Mother's Day Gifts for the Greater Good

Today it may be one of the most commercially successful holidays in America, but when Julia Howe first proclaimed Mother's Day in 1870, it was meant to be a day to call for peace and disarmament.

In that spirit, I've made a list of what any disarming, peace-loving mother might want in lieu of chocolate, candy, flowers, or even a new iPod. A donation on behalf of mom at any of these sites will make you and mom feel great.

Feel free to chime in with other suggestions.

Kiva: Kiva is a social networking microfinance site. It matches small loan amounts ($25 will do) to unique businesses in developing countries. Each business applicant is vetted by a local microfinance organization. A woman from Ghana collected $700 in loans to start a used clothing store. In Ecuador a farmer expanded his rice farm with small loans. Seamstress shops, restaurants—you'll find ingenuity and hard work from people all over the world. You can read their profiles, decide who to make a loan to, and you'll receive progress updates and ultimately a payback.

TerraPass: Whether Mom drives, flies, or uses energy at home, you can give her a TerraPass, a carbon offset coupon. Mom will get a sticker to display on her car bumper or in her window. The funds collected from purchasing a TerraPass go directly to funding carbon-reducing environmental projects.

At the World Wildlife Fund you can grab your animal-loving mom a stake in a penguin, cheetah, tree frog, or other animal facing extinction. Mom receives a soft plush version of the adopted animal shipped in a WWF bag, along with an adoption certificate, a color photo, and a species fact sheet. (Free shipping, priority mail.)

At Fair Trade's Gift Center or One World Projects you can buy everything from elephant grass baskets, to frilly aprons, to great coffee, and know that no Third World producers were exploited in the creation of your gift.

Plant a Tree in a national forest with a $5 donation and mom will get a lovely Give-a-Tree™ card.