Skip the Socks — Send a Goat! ChildFund’s Real Gifts Catalog Turns Holiday Giving Into Global Impact

From goats to mosquito nets to building classrooms, ChildFund’s Real Gifts Catalog offers truly meaningful gifts that help change children’s lives — and create lasting positive change.

[Richmond, VA December 2025] Forget the frantic mall runs and endless scrolling for last-minute deals. This holiday season, ChildFund invites gift-givers to think outside the box — literally — with its Real Gifts Catalog.Instead of another sweater, why not give a chicken that provides nutritious eggs for the whole family?

Or even a wheelchair that offers a child the gift of freedom and independence?

The catalog features life-changing options for families in 23 countries, starting at just $11 for a mosquito net and ranging up to $5,000 to help install solar-powered boreholes that deliver clean water to an entire community.Popular picks include goats, which provide nutritious milk and income through offspring, and bicycles that help kids get to school safely and ready to learn.“These gifts do more than bring joy — they create lasting impact,” says Brenda Lachance Owens of ChildFund International.

“Every item helps a child, family and even community thrive, and donors love knowing their gift keeps giving long after the holidays.”The concept of alternative giving isn’t new, but it’s gaining momentum as people seek meaningful ways to connect and shoppers embrace gifts that give back rather than gather dust.

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