THE 2012 GREENER GIVING GUIDE

If you’re sick of tossing out sale fliers, waiting in traffic, battling mall-goers and seeing the spirit of giving hurt the planet — don’t despair. Holiday giving has its tradeoffs no matter how you shake the snowglobe, but there are ways to do good for the planet in the process. The Center for Biological Diversity is offering the guide below so you can keep your commitment to endangered species alive and well throughout the glitzy, consumerist holiday season. Not only will your friends, coworkers and family feel important because you’ve given them something important; they’ll also get to share your dedication to the plants and animals of the world.

So stay home, fire up the kettle and check out our ideas for giving — whether you’re looking for a better way to stuff the stocking or you want a gift that doesn’t have to be shipped. Happier, greener holidays to you, from all of us at the Center.

1. Give the gift of helping endangered plants and animals . . .

. . . with a gift membership to the Center for Biological Diversity. Wondering what to get for that person on your list who has everything? Have no idea what your environmentally savvy friend wants this year? Maybe you have a cousin or classmate who talks about animals all the time. Give the gift that truly keeps on giving — all year long — with a gift membership. Membership also includes a subscription to our chock-full-of-substance membership newsletter, Endangered Earth. We’ll use your gift to a deserving friend, colleague or family member to win stronger protections for endangered species around the globe.

2. Give a gift now — for a brighter future.

If you want to give one of the most meaningful gifts around, leave a legacy for our planet and the diverse life it supports by making a bequest to the Center. Ask your attorney or trusted financial advisor to help you find the best type of bequest for your situation, which may include naming the Center in your will or as a beneficiary in a retirement plan, IRA or charitable trust. Your planned gift will help ensure the continued effectiveness of the most effective species-oriented conservation organization (the Center, of course!) in protecting animals, plants and wildlands for many years to come.

3. Choices, choices and more shopping choices.

Want a larger selection of places to find gifts? That’s just where iGive.com comes in. This cyber-mall is much kinder and gentler than the big-box variety. (Read: You won’t need protective padding to get to the front of the line here.) And your purchases at more than 800 stores will help raise dollars for the Center. Choose from books, arts and crafts, gourmet food, garden tools, gifts for the family pet and much, much more. Sign up today to support the Center through iGive.com.

4. Six eco-reads for the bookworm on your list:

Eco Barons: The New Heroes of Environmental Activism, by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edward Humes, tells the story of influential conservation innovators like the Center — devoting a fourth of its pages to our history and achievements. At Powells.com, it’s available in both hardcover (with its original subtitle) and softcover.

Predatory Bureaucracy: The Extermination of Wolves and the Transformation of the West, written by the Center’s own Michael J. Robinson, tracks the plight of wolves in the West from the days of the conquistadors to the present.

National Geographic and photographer Joel Sartore present Rare: Portraits of America's Endangered Species, a book full of breathtaking photographs of endangered animals large and small. Sartore is a 17-year National Geographic contributor and a solid Center ally. (See below for a special offer to purchase discounted photo prints.)

The Shimmers in the Night, by Center staff writer Lydia Millet, is the second book in her eco-fantasy series The Dissenters. It’s the perfect gift for young readers on your list — from 9 years old up. It features Cara and her two best friends, who help to fight a sinister force trying to make the planet over in its own image — and leave no space for other animals, plants or people. Shimmers is a Junior Library Guild Selection and a great way to introduce preteens and teens to themes of global warming and ocean acidification in a way that intrigues and inspires them.

Modern Icons: The Sacrifice of Endangered Species of the American Southwest, by Mary Francis, features exquisitely painted images of once-familiar Southwest species now scarce or endangered. Short descriptions of the plant or animal species, its habitat and the root cause of its endangerment accompany each painting. You can rest easy knowing your purchase helps protect and recover the species featured. Francis will donate 50 percent of the book price to the Center. Order here and support conservation. (Not currently available through Powells.com.)

Finally, The Rebirth of Environmentalism: Grassroots Activism from the Spotted Owl to the Polar Bear, by sociologist and Center ally Doug Bevington, is a sweeping examination of how grassroots environmentalists reinvented and reinvigorated the environmental movement in the 1990s — with the Center (largely) at its center.

5. Buy a photo, help save wildlife.

The Center is proud to announce a new collaboration with one of the world’s most important nature photographers, Joel Sartore. Like the Center, Joel is dedicated to telling the story of rare and vanishing species as well as the promise of protection offered by the Endangered Species Act. Friends of the Center can purchase any photo in the collection at a discount and the Center will receive 5 percent or more of each purchase. The photos make great gifts, either for yourself or someone you know. Find out more here or go directly to purchase a photo, but make sure to enter the special code: CBD5, CBD7 or CBD10.

