Global Giving and Network For Good, two well-known sites that provide information about many charities and donation processing have launched gift cards.   They both work in the same way.  You purchase a gift card, and you can give someone the opportunity to choose the cause or organization they want to support at the site.  As an added bonus, the Global Giving card is corn-based and will break down into environmentally-friendly compounds once it's thrown away. (The card won't break down in normal use, though and is designed to decompose in natural compounds like water and carbon dioxide.)

So, here's an idea.  You can get a gift card for your child and using the Network for Good Kid's Guide To Giving, you can help your child select a charity to support.  Or can search the more than 1 million charities listed on the Network for Good site.  When you find a charity, you can review its IRS documents or Guide Star reports for more information.    Not sure much to give or have questions about whether your gift is tax deductible, see this helpful FAQ

Global Giving allows donors to find and donate to grassroots projects that appeal to different interests. On the site, you'll find projects in more than 100 countries, in a variety of themes.  Global Giving works with a network of well-run organizations and carefully researches their projects, gathering detailed information about the leaders as well as the projects objectives and outcomes. Here's where to start searching!

Beth Kanter, BlogHer CE for NGOs and Social Change, writes Beth's Blog.