You know all about “swag” … those goodies you get when you attend parties. According to this NY Post article, swag is not just for grown-up parties, conferences and weddings anymore. Kids not only look forward to good swag, they expect it!  From expensive toys to LeSac bags filled with spa goodies and beyond, many parents are giving in to giving swag.

The article also points to parents who don’t agree with the swag-giving trend, citing one parent who is giving a lollipop with a note that a donation has been made to Haiti Earthquake Relief.

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If you are looking for some simple invitation language to explain to guests that you will be donating the birthday gifts, here is some:

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Creating a world with More Birthdays is the theme of American Cancer Society’s More Birthdays campaign.  From their official Birthday Blog, ACS has announced that over 30,000 people in two weeks have declared the American Cancer Society the official sponsor of their birthdays…Wow!

Birthdays are a time when we remember the value of life, and the celebration of it that we should have every day. A birthday marks another year to enjoy and celebrate our existence; that’s why the American Cancer Society launched its “More Birthdays” campaign. A world with less cancer, is a world with more birthdays, and that’s what the American Cancer Society works for every single day.

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If you would like people bring donations to a good cause in lieu of presents for the birthday kid, the more specific you can be about where the donation is going, the better. People like to know what charity will be receiving their gifts.

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The idea of birthday presents is changing with many parents requesting “No Gifts” at their kids’ birthday parties. Of course, guests often don’t listen and bring one anyway…the guest feels awkward not to bring one and the host parent feels terrible that everyone brought gifts. A solution to this birthday party conundrum is instead of asking for “no gifts,” to provide an alternative to regular gifts. This way the guests get to bring something and the host knows where it is headed.

Birthday Buddies, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada is one of these options. Recently, I had the special opportunity to interview Jennifer Fast, the founder, and learn more about her inspiration, the organization, and how parents can get involved.

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If you are looking for a worthy donation for people to donate to at your kids’ party, rather than buying traditional presents, take a look at Heifer International. It is a very cool organization, where your money goes to provide an animal to a needy family in the world. If you peruse its gift catalog you will see it is filled with heifers, llamas, pigs, sheep, and more. If you click through, you will get a description of how these animals help families in need throughout the world. For small amounts of money, these donations truly make a difference in the lives of so many.

This is a great idea especially if you are hosting an animal themed party, like a barnyard party, zoo party, jungle party, or an Easter party. All of these themes are related to animals and would fit perfectly!

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If you are hosting a birthday party and your kid really doesn’t need any more stuff, or you are trying to teach your kids the idea of philanthropic giving, some language that you could use in your invitation is:

“In the spirit of giving, the gift you bring to our party will be donated to X charity. The charity seeks to…”

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