6. Help erase extinction with style.

We bet no one on your list has one of Kikkerland’s endangered species erasers — colorful, oversized erasers realistically shaped like rhinos, gorillas and polar bears. Every time your loved one erases a mistake on paper, he or she will be reminded of one mega-mistake we’re all working to correct: the extinction crisis. Order these erasers today and the Center will get part of the proceeds.

7. Stuff a stocking with a mini-species.

If you’re looking for a stocking stuffer that’s fun, cute, educational and motivational (plus biologically friendly), you can’t beat the “Milkdot Bandits” keychains: tiny plush masked animals perfect for clipping to the backpack or keychain of any kid (or kid at heart) interested in saving endangered species. Each keychain resembles a different animal and “shares its own tale in hopes of heightening awareness of the plight that faces many endangered animals today.” And 5 percent of their purchase price goes to the Center.

8. Why not give some “killer” jewelry this year?

Any vampire fans on your list? The “Care A Little More” necklace was designed out of love and respect for nature by talented True Blood star, Kristin Bauer van Straten (Pam De Beaufort). A portion of sales go to support the Center for Biological Diversity. The necklace is also eco-conscious, made with recycled silver and bronze here in the United States. Buy one for yourself or for someone dear.

9. Promote conservation conversations by giving — and wearing — Center apparel.

Have a lot of holiday parties to go to? Let your clothes break the ice by wearing Center for Biological Diversity shirts made of organic cotton and boasting the Center's logo frog (to be found at our online store). The backs of the shirts (both long-sleeved and short) include a block-patterened list of many of the animals and plants that the Center has worked hard to protect, giving you plenty of conversation topics. Or if you choose to buy Center apparel as a gift (as we should've been encouraging from the start, this being a giving guide and all), you can show off your conservation knowledge to your giftee and get him or her excited about saving species (if they aren't already, that is).

10. Cause-shop without leaving your couch.

Recoup isn’t just another daily deal website; it’s a cause-shopping online platform that allows you to shop for the things you want, save money with exclusive promotions and support what you’re passionate about. The more shoppers who choose the Center for Biological Diversity as the cause they want to support, the more donations we receive. On top of the “automatic” amount (10 percent of the sale price) donated to us for each purchase, shoppers can also choose to give part or their entire discount as a tax-deductible contribution. Click here to start shopping.

11. Using eBay to holiday shop? Make it count for wildlife.

Shopping on eBay this holiday season? Every time you buy an item using this special page, the seller will donate 10 percent to 100 percent of the final sale price to our cause. You can also donate directly to the Center for Biological Diversity through PayPal when you’re checking out. Even better, sell your own items for extra cash and donate a percentage of your listing’s final sale price. For more information on how to use eBay Giving Works, click here.

12. Go green and save some green.

The holidays don’t have to just be about spending money. By leasing solar panels with Sungevity, you can save money on your current electricity bill, at the same time reducing your carbon footprint and supporting the Center for Biological Diversity. Click here to get more information and request a free solar-panel “iQuote.” Once your panels are installed and inspected, you’ll get a $750 cash gift card, and Sungevity will donate $750 to the Center. Get panels for your own home or for a green homeowneron your list.

13. Soothe your lips while supporting wildlife.

What do chapped lips have to do with saving polar bears, pika, jaguars, green sturgeon and other imperiled species? When you stuff someone’s stocking with the new Endangered Wildlife Lip Balm, 25 percent of the balm’s cost will go straight to Center programs to save those very species — which are charmingly depicted on the tubes, to help spread the species-saving message. And besides tasting and smelling yummy with flavors like vanilla, lavender orange and spearmint, this lip balm is 100 percent organic, handcrafted and cruelty-free.

14. Give to the nonhuman needy — endangered plants and animals.

While you're finding green gifts for all those Homo sapiens on your list, you can also help the Center take care of the planet’s other species with a donation to our cause. Animals and plants may not know the holidays from a hole in the ground, but they sure feel the difference between recovery and teetering on the brink of extinction. Help us help them and you’ll get a warm feeling inside that’s better than spiked eggnog. If you prefer to do your online contributions through PayPal, click here to use Network for Good and make your gift to the Center. Through Network for Good you may choose PayPal as your method of payment for a one-time or monthly gift.

15. This year ask for donations instead of presents.

If you don’t want to add to the present-buying frenzy, have your holiday or birthday make a lasting, positive impact on saving endangered species instead of getting conventional gifts. Ask your friends to donate what they would have spent on a gift to your favorite cause using Causes.com. You can use Facebook and Twitter to help spread the word. Click here to get started.  

Do you have an idea for going greener this holiday season? Or are you helping support the Center through your work or business? Send us your thoughts at membership@biologicaldiversity.org.

Check back regularly, as we’ll be updating this guide until the end of the year.