Gifts that Give Back: The Ultimate Holiday Present

    ANAHEIM, CA, December 05, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- This year, more than ever, people are looking beyond the typical, choosing gifts that give back, supporting companies that do the same, and turning to charity-based apps like PinRaise for help with both.

"Shoppers will spend $656 billion between now and Jan. 1, according to the National Retail Federation," said US News. "Imagine how great you'll feel if" your money is going toward helping people. "You can do good, feel good and, by narrowing your scope of possible gifts, create a better shopping experience, too."

This growing trend appeals "to consumers who want to give gifts and give back at the same time," said Mashable. The popularity of the movement means there is an ever-growing list of merchants and products that fit the bill. Gifts that give back are available in a wide variety of products and services from both brick-and-mortar shops and online retailers, and apps like PinRaise make them easy to find and purchase.

There are more than 400 Orange County merchants signed up to give back through PinRaise, with a portion of the purchase of goods and services going to the charity of your choice. They include: bike shops offering a donation of between three and 10 percent, jewelry stores donating between three and 25 percent, and numerous restaurants including Stefano's offing a $5 dollar donation when you purchase a Ham or Turkey, day spas, clothing stores, sporting goods, and even limo service. This year, when you treat your friends and family to their holiday gifts, there can be something extra special behind each one.

Giving back: More popular than ever

Charitable giving is on the rise, having reached $373.3 billion in 2015, "up 4 percent from the previous year, according to estimates from 'Giving USA,'" said the Chronicle of Philanthropy. That trend has continued into 2016, and Philanthropy Outlook predicts that "contributions from all sources of giving" will continue to grow in 2017. For the two years, they maintain that, "The total giving rate is expected to rise above the 5-year, 10-year, and 25-year annualized averages."

That's good news all around--for the companies with a commitment to giving back who are able to increase their charitable contributions and raise awareness of their philanthropy; for the charities who see an uptick in contributions at such a critical time of the year; for those receiving the gifts who appreciate the idea and meaning behind them; and for consumers looking to increase their charitable giving in the easiest possible way. Locating a merchant, or a "Business with Heart ", in the PinRaise network is done in just a few taps of the GPS-enabled app to make a purchase and direct an online donation toward one of PinRaise's 94 nonprofits.

For more information about how to give back with PinRaise, please visit the website, or search for partner merchants on the Merchants List page. You can also learn more about becoming a PinRaise Business with Heart TM here. If you're a nonprofit who would like to be involved with PinRaise, please visit the "For Nonprofits" page.

The PinRaise application encourages and directs users to select and then patronize the PinRaise network of sponsored businesses. These "Business with Heart" sponsors redirect a portion of each transaction automatically to that user's personal charitable cause.

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