Description
The Good Gifts Catalogue is a British charity gift catalogue: instead of an object, the buyer pays for a specific item or service for a charity project, such as a goat or seeds and tools, and receives literature about it to give to the person it is for.
It was launched in 2003 by the Charities Advisory Trust, a London charity (no. 1040487) set up by Hilary Blume, who ran it for over thirty years until she retired in 2025. Its rule is that each gift pays for exactly what it describes, not for a general fund, which sets it apart from many charity gift schemes. Most of the money is passed on to named partner charities, and the Trust runs some projects itself. Running costs are covered by a separate fund, which its accounts show at about £41,000 in 2025.
The scheme is smaller than it was. Gift income fell from £295,000 in 2023 to £198,000 in 2025, and the Trust’s report says donors are choosing cheaper gifts. In 2025 it was moving to a new website. Orders under £25 and orders sent abroad pay a postage fee.
Strengths
- Each gift funds the item or service it describes, and the accounts filed with the Charity Commission are public.
- The person it is for gets the story of a project instead of another object to store.
- Running costs are kept in a separate fund from the money for the projects.
Weaknesses
- The website blocked automated access when checked, so current prices and gifts couldn’t be confirmed.
- No independent check of where each gift ends up was found beyond the Trust’s own accounts.
- Gift income fell by a third between 2023 and 2025, and the founding director retired in 2025.
Who it is for
People in the UK buying for someone who has everything, or for a colleague or relative who would rather see money go to a project than receive a gadget.