Check local charities for holiday gift ideas

As the holidays approach, employees and administrators alike are making their lists and checking them twice.

If finding just the right gift presents a daunting challenge, the solution might be to help local charities and organizations in honor of those hard-to-buy-for people on the holiday shopping list.

Giving to the performing arts

Since October 2006, the Gillioz Theatre, www.gillioz.org, in downtown Springfield has received donations to restore seating through the Take a Seat campaign. Built in 1926, the 1,143-seat theater is a venue for concerts, stage productions and films, following extensive renovations that were completed in late 2006.

Take a Seat campaign Chairman Jim Hodge said participating in the campaign is an opportunity to preserve history.

"Those seats can go from $250 up to $1,500 (and donors) get a brass plaque with the name of your choice mounted on the back of the seat," he said. "It's really a great way to make a contribution in the name of someone or as a gift."

Though "adopting" a seat through the campaign doesn't reserve it for performances, Hodge said roughly 200 of the seats have been spoken for by Take a Seat supporters.

The spirit of giving

United Way of the Ozarks, www.uwozarks.com, which partners with 23 health and human service agencies, and provides one-time grants to organizations, would welcome help in the form of holiday gifts.

"We are already beginning to see an increase in needs from our agencies that provide the basics of food, shelter and clothing because of the economic crisis," said United Way President and CEO Jennifer Kennally. "We know there will be a rise in demand in our food bank."

United Way's member agencies target specific areas of need in the community, and Trudy Pischer, vice president of resource development and planned giving, can help determine how gifts can best be spent - from aiding young children and youth to promoting healthy lifestyles, building safe neighborhoods or providing basic needs to promote self-sufficiency - so that the money is used in ways that complement the interests of those in whose honor the donations are given.

By dialing 211, local residents can find where help is most needed, and United Way can coordinate volunteer opportunities.

"Sometimes a family would like to volunteer as a family and donate their time as a gift for an individual, or they can make a financial gift," Kennally said. "A group of employees might do that for their boss, or a group of children might do that in honor of a special teacher."

Kennally said it's going to be an interesting fundraising season, though she hopes the economy will rebound after the presidential election.

"I think that whatever people can give in the way of dollars, time or other kinds of contributions, is just going to be more needed than ever before," she said.

For the sports fans

Next month, Missouri State University will open JQH Arena on its Springfield campus. Vice President of University Advancement Brent Dunn said opportunities to donate are still available.

"Naming opportunities in the arena are going to be limited, but it's going to be something that will be on campus for a long, long time," he said.

Available areas include the team store, media room and the Game Day suite for gifts starting at $25,000.

Donors also may contribute to the Hall of Fame to honor or memorialize an individual for gifts starting at $25,000.

"We are also going to have a wall to recognize donors who made gifts to endowment for the arena," Dunn said. "There will be some other smaller naming (options) in and around the arena."

Season tickets - and annual seat assessments that allow season-ticket holders to reserve seats in specific areas of the arena - can also be used as holiday gifts.

Season ticket prices for men's basketball range from $200 to $324 and Lady Bears season tickets range from $175 to $259. Individual game tickets in the upper bowl are $20 for men's games and $15 for women's games, and patrons may purchase three-game packages with seats in the lower bowl.

Men's basketball packages are $90 and women's are $57.

Season-ticket assessments, which must be purchased in conjunction with season passes, range from $300 to $5,000 for men's games, and from $150 to $3,000 for women's games.

Down on the farm

The residents of Longmeadow Rescue Ranch in Union might be suitable beneficiaries for gifts given on behalf of animal lovers.

The ranch, a division of the Humane Society of Missouri, takes in and cares for farm animals. To pay for that care, the ranch promotes its Barn Buddy program, a three-month sponsorship through which supporters can choose a farm animal to help.

Sponsorships range from $25 to $100 depending on the cost of caring for an animal. "A lot of people find it fun in the sense that they can give somebody a sponsorship of Snortin' Norton, who is our 900-pound domestic pig," said Amanda Hirschberg, assistant director of Longmeadow Rescue Ranch.

"Most people cannot own a domestic pig or some people can't even own a horse, but they can have the sponsorship. It's just a different type of gift and it goes to a good cause," she added.

The sponsorship includes a picture and story of the animal along with a frame, a certificate of care and a pass to visit the animal at the ranch. Some animals can be viewed online at www.longmeadowrescueranch.com.[[In-content Ad]]