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They’ve raised more than $126,000 for 55 local non-profits. Seventy-five percent of all donations they’ve received were under $10. They are completely run by volunteers.

The Alternative Giving Market of the Palouse was co-founded by Dianne Daley Laursen and Renee Hill eight years ago to bring together the communities around the Palouse.

“We are a very vibrant community with a very high quality of life because of all these non-profits working to make the community better,” Laursen said.

Every year, the Alternative Giving Market of the Palouse brings together dozens of local non-profit organizations and offers them the opportunity to network and raise funds through alternative gifts. The market itself is an information exchange that makes logistical processes easier for the organizations.

Because the Giving Market controls the logistical side, the organizations just have to organize their alternative gifts. This year, 32 nonprofits will be offering over 150 gifts, many of which start at $5.

These gifts include inspiring a child to experience music through the Community Band of the Palouse, or helping purchase treats and toys for homeless dogs and cats through the Humane Society of the Palouse. Each gift is paired with a personalized card to explain the sentimental significance behind the gift to the recipient.

Laursen believes giving a gift through the Alternative Giving Market is truly a gift from the heart. The gifts often carry more meaning than a gift purchased at the store, she said.

“When I was young, my grandmother had a huge garden and some of my fondest memories are of working in the garden with her,” Laursen said. “A few years ago, I got her the gift of having a row of peas and carrots planted through Backyard Harvest and wrote her a letter to thank her for all those wonderful memories.”

The Alternative Giving Market relies on students and volunteers to function year-to-year. The market gives elementary school students the opportunity to design gift cards, while relying on high school students to organize and work during the event. Many WSU and University of Idaho (UI) students volunteer their time to help send out these gift cards after the event.

The market means a lot to the students who take part in it, Laursen said.

“My favorite quote that couldn’t have been written by even a phenomenal marketing team was said by a fourth grader,” she said. “‘I now know how to put my empathy into action.’”

This year, gifts will be available for purchase online on the Alternative Giving Market of the Palouse’s website from Nov. 25 through Dec. 10. The Giving Market will be set up in the Palouse Mall from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday for those who would rather choose their gift in person.

“Since so many gifts that are so different are offered, everyone can find something to relate to their personal history for someone that they care about,” Laursen said.

Reporting by Chloe Grundmeier