The Power of Giving in Someone’s Honor

Most of us have spent too long in a store—or scrolled for an hour—looking for a gift that says the right thing.

Sometimes, the right thing isn’t a thing at all.

It’s a gesture that says: I thought about who you are and what you care about, and I wanted that to reach further than you.

That’s what giving in someone’s honor is. You make a donation in a person’s name to a cause that reflects them, then send it as a meaningful gift they can open and remember.

For the practical steps, read our guide to making a donation in someone’s name as a gift.

What does it mean to give in someone’s honor?

A gift in someone’s honor sends your generosity to a nonprofit and dedicates it to a person. The donation does real work in the world, and the person you’re celebrating—or remembering—is the reason it happened.

The tradition isn’t new. Families have long asked for donations “in lieu of flowers,” and people have quietly donated to favorite causes in honor of birthdays, weddings, milestones, and loved ones.

What’s changed is how easy it can be to make that donation feel like a true gift—with a personal message and something meaningful for the recipient to actually receive and open.

Why does it mean so much?

It’s about them, not an object.

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A sweater gets worn and forgotten. A gift connected to someone’s values tells them you see what matters to them—whether that’s the animal shelter where they volunteer, the environment they care about, or the research into an illness that has touched their family.

It outlasts the moment.
Flowers fade. A donation keeps working: meals served, trees planted, animals cared for, research funded, or a student supported. The meaning behind the gift can last well beyond the day it was sent.

It works for the people who have everything—and the moments when nothing feels quite right.
For the friend who doesn’t need another candle, it’s a welcome change. For someone who is grieving, it offers a thoughtful way to honor a life while helping others.

If you are comparing other options, explore our gift ideas for someone who has everything.

Moments made for giving in someone’s honor

Celebrations: Birthdays, graduations, weddings, new babies, retirements, holidays, anniversaries, and thank-yous for the teachers, mentors, friends, and family members who matter to us.

Remembrance: Memorials and funerals, sympathy gestures, the anniversary of a loss, or the birthday of someone who is no longer here.

And sometimes, you don’t need an occasion at all.

How to make an honorary gift personal

Choose a cause that connects to them.
Think about what they love, what they’ve experienced, or what they would stand up for. A lifelong gardener might appreciate a conservation organization. A dog lover might connect with a local rescue. A family touched by an illness might value support for a related research foundation.

Tell them why.
Write one simple sentence: “I made this gift in your honor because…”

That sentence is often what transforms a donation into a deeply personal gift.

Get the timing right.
Send it on the day, or schedule it to arrive on the morning of their birthday or milestone. After a loss, a gift in the first few days—or on a difficult anniversary months later—can carry special meaning.

Giving in someone’s honor, made simple

That’s why we built GivingPals.

Choose an occasion, select a digital card and add your personal message, then choose from more than 2 million nonprofits. At checkout, set the donation amount and send your gift now or schedule it for later.

The person you’re honoring receives something meaningful to open. The cause receives your support.

And you give a gift that truly says something.

Choose an occasion to create a GivingPals gift, personalize your card, then select a charity that reflects the person you are honoring.

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