is completely sensible and doesn’t even have to involve a deadline. Start by picking a destination then estimate how much money you would like to save for the trip. From there, you can figure out a monthly savings plan that is sensible for your income and normal expenses. It may take another year but you will eventually have enough to take the trip of a lifetime.

10. Rekindle a Relationship

Maybe things are tense between you and a friend or loved one or perhaps you haven’t even spoken in a long time. Repairing or rekindling a relationship is really only half up to you. You can take the steps to initiate contact, but they may not be met to your satisfaction. A feasible goal would be just to reach out in the first place. This may need to include making an amends to clear the air. The rest is up to them. If they are not receptive, at least you can move on knowing you did your best.

11. Get 8 Hours of Sleep

If you normally conk out at midnight only roll out of bed at 6 a.m., it is not sensible to suddenly resolve to get to bed every night by 10. Treat yourself like a toddler and ween into an earlier bedtime by bumping it up 15 minutes at a time. After a few days of lights out by 11:45, go for 11:30 and so on. Gradually, you will get to an ideal bedtime and find yourself all the more rejuvenated by getting more sleep.

12. Kick Your Social Media/TV Habit

Whether you’re a compulsive Tweeter or a Netflix binger, it’s always important to address how much time you spend in front of a screen but it’s not totally realistic to go cold turkey. Deleting all your social media accounts is a tad drastic. So, too, is throwing your TV out the window. Instead, set yourself appointments to check your feeds. Once in the morning and once at night for 20 minutes is a good start. TV watchers can use the same principle but it could also be a good idea to downgrade your cable subscription. Having unlimited access to TV can result in a lot of mindless watching.

food donation box13. Be More Giving

This is one of our favorite resolutions but one that many fail at for one simple reason. Opportunities to be more generous don’t always make themselves available. It is up to us to seek them out. Some people find a charity and set up a recurring contribution while others donate a few hours of their time each month to a soup kitchen, animal shelter, etc. These are simple giving goals that can make a big difference for both you and the lives they touch. Be proactive!

Prices and Cash Back percentages are subject to change. 

Ebates Adopt a Family Holiday Donation Drive

holiday donations

During this holiday season, Ebates employees wanted nothing more than to give back to their local community in the beautiful city of San Francisco and its citizens in need. We teamed up with La Casa de Las Madres for their Adopt a Family Program to spread some holiday cheer with some needed winter gifts and more.

La Casa de Las Madres serves domestic violence victims of all ages with a crisis line, emergency shelter, legal assistance and counseling. Through their holiday Adopt a Family program, Ebates employees “adopted” three families and provided them the holiday gifts they requested on their wishlists. We then gathered in our kitchen at our San Francisco office to wrap presents together while enjoying some snacks and dancing around to an ultimate holiday playlist. It was indeed a merry time made even sweeter by knowing our gifts would brighten someone’s day.

Ebates Adopt-A-Family Gifts

After we wrapped our gifts, we got together to create gift baskets full of fun items for La Casa de Las Madres’ New Years Eve party! We provided the 35 women and children staying at the shelter during the holiday with decorations, games, noise makers, playing cards, coloring books, bubbles, apple cider and even some needed essentials like socks.

Ebates Adopt-A-Family Wrapping

We were so grateful to be able to work with such a wonderful organization to make some holiday wishes come true. A big “thank you” again to La Casa de Las Madres!

Prices and Cash Back percentages are subject to change. 

Support Movember in Style With TOMS

Shop TOMS to support Movember

Are you ready for the hairiest month of the year? Movember is all about raising awareness around men’s physical and mental health and TOMS wants you to get in on the movement. They have teamed up with the Movember Foundation, which invests in biomedical and clinical research for prostate and testicular cancer. Shop TOMS Movember limited edition shoes and shades for men and women and 5% of the retail price will go to the Movember Foundation.

Check out this special collection of TOMS shoes below.

As always, with every TOMS product you purchase, TOMS will help a person in need. One for One®.

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And if you must have more mustache…

There are plenty of ways to support Movember through sporting your support and growing your own ‘stache to raise awareness and funds. Visit us.movember.com to find out about more ways to take a stand for men’s health.

 

 

 

Prices and Cash Back Percentages are subject to change.

Cash Back Stores That Benefit Breast Cancer Awareness

Breast Cancer Awareness Stores

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and one of the only times your purchases can serve the enormous purpose of benefiting breast cancer research and prevention. If you’re planning on doing some shopping this month, start at these Cash Back stores that benefit vital organizations, like the National Breast Cancer Foundation, and aim to raise awareness about the signs of breast cancer and the importance of regular health exams. Put your money where your heart is and support these amazing causes.

Shop online at Rue21

rue21

Stock up on fall essentials for men and women from denim to sweater dresses while contributing to the Glimmer of Hope foundation.

Shop rue21 With 2.5% Cash Back>

Dick’s Sporting Goods

Sport your support by playing and training hard in pink apparel. Dick’s has already donated $250,000 to the National Breast Cancer Foundation this year.

Shop Dick’s Sporting Goods With 1.5% Cash Back>

Shop Macys for Breast Cancer Awareness

Macy’s

From home goods to wardrobe staples, you can find it all at the Pink Shop at Macy’s. All purchases will contribute to various organizations dedicated to the fight against breast cancer.

Shop Macy’s With 6% Cash Back>

Shop Estee Lauder for Breast Cancer Awareness


Estée Lauder

Shop the Evelyn Lauder Dream Collection of cosmetics, fragrance, skin care and more to spread awareness and contribute to funding the Breast Cancer Research Fund.

Shop Estée Lauder With 3% Cash Back>

Origins

Purchase the Make a Difference Rejuvenating Hand Treatment and a portion will go to the Estée Lauder Companies Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Shop Origins With 4% Cash Back>

Shop Torrid for Breast Cancer Awareness

Torrid

Shop Torrid’s Breast Cancer Awareness Collection and dress your curves for the cause while contributing to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. If you plan on shopping in-store, consider making a direct donation at the register. Every penny counts.

Shop Torrid With 4% Cash Back>

 

 

Prices and Cash Back Percentages are subject to change.