The perfect last-minute gift

Here you are, on the verge of pre-Christmas panic, worrying about your lack of time and money to satisfy the unmet demands of your gift list.

We have a suggestion for you - a gift that's likely to be more memorable than last year's sweater, won't take up closet space and doesn't have to cost a lot.

It'll do double duty, spreading warmth beyond the person who unwraps the gift and making our town or our planet better places. It reminds us that the holidays are about caring for others, and it's ideal for the person who has everything.

This perfect gift - a charitable donation made by you in the recipient's name - will help counter the falloff in giving at a time of increasing need.

More than half of nonprofits from local food pantries to animal shelters to international aid agencies expect donations to be lower this year than last year, reports the Chronicle of Philanthropy. And last year already was bad, with donations down 5.7 percent, the organization reports.

This is as true for local charities as it is for national organizations. Daily Herald stories have reported on the 55 percent increase in patrons at Naperville's Loaves and Fishes Community Pantry and the $1.1 million loss in public funding that Arlington Heights-based Clearbrook expects. These are just two examples; there are many more.

The need is clear, but what's in it for the person on your gift list?

The karma of being a party to a good deed and the pleasure of having the giver commemorate a struggle (with a donation to cancer research, for instance) or recognize a special interest (historic or environmental preservation, or an alma mater.)

The benefit for the gift-giver? A tax deduction, if you itemize, and maybe some genuine joy, say health researchers who found that merely wanting to donate lights up a part of the brain linked to good feelings.

If you don't want to choose a charity for the recipient, several companies like charitygiftcertificates.org, justgive.org, tisbest.org and kiva.org allow the recipient of your gift to select who should receive your donation.

Some, like justgive.org, include a sizable list of suburban nonprofit organizations that could use your help.

Just be sure to check the FAQs on each Web site to find how much of your donation goes to administrative or handling costs, what charities are served and whether gift cards have expiration dates.

Most charities make it easy to donate online and many allow you to e-mail or print your own cards or gift certificates from home - a very welcome alternative to fighting the traffic and hitting the malls today.

Now, that's a Christmas gift that never stops delivering happiness.