We college kids are absolute masters when it comes to stretching the dollar—we share textbooks, swap party outfits, take rolls of toilet paper from public bathrooms and chug as much beer as we can when playing pong at other people’s apartments. So when we give gifts this holiday season, we’re definitely making sure we’re getting as much bang as we can for every single one of our bucks.

Which is why I figure that this year, we should give gifts that also give back to others around the world. If you’re gonna buy something for someone, why not buy the something that also helps someone else? It’s basically multitasking—you’re crossing people off your Christmas list and making a positive difference. And if you shop online, you can do it all without even getting out of bed.

initiating the gallery...

What are some other gift ideas that also give back?

Ashley is a UC San Diego grad who is holding on way too tightly to a potential career in magazines and goes to Vegas all too often. She’s fascinated with celebrities and strawberry beer and doubles as a pathological texter/emailer/blogger. Feed the addiction with tweets @cashleelee. Thanks in advance.

[There are over 100 million sites on the Internet. 100 million! You might think you know about all the important ones (CollegeCandy, Gmail, Google, Facebook…), but there are thousands of other sweet sites out there (like Cramster, DropBox and Mint) and more showing up every day! We get it – it’s not easy or fun sifting through the crap and porn to find those gems, so we’re gonna bring the gems to you. Just sit back, kick up those feet and allow us to introduce you to the diamonds in the internet rough.]

As hipsters everywhere already know, thrift stores are great places to score awesome vintage t-shirts — but did you know only about 5% of the t-shirts donated to stores like the Salvation Army and Goodwill actually get sold in the U.S.? The majority of clothes donated are purchased at ridiculously low prices and shipped off to developing countries around the world, where they are then sold by local businesses.

And that’s where Project Repat steps in. Volunteers for Project Repat scour shops in these developing countries, like Tanzania, to find the best shirts and bring them back to the United States. Project Repat then washes the shirts twice, stamps them with their logo, and sells them on their website.

For $25, you can get one of Project Repat‘s shirts for yourself. Right now, the selection isn’t huge, but new shirts are set to arrive at the end of the month. The best part of Project Repat, however, is that 100% of the profits are donated to nonprofit organizations that help improve the lives of people in developing countries.

And if the thought of all that shipping t-shirts back and forth across the world makes you wonder about Project Repat‘s carbon footprint, you don’t have to worry about that, either. The volunteers that shop for t-shirts in Africa bring them back with them when they’re already headed home for other reasons.

So with Project Repat, you don’t only score an awesome new (well, new to you, anyway) t-shirt, but you can also feel good about the fact that you’re helping out others in need.

Want to see what else the Interwebs have to offer? Check out the other sites that are on Laura’s web radar!

However, there are many people every year who don’t have the luxury to worry about buying gifts for their own friends and family. These same people have trouble affording their homes, feeding their families, and providing necessities for their children. So instead of worrying about whether or not to get your boyfriend that ultra-expensive wallet, why not take some of that extra money you have lying around this season and donate to someone who really needs it? Or, if you don’t have your own money to spend, why not use some your Christmas Break to volunteer your time?

Here are five charities that are definitely worth your money and your hours.

1. Project Night Night has a mission to make homeless children know that someone in the world cares about them. The charity donates bags containing blankets, books, and stuffed animals to children without a place to live. By giving children comfort items, Project Night Night hopes to lessen the trauma that is associated with not having stability in one’s life. If you would like to donate or get involved in the charity, visit www.projectnightnight.org

2. First Book is a charity that provides new books to low-income children to help them learn how to read. Its founder learned that almost 80% of preschool and after-school programs that are catered to low-income students do not have age appropriate books, and these children easily fall behind in school and never completely learn how to read or love literature. First Book has already sent over 70 million books to children in need, and you can donate to them on their website at www.firstbook.org.

3. Ronald McDonald Houses give funds to sick children’s families to help their families stay with them during serious medical crises. The homes provide “homes away from homes” for families so that they can be near their children at almost no additional cost. Not worrying about money allows families to focus on their child’s sickness and getting them better, and also allows families to travel to seek the best medical care without worrying about both taking care of their child and dealing with keeping up their home. To get involved by volunteering or donating money, visit rmhc.org

4. Nothing but Nets is a campaign to help save people from malaria. Their focus is in Africa, where malaria is the largest killer of children and many of the homes are not built well enough to protect families. A $10 donation to this charity can help buy an anti-malaria bed net and educate families oh how to properly use it. If you are interested or donating to the cause, go to www.nothingbutnets.net.

