Say "I Do" to Charity

Sara Olsher is a mom, illustrator, and blogger located in San Francisco. By day, she is the marketing manager at JustGive, a nonprofit whose mission is to increase charitable giving.  I asked her to guest blog for Red Letter Event Planning on the I Do Foundation.  I am asked all the time by couples “what should I give as favors, or register for?” The I Do Foundation is an ideal solution.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to share a little about I Do Foundation, Robyn! ­­­We are very passionate about what we do, and will take any opportunity to tell brides and grooms about including charity in their weddings.

We at I Do Foundation believe that giving brings meaning to life—and we’re passionate about helping connect soon-to-be-wed couples with the charities and causes they care about most. After all, weddings are a joyous occasion, made even more so by sharing a little love with those who need it!

I Do helps engaged couples Celebrate Generously™ and make charity a part of their special day.  Launched on Valentine’s Day 2002, I Do has created and offers several unique, eco-chic and no-cost ways to give back through weddings:

Registries that make a difference

With a Charity Registry, couples can share the generosity of their guests with a favorite charitable cause. Guests make secure online donations through I Do as their wedding gifts to the couple, supporting their chosen nonprofit organizations.

With a Charitable Gift Registry, couples register for gifts through I Do’s partner stores or the Wedding Channel, and vendors donate up to 5 percent of gift purchases to their selected charities.

Charity for favors

Couples can honor guests and share the love by making a donation to a favorite charity for their wedding favors. This is a great way to support causes that hold a special place in the couple’s hearts.

Charity Gift Cards to thank the wedding party

The GiveNow charity gift card is a great “green” way to thank those who helped make the day special. The couple can choose the gift amount and add a personally-written message. Their recipient then redeems it for the charity of their choice, selecting from more than 1.8 million nonprofit organizations working throughout the world.

Benefit the local community

Through tips and ideas provided on I Do, couples can also discover more ways to share their commitment and love with charities in their community.

In the past nine years, through I Do Foundation and its partners, more than 44,000 couples have given over $6 million dollars to charity. That’s pretty remarkable! With more than 10 percent of all engaged couples visiting I Do each year to learn more about how they can give back, it’s clear that charitable giving is important to many engaged couples.  We are excited to be part of it, and hope you will consider joining us!

Thanks Sara for all of the great information on the I Do Foundation.

Till Next Time I Hope Your Next Special Event is a Red Letter Day