I give gift cards - instead of cash - and also use them for many of my own purchases because they are a "painless" fundraiser for my grandkids' school. The school's "scrip" program is able to buy them at a discount and sell them to us at face value. I can give (or spend) the full face value of the card while also giving a percentage to the school. (Yes I do realize that I could be using cards that pay "cash back" amounts at the end of the year, then donate that to the school, but this is an easy, automatic way for me to donate and the school benefits year-round, not just once a year. There are cards available for a multitude of places, as well as a visa gift card that can be used nearly anywhere. The percentage of discount that the school gets varies from company to company (anywhere from 1.5 to 15%).