5. New Eyes for the Needy helps families without health insurance obtain free eye exams and eye glasses. The organization provides help to vision-impaired people both in and outside of the United States, helping children do better in school and adults obtain jobs due their newly increased vision. If you would like to donate old glasses or money to this organization, please visit www.neweyesfortheneedy.org.

As you can see, it really doesn’t take much to change someone’s life. So take some of that money to allocated for holiday shopping and add a few other people to your list this season. It’s easy, it will make a difference and it will make you feel even better than finding the perfect gift for your beloved parents.

What other causes need us right now? Share them below so other CollegeCandy readers can help them out!

While you’ve been stressing over extra-long sheets and we’ve been hurriedly preparing you for another back-to-school season, the people of Pakistan have had an entirely different set of worries to contend with.  20 million of the country’s citizens have been affected and 1,600 (considered to be a low estimate) have been killed by the horrific floods that have been destroying homes and displacing families for weeks now.

If you haven’t heard much about the disaster, you’re not alone.  It has gone widely under-covered by media outlets and it is for this reason that relief efforts are severely lacking.  As of present, Angelina Jolie is the only Hollywood celebrity to donate, no fundraising concerts have been planned, no drives organized.

Forget packing for school and seeing your friends for a minute and take a moment to donate to people who are really in need. Prove to all those people who say we’re a no-good, selfish generation that we’re able to put to do some good in the world.

The New York Times has released a list of agencies that are collecting resources to help Pakistanis in need.  Some credible, heavy-hitters on the list include:

UNICEF

World Food Program USA

American Red Cross

Doctors Without Borders USA

Oxfam America

Save the Children

If you donate to the organizations listed above (or any other that you have ties to), tweet your contribution and charity of choice @CollegeCandy for a chance to win a Pureology NanoWorks® Shampoo and Condition prize pack (valued at over $100!). This is the best of the best in hair care, which, together with Pureology, we’ll be giving to one very charitable reader. Don’t forget to include the hashtag #pkfloods. We’ll randomly draw a name on Friday and reward your do-gooding.

But really, helping people in need should be reward enough.

Free Hugs, because the drugs ain't sellin'.

Tell me a word – any word you want -  and I will show you that the root of that word is Greek.

Let’s try, Philanthropist.

Not to be confused with “Full-On Rapist,” a philanthropist is a “lover of humanity.” A giver. A good person. A helping hand.

So what in the hell do you give someone who constantly loves to..uh..give?

Give the gifts that keep on giving! (And, no, I’m not talking about herpes. That is literally the opposite of a “Happy Holiday.”) Here are a few gifts that give:

The Visa GiveCard:
When your giftee is impossible to shop for, a gift card is really the only way to go. But instead of giving the generic gift card that takes less than three seconds of imagination, give them one that gives back.  The Visa GiveCard is a prepaid gift card where $5 of it is donated toward any of the 5,481 available charities your philanthropist buddy’s heart desires. The rest can be used as a regular gift card to anywhere accepting Visa.

M.A.C Viva Glam lipstick or lipglass – Every last stinkin’ cent goes to the M.A.C AIDS fund to help all people living with HIV and AIDS.  Your friend will look hot and feel good knowing someone else is benefiting from her beauty.

Lush Charity Pot-  This delicious (smelling…I haven’t tasted it. Yet.) hand and body lotion is made with sweet almond oil, fair trade cocoa butter and spritzed with a lil’ Ylang-Ylang, Geranium and Marigold oils. But not only is it good for Mother Earth (it’s made with 100% recycled plastic pots), every penny goes to the following organizations. Feeling buttery smooth and good about humanity? Double win.

Red iPod Nano- Dance tonight, revolution tomorrow? Up to 50 percent of total profits are donated toward help fund the AIDS program in Africa.

Portable beer pong table – Screw cancer.  Especially if it’s in your boobs. Or just play a little beer pong. This portable beer pong table + breast cancer awareness= the best gift ever.  I challenge you to think of something MORE AWESOME.

