You can send “Haiti Relief” donations to any disaster relief organization and feel good about what you’re doing. Or you can give money and get something in return.

Laura at Shore Chic came up with an amazing idea to donate a handmade item and I copied that. But those are just two efforts in a sea of crafty and bloggy folks who don’t know what to do with their excess creativity and lack of funds.

They donate items and services. And you can partake while still helping those in need. Here are just a few places to “Shop for Haiti”. Some are donating percentages and some are giving 100%.

Indie Fixx is holding a Haiti Relief Fundraiser silent auction. There will be 3 unique items listed each day and you can bid on them via the comments.

Jenny of Simply Delightful Designs started a site called “Hope for Haiti“. She is raffling off donated items and 100% will go to Red Cross or Compassion.

You can donate money by shopping on eBay! Browse by item, percentage given or non-profit organization. Just follow this link to get you to the charity page.

In a effort to get donations for Haiti, Laura from Shore Chic is auctioning off a lovely handmade tote over on her blog. I thought it was an awesome idea, so I just stole it. Below, I copied and pasted Laura’s rules and I’ll substitute the necklace shown above.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you paid it forward and donated your own piece too? I’m just sayin’….

The necklace is a single antique washer that hangs from a new 16.5″ chain. That would be a choker for a large person. New glass blue bead makes this a piece of jewelry instead of uh…just a washer on a chain.

And now to the cut and paste……

In the comments section on this post, leave the amount you’d like to bid. Remember the cause and please bid generously.

Bidding will remain open until Monday, January 18 (Martin Luther King Day here in the U.S.) at midnight, Eastern Time.

At that time, I will ask the highest bidder to make a donation to the Haitian relief charity of his or her choice in the amount of their bid, and ask them to forward me a copy of the receipt as proof the donation was made.

I will gladly ship (at my cost) anywhere in the world.

Separately, if you are looking to make a donation on your own here are some organizations:

• Doctors without Borders lost three hospitals in the quake, and could really use our help to bring vital medical support to the victims
• Haiti native Wyclef Jean’s non-profit Yele
• Mercy Corps
• UNICEF
• And, you can text “Haiti” to 90999 to donate $10 to the American Red Cross relief efforts. Or text Yele to 501 501 to donate $5.

Bid on tea cozy or vintage apron.

You may disregard this post if you’ve been hit by the recession recently. Otherwise, read up on ways to help others. It will make you feel good. I promise.

Renovation Therapy is holding an online auction to benefit homeless San Fransisco teen Katy Hughes. No, she’s not some loser who ran away from home and has money to dye her hair and get piercings but still begs on the street. Check out the auction and video.

The Polar Bears didn’t jump into the freezing cold water in the middle of the frigid winter just for the fun of it (Well, maybe some did). They were collecting donations for Camp Sunshine. There will be other polar dips coming up on the east coast. You can donate to a specific event or sign up to take the plunge yourself at Freezin’ for a Reason. There’s a “chicken dip” for those only willing to get their feet wet.

While we’re on the subject of doing nutty things for charity, if you raise $500 towards a charity of your choice, you can Skydive for Free.  There is a list of wonderful organizations to choose from. What I personally like about the list is that I don’t have to worry about animal testing with any of these organizations. The other thing I like about this is that skydiving is an incredible sport, but it’s close to $200 for a tandem jump. There are drop zones on Long Island and Upstate, NY. Look for me to do this in the spring. Free jump? For charity? I’m there!

If Newman’s Own didn’t donate all their after tax profits to educational and charitable organizations, I’d still buy their products. Why? Well, they ain’t half bad! The ingredients are fairly natural and healthy and they taste good too. What’s not to like?

The Westport, CT foundation and Paul Newman have given more than $250 million to thousands of charities worldwide. The company motto is: “Shameless exploitation in pursuit of the Common Good.”

“Hole in the Wall Camps” was Paul Newman’s pet project. In 1988 he opened a camp for children with serious medical conditions. The Association of Hole in the Wall Camps soon expanded into a worldwide movement. Campers benefit from supportive physical, mental and spiritual programs and it’s all free of charge.

Go here to contribute cash and here to see the NY camp wish list. Or just buy some Newman’s Own tomato sauce and popcorn.