By Janet Clarke, Contributing Writer

The holidays are a time for giving and thinking of others. During this time, many of us decide to donate to charities to help others.

Survey: Charity Donations

There are some of us who may even give donations to a charity as a gift during this time of giving. However, the recipients of that type of gift may have mixed feelings. Some may feel like they are not receiving anything, or the giver is being cheap.

Giving a donation to charity as a gift is a good gesture if done in a caring and thoughtful way.

First, think about your recipient.

Donating to charity and gift giving can sometimes be different things. Thinking about what your recipient likes will help you choose the right charity to donate to. Ask yourself, does the recipient of your gift have any favorite charities or causes?

Another good thing to do is to make a list of things or companies that your gift recipient likes. Based on that list, you can choose the correct charity to donate to.

When donating to charity and giving it as a gift, you have to make sure you are donating the proper amount. Since this donation is a gift, you have to think about how much you would spend on a gift for this person.

If you donate items to charity such as toys or food, remember to donate a decent amount. If you make an inexpensive contribution to the charity and give it as a gift, the recipient may think you are miserly. If you make a decent contribution to a charity, then your recipient will know you care about them as well as for the charity.

Think about how you are going to present the gift. One of the best ways is to include a card. You can get any holiday card that you think the recipient will like.

On the card you can write something thoughtful, and acknowledge why you thought of donating to charity in his or her name. Some charities give a thank you letter or card for donating to them. Make sure that you include the recipient's name.

One downside is that the recipient may receive mailings from the charity in the future asking for more donations. However, if you did your due diligence and the organization is one that the recipient cares about, they won't mind the solicitations as much.