I’m happy to write this week about one of my favorite globally focused charities: the magnificently named Heifer International. There’s something about the name that strikes me as funny. I feel like they have scores of trained cow agents. Bessie, International Super Spy:

Oh yeah, and it’s a good charity, too! In donating to the charity, you buy (typically) an actual animal for a family in need. How cool is that? You get to buy a cow! Or a llama! Or a whole flock of chickens!

The neat thing about Heifer is that the recipients of the donation promise to give the first offspring of the livestock to another family in need. As a result, your one donation can continue to help many for years and years.

The prices vary, depending on the type of livestock. And if donated sheep aren’t your game, you also have the opportunity to buy ovens, send kids to school, etc.

But what’s fun about buying a goat? You can buy one goat as a charitable gift on behalf of your whole family. Then, on the big day, you can designate exactly which part of the goat you donated on their behalf.

“Sis, you’re awesome. You get to give a pair of goat horns.”

“Aunt Gertrude, thanks for all those Christmas sweaters over the years. You get to give the goat’s … um… rump.”