Wedding gifts & Charity

I did some googling, and...

"We feel that being surrounded by the people we love the most is our gift! However, for those who feel compelled to send us a token of your esteem, please consider making a charitable donation to (insert charity) in memory of my father, Mr. Bride’s Father. (Insert a little something about your dad here to really personalize it).

Love to you all,

Bride"

- http://www.topweddingquestions.com/blog/wording-for-donations-instead-of-gifts-blurb-on-wedding-website-2/

I think it would just be easier to make a personal donation yourself with any cash gifts you receive.

Why not just have a simple registry and give all the cash you receive to the endowment? I am not fond of asking for cash in any form, even as a donation to a third entity. Weddings gifts are to help you set up your household, so the cash thing seems against etiquette to me. Obviously way better than a honeyfund or a link to your paypal. People will mostly give you cash if you have a small registry. I would just turn around and give it to the endowment if that is what you feel moved to do.

Totally agree with PPs. Asking for cash (even for a charitable donation) doesn't always come off the way it is intended.

No matter how nicely you write it, asking for money for a charity is still asking for money.

Adults will adult...they will give you cash if they were planning to. You don't have to give them permission to do so. Stick with the small registry. People know what that means. Then give whatever gifts you receive to the charity of your choice.

If you have no registry, your guests will probably give you checks or cash. Then you can use it however you want

Charities are a tough one, either as favors or as a registry option because no matter how benign the charity, people may have problems with the issue or the administration of the funds.

Just make the donation yourself.

As you can see, many different thoughts but I have donating to planned parenthood as an option on my registry directing people to their website so there isn't a service fee. I work in development/fundraising so personally love to see these on registries and make donations in people's names vs just giving them cash.