I posted on this last year and it’s worth mentioning it yearly. A lot of stuff gets exchanged each year that’s pretty useless when we could give gifts to each other of donations to causes that could really do with the money. This would have had the assent of most economists before Pareto Optimality got taken up as the criterion of economic efficiency. (This holds that a more efficient allocation of resources requires you to make someone better off without making anyone else worse off).
Before then under the dominance of Marshall and Pigou a more commonsensical concept of efficiency in the distribution of utility held sway – viz
1he richer a man becomes, the less is the marginal utility of money to him; every increase in his resources increases the price which he is willing to pay for any given benefit. Alfred Marshall The Principles of Economics.
Actually the idea might be known as the Marshall/Pigou/Schwarzenegger doctrine. Here’s Arnie on the same topic
I now have $50 million, but I was just as happy when I had $48 million.
In any event, I digress. I wanted to draw Troppodillians attention to a range of charities that have packaged up their services in such a way that you can buy products from them that certify your donation to be given as a gift.
They include
The Wilderness Society
Freecall 1800 030 641 and ask for the ‘In celebration’ package
If others have other links or ideas I’d be interested to see them in comments.
- T[↩]
Amnesty International
Thanks for the post. It is only based on anecdotal evidence, but the practice of having Kris Kringles among at least the adult members of a family and giving some money to charity appears to be growing.