Volcom’s Dress for a Cause – Let’s be real: the first semester is almost over and your friend has probably raided your wardrobe and worn every last thing you own at least 10 times. Buy her something of her own – like a hot LBD – that not only looks good but also gives back. This little number from Volcom is perfect for NYE and benefits “Boarding for Breast Cancer.”

Despite the end of the year being one of the busiest times, it is important to think about giving to others and taking time to make a help those in need. Here is a list of easy and simple ways to get involved in making a difference this season:

Adopt an Angel, Be a Santa
Consider adopting a needy person for the holiday season. Giving Trees are everywhere right now (from your local Wal-Mart to your mall’s JCPenney, and many colleges have them up in their common areas) allowing you to choose the name of a person in need and help them out. You don’t even need a lot of money to do it! Every name comes with a list of wants; you can purchase just one thing off of that list (usually something simple like shampoo or groceries), or gather a bunch of friends to go all out. Your $10 purchase will really make someone’s Christmas.

Ring The Bell
You know those red kettles outside of grocery stores and on nearly every street corner in big cities, often accompanied by a Santa ringing a hand-bell? They are sponsored by the Salvation Army and have been around since 1891, providing homeless and needy with nice sit-down meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas. When walking out of the mall this holiday season, drop some of your spare change into those kettles, because any amount of change will be put to towards hot holiday meals for those in need.

Give an Unwrapped Toy
Toys for Tots simply asks for a donation of an unwrapped toy. This program, sponsored by the United States Marines, has been around since 1947, and all it calls for is you to drop off an unwrapped gift at any of its toy collecting sights. Need to find a donation spot? Click here!

Get Bakin’
Are you good at making gingerbread houses or baking cookies? Put your domestic skills to good use and make a local nursing home a batch of your favorite cookies or drop off a gingerbread house. Since the holiday season is often considered to be a time for presents, children are often the main focus – but it is important to not leave anyone out. Many elderly living in nursing homes are left by their families during the holiday season, and dropping off something to brighten their day would mean a lot. Contact your local area nursing homes and assisted living centers to see how you can help.

Drive Yourself Crazy
Your college is probably having some kind of drive.  In fact, if your college is like mine, you probably have two or three drives going on at once, so pick one drive that you most want to participate in and go all out. Get together with your friends for a stitch n’ bitch and knit the night away – someone out there could really use a homemade scarf. Not into knitting? Go collect cans with your best friends. Pick a neighborhood and politely go from door to door asking if there are any spare cans the family would like to donate this holiday season. Many people will be glad you stopped by, because through your good deed, they will feel like they did something good themselves! Don’t have time to participate? Donate an hour of your time to help sort all the collected items from whatever drive you want. The club or organization will greatly appreciate the help, too.

Eat-Out
As the holidays approach and the semester comes to a close, how many end-of-the-semester Christmas get-togethers are you going to have? You’re going to need a reservation for that big group of friends, and booking through Open Table is the best way to do that.  Open Table has pledged a full meal to domestic hunger-relief organizations (such as America’s Second Harvest) for every dining reservation made through the website. With nearly 49.1 million Americans living in food insecure households (meaning the availability of food and access to it) in 2008, just your reservation alone can provide someone a meal. To make reservations with Open Table, click here!

Give the Gift of Activism
Not sure what to get a friend, but know they are passionate about something? Consider making a donation in their name. For example, my sister is studying abroad in South Africa for the next year and she is particularly moved by the townships outside of Capetown, so I am making a donation in her name to an organization that provides South African township children with the opportunity to go to college (These Numbers Have Faces). Is your friend really heated over the Health Care reform and Stupack amendment issue? Maybe you can donate some money to Planned Parenthood to keep fighting the good fight. Wish you had time throughout the year to work in an animal shelter but don’t? Send $20 into the ASPCA!

Want more information or other ways to get involved, check out these websites:
Feeding America
The Salvation Army
Goodwill
Toys for Tots
List of Nonprofit Organizations
Volunteer Match

Veev:  An excellent substitute for vodka, Veev is actually manufactured from acai berries which are packed with antioxidants and anthocyanins.  What makes this drink even better, however, is the company’s commitment to the environment.  Veev donates $1 towards the Brazilian rainforest for every bottle sold, preserving their sustainable acai supply.  Veev is also the first carbon-neutral liquor company, powering all of their distillers through renewable energy.  Pass up the Smirnoff  and throw one of these back with friends (but don’t forget to toast to the Brazilian rainforest first!).

