Green your gift giving this holiday season

-TD Friends of the Environment Foundation launches e-gift donations to support local grassroots projects -

TORONTO , Dec. 14 /CNW/ - Toss the tie. Forget the fruitcake. This year, the best holiday gifts are green. Make a difference in communities across Canada with the new TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF) e-gift at www.tdfef.com/egift - a great choice for friends and family on your gift-giving list. This 'green' gift supports environment and wildlife projects in communities across Canada . Over the past 20 years, TD FEF has donated more than $49 million to fund over 18,000 grassroots initiatives across Canada .

"The animal lovers and nature enthusiasts on your holiday shopping list will appreciate a gift to TD FEF in their name, which will support grassroots environment and wildlife projects across the country," says Mary Desjardins , Executive Director, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. "This is the gift that truly keeps on giving when it comes to preserving Canada's natural beauty and protecting the environment."

TD FEF's new e-gift feature was designed to meet the needs of Canadians who want to 'give green' during the holidays or for any occasion. A recent survey commissioned by TD FEF showed that 81% of Canadians say that they plan to carry out environmentally-friendly activities this holiday season. The e-gift supports this effort, giving Canadians the ability to donate to TD FEF by making online credit card donations on behalf of gift recipients. Donors can select one of several e-cards for their recipients and personalize their cards with a message about the donation.

The TD FEF survey also showed that Canadians' green activities over the holiday season include using reusable bags for their holiday shopping (58%); reusing bows and gift bags (49%); using energy-saving LED lights for holiday decorating (38%) and adding local foods to holiday feasts (21%).

"These results show that Canadians are willing to up their game when it comes to keeping the environment top of mind during the holidays and beyond," says Desjardins. "Giving the gift of TD FEF is another way to take that awareness to a higher level. Not to mention, it's one present that Canadians won't have to re-gift."

About the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation Holiday Survey:

From November 24 to November 25, 2009 , Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation Green Holiday Survey among 1,010 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists.

About TD Friends of the Environment Foundation:

Since 1990, TD FEF has provided more than $49 million in funding to over 18,000 grassroots environment and wildlife projects across Canada . In 2009, TD FEF provided more than $4 million in support of nearly 900 projects. Thousands of donors give to TD FEF on a monthly basis and TD Bank Financial Group contributes in excess of $1 million annually. TD also covers the management costs of running TD FEF, which guarantees 100 per cent of every dollar donated goes directly to funding environment and wildlife projects in the community where the donation was made. For more information on how to donate and get involved in your community, visit www.tdfef.com.

For further information: or to arrange an interview please contact: Gregory Harrison, TD Bank Financial Group, [phone], [email protected]; Carolyn Abbass, Karen McCullough, Paradigm Public Relations, [phone], [email protected], [email protected]