Charity Gift Ideas for Every Occasion & Budget

Meaningful Gifts for Everyone.

Three chickens for Christmas? A mosquito net for a birthday? When it comes to finding a gift that's a little out of the ordinary, charity gifts offer plenty of unexpected ideas.

Through ChildFund Australia's Gifts for Good, you can make a donation in someone's name and send a personalised card explaining the gift. With options for different occasions and budgets, there's something for birthdays, Christmas and other milestones.

From finding the right present to understanding how your donation works and which gifts are tax deductible (spoiler: most are!), here's what you need to know.

Charity gift ideas by budget

From Secret Santa presents to gifts for a special celebration, browse the options by price to find one that feels right.

Gifts under $30

• Mosquito net: An insecticide-treated mosquito net is a simple, cost-effective way to help protect families from malaria.
• Warm jacket: Helps keep children warm through the cooler months and protects them from the cold.
• School supplies: The essentials children need for the school year, from a backpack to pencils and notebooks.

Gifts under $50

• Three chickens: Chickens that can provide eggs for food, manure for crops and an opportunity to earn income.
• Three fruit trees and veggie seeds: Seeds and trees that can help families grow nutritious food and sell extra produce.
• Newborn essentials kit: Towels, blankets, nappies, soap and mosquito nets to help parents care for a newborn.

Gifts under $100

• Child vaccinations: Support for protecting children against preventable diseases.
• A birthing kit: Essential items to support a safer birth in a rural community.
• A bed for a child: A bed to give a child a more comfortable place to sleep.

Gifts over $100

• One handwashing station: Facilities that support better hygiene and help prevent illness.
• Safe and sound bundle: Two mattresses, blankets, pillows and two mosquito nets.
• Farmyard bundle: A mix of livestock, including goats, chickens, sheep and pigs.

@CFA2026

Charity gift ideas by occasion

Christmas, birthdays, Father’s Day, office farewells, weddings – the calendar offers plenty of reasons to give a gift. But what do you get for someone who seems to have just about everything?

Christmas

Looking for a Christmas gift that's a little more meaningful? How about three fruit trees to help a family grow their own food, vegetable seeds for a home garden or a crisis pack for a family affected by disaster?

And for something they can actually unwrap, there's our new Chicken Plushie. It's soft, cuddly and comes with a bigger purpose: every purchase helps provide six real chickens for a family. Shopping with friends or family? The Season of Giving bundle is another way to pool your contributions.

Choose a postal card or printable PDF to go with your gift. If you'd like it to arrive in the post, please allow 10 days for delivery and order by 9 December 2026. Prefer to print it yourself? Your PDF card will be emailed straight to you, ready to print at home.

Birthdays

A birthday is a chance to show someone how well you know them, or surprise them with something a little unexpected. Whether it's a lifelong friend or someone you've only recently met, a Gift for Good is a thoughtful way to mark the occasion.

Baby Showers, New Parents, Mother’s Day & Father's Day

Babies may be small, but the list of things they need is anything but. A newborn essentials kit or birthing kit is a thoughtful way to celebrate a new arrival while supporting mothers and babies in need. And four birthing kits would make a great group gift, helping four families prepare to welcome a new life into the world. Another way to celebrate new beginnings? A family vegetable garden, helping another family put down roots and grow fresh, nutritious food at home.

@CFA2026

Weddings, anniversaries and group gifts

Some occasions call for something bigger than a card and a bottle of wine. For weddings, anniversaries or group celebrations, friends, family or colleagues can pool their contributions towards a share of a deepwater borehole system, a farmyard bundle or a hand pump well.

Teachers and colleagues

Buying for a teacher or colleague? A school supplies set is a thoughtful way to recognise someone who helps children learn. For the office Kris Kringle, a mosquito net or warm jacket makes an unexpected alternative to the usual gift card or box of chocolates.

Gifts for celebrations throughout the year

Who says charity gifts are just for Christmas? From a chicken at Easter to a meaningful gift for Hanukkah, Eid or Diwali, Gifts for Good offers another way to celebrate the occasions that matter and share something special.

Still not sure how ChildFund's charity gifts work?

It’s simple. You choose a gift, make a donation in someone’s name and send them a card explaining what their gift can help make possible.

1. Choose a gift. Browse the catalogue by category, including Animals, Education, Food, Health, Water and Bundles.
2. Choose a card. Select a postal card featuring a photo and description of the gift, or a printable PDF card emailed to you.
3. Add a message. Write a personal note for the person receiving your gift.
4. Make your donation. Complete your purchase through the Gifts for Good catalogue.
5. Give your card. The recipient receives a card explaining the gift made in their name.

Your donation then joins others to fund ChildFund’s programs around the world. Rather than being set aside for one specific item or child, donations are pooled and allocated where they’re needed most. This means communities can access the support that matters most to them, when they need it.

ChildFund Australia is a registered charity (ABN 79 002 885 761) with Deductible Gift Recipient status, a member of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) and accredited by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).