OneHope Sauvignon Blanc: I bought this baby on a whim at BevMo (5 cent sale, anyone?) and felt an instant karma boost.  With every bottle sold, OneHope donates 50% of the profits to the American Forest, a charity aimed at protecting, restoring, and enhancing our native trees and forests.  If you’re not a sauvignon blanc fan, there are several other wines to choose from, each with their own cause.  Drink chardonnay for breast cancer, merlot for AIDS, or zinfandel for our troops overseas.  Whichever you choose, you can bet you’ll feel a little buzz of goodness with every glass.

New Belgium beer:  This brewery from Fort Collins, Colorado has a long list of environmental actions and achievements.  I am not going to go through the whole list here because, well, I’m lazy.  Here are the most notable ones of the bunch:
* Decreased energy usage in their brewing and in the facility itself due to efficient lighting, sustainable building materials, and efficient brew kettles.
* Wind power and waste water are used to produce renewable energy for the factory.
* Encouragement of bike transportation by hosting an annual bike festival and giving every employee a free bike after 1 year of employment.
* Member of 1% For the Planet, meaning that they give 1% of their revenue to environmental non-profits.

ModMix organic mixers:  The name says it all – ModMix creates a line of fully organic mixers for your favorite cocktails.  This means no chemicals, no synthetic pesticides, and no harmful substances.  You can use ModMix for pretty much any drink you could imagine.  Their products include mixes for citrus margaritas, French martinis, lavender lemon drops, mojitos, pomegranate cosmos, and wasabi bloody marys.  Just be sure to mix these babies with a sustainable alcohol such as Papagayo organic rums, 4Copas tequila, or TruVodka.

Of course the warm fuzzy feeling I get after I write a check out to the ASPCA is way better than a selfish purchase, but if I happened to get a bangle bracelet or maybe a new pair of shoes at the same time? Well, then maybe my soul woudn’t feel all weird every time I buy something for myself instead of saving humanity.

Thank God someone finally realized that in our failing economy we can’t all be Angelina Jolie. We can’t always afford to look chic and also cure cancer, save the dolphins and fund inner city schools. And those free sponsor t-shirts just don’t seem to be cutting it anymore. Something has to give and, sadly, more often than not, people go for the goods instead of the doing-good.

But fear not; now you can have your cake and eat it too! (Mmmm, cake!) Below are five companies that feature awesome clothing and accessories that can save the world as well as your conscience. Instead of a free (useless) gift with purchase, its like a free karmic bonus with purchase. Buy something cute and start saving the world!

Pono: Pono means righteousness in Hawaiian so it is not surprising that they have launched their “Give Love, Practice Peace” campaign: a line of eco-friendly accessories made for women of any age, size or income level, designed on behalf of a cause. They also see a percentage of profits from sales go to a named charity; so far The Climate Project, Give A Girl a Chance, and the National Resources Defense Council have benefited from Pono.

Yellow Bird Project is A Montreal based non-profit initiative who collaborates with musicians (Rilo Kiley, New Pornographers, and Clap your Hands Say Yeah, just to name a few) in designing T-shirts to sell for charity. They print and sell all t-shirts on their website where all profits go to the artist’s charity of choice.

2 Love is a lifestyle brand featuring celebrity-designed products that celebrate love while championing good causes with a portion of all proceeds. Miley Cyrus, Vanessa Hudgens, Emily Osment and Monique Coleman have all helped spread the love with their designs.

Just Be offers graphic tees not meant to inspire…but to just be. The tees allow people to express how they feel or how they would like to feel. The company is built around an online community for people to share how they Just Be. Whether its natural, fabulous, green, or kissable, these t-shirts are meant to show the world that its terrific being just who you are.

Tom’s Shoes shows that changing a life begins in one single step. They offer super cute flats that come in almost every print imaginable and even sell vegan boots. Because One pair sold = One pair donated, Tom’s shoes has already donated 10,000 pairs of shoes to children in Argentina as well as 50,000 pairs to children in South Africa and continue to do so everyday.

Not this year!

Inevitably, there will always be people on your holiday-gift list who stump you (especially now that you waited until the last minute!). Maybe you haven’t seen Great-Aunt Ruby since you were ten, but you have to get her something this year because she just sent you a ton of cash for your birthday. Or maybe you just made a new friend, but you aren’t sure of this person’s likes and dislikes yet.

