Nonprofit Initiative, Hope Equity, Features Online E-Gift Cards for Holidays

Gift Giving Supports Ending Hunger And Poverty

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Nov. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Take care of all of your holiday gift giving while supporting a variety of programs dedicated to ending hunger and poverty through the E-Gift Cards of Hope Equity, the unique endowment-giving Web site from Heifer Foundation.

"Think of Hope Equity's E-Gift Cards as your one-stop shop for holiday gift-giving," said Greg Spradlin, vice president of Heifer Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is to end hunger and poverty and care for the Earth.

"During these tough economic times, giving a gift that matters is especially important to people. You may have friends, cousins or aunts and uncles that have spent time in Kenya, Honduras or China, or maybe they have a passion for gender issues or AIDS/HIV prevention," Spradlin said. "What better way to give a personal, meaningful gift."

E-Card charitable gifts can be made in honor of a friend or loved one for birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and special occasions, with each card featuring a different design incorporating the Hope Equity logo leaves. You can choose from more than 400 specific endowments on Hope Equity (www.hopeequity.org/holiday) that provide continuous, long-term support for life-changing programs around the world.

The wide array of countries, initiatives and causes available make the E-Card an ideal gift for those on your list that make shopping so difficult. When you purchase an E-Gift Card, the recipient will receive a card in their e-mail directing them to the Hope Equity Web site where they can then choose the interests they would like to support with your gift.

"What makes this so unique is that the E-Card Gift recipient designates which countries or initiatives the funds will go to and how much each will receive," Spradlin said.

The recipient will set up a Micro-Endowment account, where each gift will be invested and they can watch as their charitable investment grows. A percentage of the interest is made available every year to the countries, causes and organizations they have selected.

To find out more, visit www.hopeequity.org/holiday.

About Hope Equity

Heifer Foundation's new approach to philanthropy, Hope Equity, is an online community investing in the end of hunger and poverty through Micro-Endowments(TM). The Web site provides donors with the ability to contribute to charitable causes, track the growth of their investments and interact globally with individuals interested in making a difference. Hope Equity features an online Community Center where donors can utilize RSS feeds, participate in message boards, join Hope Equity blogs, and sign up for news reports from the causes in which they are interested. The Community Center also provides fundraising tools enabling users to cross-promote their Micro-Endowments(TM) in other areas of social media and research additional charities. For more information, visit www.hopeequity.org.

About Heifer Foundation:

Heifer Foundation envisions a sustainable world where hunger and poverty no longer exist. Its mission is to partner with people in the global movement to end hunger and poverty and care for the Earth. To that end, Heifer Foundation offers a variety of planned charitable giving instruments that provide individuals from all walks of life the ability to help themselves, their loved ones, and a world in great need. For more information, visit www.heiferfoundation.org.