charity gifts

I want to do something different this year and make some donations in the names of others as gifts. I've looked at the Oxfam site where you can buy a cow for a village etc. and I'm wondering is there any charity that offers something similar to people in Ireland. Ideally I'd like to go down the line of the SVP but any charity I've been looking at has just been about general donations, nothing tells me where the money is going or what its being used for. I know it sounds cynical but I want to be sure it's all going to the right place.

Anyone have any ideas? Alternatively, are there any smaller organizations that help those affected by poverty that I could be looking at?

What about http://www.bothar.ie/ if you are specifically into livestock gifts.

I'm not specifically looking at livestock gifts, I suppose I'd love something more community based? I know its asking a lot.

I don't know of any charity that offers a similar thing to Irish people as the cows/goats/pigs etc for families in Africa, but maybe you could look out for food appeals? I did a quick search on Google, pages from Ireland only, using the phrase "Christmas food appeal 2009" and found various places around the country that are conducting food collections. You could make a food donation to one of these, then type up a certificate yourself to hand to the people on whose behalf you have donated the food.

Are you sure the people you are making these donations on behalf of approve of this?

Personally, I think gifts of a charitable donation are more for the giver than the receiver. I prefer to choose the charities I support.

What about this in aid of Barnardos?
looks along the lines of the trocaire gifts where you get something to hang on the tree,

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or this for the SDVP

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I've made donations to the SVDP before and it lets you pick an area in ireland or an appeal that you want the donation to go to.

Leo, I am sure. A number of my friends have said they'd prefer a gift like this and I'm going for charities that they have an interest in. Personally, given the year that's in it its also the kind of gift I would prefer to receive as thankfully I've been left wanting nothing.