Changing the Present (ChangingthePresent.org)
The gift: Training for two midwives in parts of the world where medical care is scarce, a month's worth of sanitary napkins for 10 Afghan girls ($35), interview-worthy suits for five job applicants—or any of a number of other ways to help women. Changing the Present is a clearinghouse for specific charitable requests, grouped by cause; if you'd rather clear land mines or feed the hungry, there's something here for you too.

Nothing but Nets (NothingbutNets.net)
The gift: Malaria prevention—in the form of insecticide-treated bed nets—for five families in Africa, where the disease still kills nearly a million children each year. The nets, which are big enough to protect a family of four, remain effective for up to four years.