So it is the eve before Christmas Eve and your procrastination skills have left you without gifts for a few key friends and family members. It is too late to purchase those presents online unless you are willing to dole out the big bucks for overnight shipping. And there is a good chance you won't survive the snowstorms and mall madness with your holiday cheer still intact. But one great gift alternative might save the day.

Charitable gifts might have been a little less cool in the blissful world we lived in last Christmas, but this year the economic crunch seems to have made everyone a little more aware. Sure, your mother might prefer a cashmere sweater from her favorite child, but if that money can be spent feeding an entire village with a Water Buffalo from the Heifer project, how can she protest? And your pops might think he wants that set of power tools with all the fancy adjustments you don't understand, but wouldn't he rather help a budding entrepreneur in a third world country with a loan with Kiva?

Kiva.org and Heifer International are two of my favorite charitable organizations (and Dad, if you are reading this, sorry you are not getting those tools) but there is such a wide range of organizations that you will be able to tailor thoughtful gifts to everyone on your list. From the animal lover to the environmentalist to the international advocate, websites like CharityNavigator.org and Give.org can help you navigate charities by category, by need, or even by location so that you can find the perfect charity for your donation.