DENVER -- Development in Gardening (DIG) has an alternative for those who are looking to give a unique Christmas gift this year.

By making a donation to DIG, contributors will be able to help fund a number of sustainable gardening projects that will improve the nutrition and health of HIV-affected and at-risk populations.

Holiday donations starting at $20 can make a difference in these communities by providing vegetable seeds, building gardens, purchasing tools, and installing water systems.

DIG was founded in 2005 by returned Peace Corps volunteers Steve Bolinger and Sarah Koch following their service in Senegal, West Africa. The organization started with just one garden project. Today, DIG has projects in over seven countries and continues to refine and expand its work, keeping its grassroots focus and direct community involvement at the core of our operations.

Gift opportunities include:

- $20: Plant vegetable seeds. Supply a DIG group with a mix of open-pollinating seeds, which grow true to their mother plant each year and produce offspring exactly like the parent.

- $30: Plant an herb garden. Adding herbs to a home cooked meal doesn't just make everything taste better; it can make everyone feel better too. With significant amount of micronutrients and medicinal properties DIG makes a point to incorporate herbs into every garden project.

- $50: Provide a set of tools. Having strong sturdy tools are a must for every gardener. DIG wants to provide our participants with reliable tools that go the distance, so you can help by purchasing quality shovels, rakes, and hoes for our beneficiaries.

- $75: Install a watering system. These home water systems help capture and conserve precious rainwater that will be utilized in a family's garden. Systems include guttering, piping, and a storage barrel.

- $100: Build a home garden. Participants use the skills and knowledge from the facility DIG gardens and a small grant for supplies and materials to transform excess space at their home into a productive vegetable garden.

- $250: Protect a garden with a fence. What good is a garden if it’s eaten by wandering livestock or vandalized in the neighborhood? Provide a sturdy fence around a DIG facility garden. Make the space important and protect what is planted.

- $500: Establish a community plot. Help a garden group expand their efforts to a shared community plot where they can grow bigger and more productive gardens. Supporting a community plot includes rental of the land for one year, seeds, tools, and help with a water source.

- $100 a month to $1,200 a year: Hire a local facilitator. For $100 a month you can support the work and salary of a local DIG facilitator. For $1,200 you can give that person a job for a whole year, and who doesn't want a job these days. This individual will receive a competitive national salary and help lead the development and expansion of DIG gardens throughout the area.

- Choose your own gift: Donors can make a gift in any amount in honor of someone they love.

Those who give $150 or more in alternative DIG gifts will be sent a pack of DIG's fabric notecards, and those who contribute $300 or more will be sent a Reap Life DIG T-shirt.

For more information or to make a contribution click HERE.