If you don’t feel like shopping or wrapping, here are some gift ideas from local businesses, nonprofit groups and area attractions, including annual memberships, event tickets, gift cards and honorary donations. Most businesses will mail these to the recipient upon request.

For pet lovers

Donations to local animal shelters and rescue groups are becoming popular gifts for holidays as well as birthdays and anniversaries. Most shelters will send a card to the person in whose name the gift is given. Through the John Ancrum SPCA, your gift to another person can be chosen from a number of shelter programs, such as the Injured Animal Fund, Spay-Neuter Clinics or Pet Buddies Clubs, an educational outreach to area schoolchildren. Call (843) 747-4849.

Pet Helpers, a local “no-kill” animal shelter and rescue organization, has a Sponsor-A-Pet program that allows you to sponsor the care of an animal for a year at $30 per month. One-time donations are also welcome, and your gift recipient will receive a card. Call (843) 795-1110.

For nature lovers

Annual memberships to the area’s historic plantations and gardens, as well as to county and state parks, are gifts that can be enjoyed throughout the year. For example, Magnolia Plantation and Its Gardens offers individual annual memberships for $55 and family memberships for $75. The plantation has bicycle paths and picnic grounds in addition to the house and gardens, and pets are allowed. Call (843) 571-1266.

Charleston County Parks operates three large area parks and several beach-access parks, with annual memberships ranging from $15 to $75. A popular holiday gift is a pass to the Holiday Festival of Lights at James Island County Park. Passes to the event are on sale now for $10, and discounts are available with the purchase of 10 or more passes. Call (843) 762-2172.

Give them something fishy

Why not give a jellyfish this year? Anteaters and sea turtles are also available through the South Carolina Aquarium’s Adopt-an-Animal program. You can adopt an animal in someone else’s name—fees vary from $25 to $500 and can include aquarium memberships—or you can make a one-time donation as a gift to another person. Annual memberships to the aquarium range from $40 to $80. Adopt or donate online at www.scquarium.org, or call (843) 577-FISH.

For lovers of the arts

What could be better than getting a ticket to the world-renowned Spoleto Festival USA before tickets even go on sale? Although the spring festival’s 2007 events won’t be announced until January and tickets are not yet on sale, it is possible to buy a gift certificate in any amount redeemable for the festival tickets of the recipient’s choice. Call (843) 720-1115 or buy a gift certificate online at www.spoletousa.org.

For music lovers

Consider a season pass or individual tickets to Charleston Symphony Orchestra concerts. The orchestra has four concert series, including classical and pops. Purchase a CSO Gold Card and the recipient can use it for three concert tickets of his or her choice. Gold Cards are $150, $50 of which is tax-deductible, and are redeemable at the box office for the top-priced seats available. The CSO performs two holiday concerts this December, including a traditional holiday concert and a gospel Christmas concert. Purchase the Gold Card online at www.charlestonsymphony.com or call (843) 723-7528.

For the wine & cheese aficionado

Gift baskets containing wine and cheese, a jar of pasta sauce or a bottle of freshly pressed California olive oil are becoming popular gifts for business professionals. O’Hara & Flynn Ltd., at 160 East Bay St. in downtown and in Mount Pleasant’s Towne Centre, has gift baskets ranging from $25 to $250. You can also give a party for the whole office by purchasing a wine tasting event. Call either store for more information: (843) 216-1016 or (843) 534-1916.

For art lovers

Family memberships to the Gibbes Museum of Art are popular holiday gifts and cost $100 for a year’s unlimited admission. Individual memberships are $45, and dual memberships for couples are $75. Memberships also offer reduced rates on programs and events. Call (843) 722-2706 for more information.

For food lovers

Consider a gift card to your employee’s or client’s favorite restaurant. Maverick Southern Kitchens, for example, sells gift cards with no expiration date. The gift cards can also be used at any of Maverick’s three restaurants—High Cotton, Slightly North Of Broad and The Old Village Post House—or at Charleston Cooks!, which sells culinary supplies and books and offers cooking classes. Call (843) 724-3808.

For lovers of history

Annual gift memberships to the Charleston Museum range from $40 to $1,000 and include a 10% discount in the museum shop. Members are invited to special programs and members-only events and get priority registration to classes offered at the museum. Other gift ideas include tickets to tour the museum’s two historic homes, the Heyward- Washington House and the Manigault House. Call (843) 722-2996.

Give them an evening out

The Spirit of Carolina offers gift certificates for each of its two riverboat dining experiences in Charleston Harbor. A three-course meal for two is $100.46 and a four-course meal for two is $125.46. Your gift recipients receive a letter and gift certificate good for one year; they can make their own reservations at their convience. Call (843) 722-2628.

For construction industry professionals and history buffs

The Historic Charleston Foundation’s museum director offers Hard Hat Tours of the Aiken Rhett House, the former S.C. governor’s mansion at 48 Elizabeth St., which is currently undergoing restoration. The foundation also offers behind-the-scenes tours of its other historic house museums, led by the curator of the Nathaniel Russell House. Call (843) 723-1623 for special tour information.

For the bookworm and coffee lover

At Barnes & Noble bookstores, corporations can get anywhere from a 3% to 5% discount when they buy gift cards in bulk orders of 1,000 or more. For orders of 500 or more, corporate logos can be printed on gift card envelopes. Gift cards are good for anything in the store, including food and beverages from the cafe. Call any Barnes & Noble bookstore for more information, and check with other bookstores for corporate discounts and gift ideas.

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