Charity to the rescue!

If the people you know are nice, they’d probably really appreciate a charitable gift. Not the kind of charity where you give them money—the kind of charity where you give others money in the name or honor of those you’re gifting.

Here are some great places to start.

Heifer International – This organization has a gift catalog link from their home page, which will lead you to a menagerie of offerings to give in the name of friends or family members. You can give a flock of chicks or ducks for as little as $20. Heifer is all about providing livestock to people who need it to become self-reliant, and it’s a great cause.

World of Good – This place is partnered with eBay and sells eco-friendly, humane, fair trade, etc. gifts of all kinds. You can search for gifts in four categories: people positive, eco positive, animal friendly, and supports a cause.

Global Goods Partners – Offering gifts and the opportunity for donations, Global Goods Partners aims to relieve poverty around the world and empower women by giving them the resources they need to become self-sufficient and successful.

Build a Nest – This site supports women artists and artisans in developing countries by providing them with loans to start or maintain creative businesses. The products are sold online, and much of the proceeds go back toward helping the women.

Hooray for the Underdog – Sells fun and funny notecards and images, then donates a portion of all proceeds to benefit rescue dogs and animal-welfare groups.

Animal Gift – For the animal lover in your life, Animal Gift provides you with tons of donation options that will help animals from seals to elephants.

World Vision – This aid organization provides an online holiday gift catalog with options ranging from goats and chickens (similar to Heifer International) to emergency aid in Darfur to portions of clean-water wells in Africa.

[Photo courtesy of World of Good. We just bought that beautiful bag!]

Blair is still hell-bent on going to Yale, even though her little tiff with S. a couple of weeks ago may have maimed her chances. The solution? Serena gets Blair to babysit the Dean’s niece to earn brownie points. Only problem (and who didn’t see this one coming?) is that little Emma is on a mission to lose her virginity.

Gossip Girl put it quite poetically: Lady B…outsoxed by a young fox. Because, of course, if there’s a young, horny virgin on the prowl, she’s bound to get intercepted by the one and only Chuck Bass.

Favorite line of the night, courtesy of Mr. Bass: “The only thing I like aged is my scotch.” LOVE it.

However, Mr. Bass laments to Blair that he holds very few things sacred, and one of those things is humping in the back of a limo. How sweet, in a pervy Chuck Bass kind of way. Needless to say, the jailbait bounced and hit up a club in search of Mr. Right Now.

Meanwhile, Little J. is planning her big, risque fashion debut… at a charity gala being thrown in honor of Lily and Bart. Like that doesn’t have “disaster” written all over it. She pulls the “Do you care about me?” card with Nate…isn’t it a little early to try to whip your new boy toy, Little J.? Nonetheless, Nate takes the bait and the next thing we know, GG is loading Jenny and Nate’s second kiss into an RSS feed.

Gossip Girl actually played quite the role in tonight’s episode – as everyone was running around trying to figure out who was where (and with whom), they all kept going back to GG, and finally, Chuck managed to lure Emma (the young virgin) back to Blair by getting GG to post some fake story about Emma’s rival, Muffy. If you’re lost here, don’t worry. It was all just some filler material, though it did raise the question of how the hell Chuck can pull even the mysterious Gossip Girl’s strings.

My favorite part of the night? Blair tries to have a heart-to-heart with Emma about how her first time should be special, and finally mutters the L-word, in reference to Chuck. I squealed a bit here, though I don’t know if I believe that Blair knew she loved C-Bass during the limo trysts. Oh well, B. Saying it once opens the flood gates for more confessions in the future.

BTW, Blair got some juice on Emma’s mom, but decided not to blackmail her, and karma came back around: it looks like B’s going to Yale after all. Jenny’s fashion show was a success, though Rufus tried to get her arrested for her shenanigans, which prompted Jenny to flee (and it looks like she’ll be getting in way too deep in the coming weeks); Dan kicked Nate out of the house; Vanessa threw a temper tantrum over Jenny and Nate; Jenny dumped Nate out of respect for V (though she promptly bounced anyway); and Aaron the art dude may or may not have a harem of girlfriends. We’ll find out when he takes S to dinner next week.

What to look for next week: Dan finally grows some balls (or thinks he does), and it looks like his Chuck Bass story is going to press…which can’t be good for anyone on the Upper East Side.