So many organizations remind us that this is the time of year to give -- give cash, add donations to estate plans, drop toys or winter coats in collection bins and so on. Cash-strapped Atlantans may want to participate, but one look at their checkbooks convinces them otherwise. The holidays can mean tapped out credit cards and missed mortgage payments for some homeowners.

Charitable organizations like Habitat for Humanity are reporting an uptick in donations from those homeowners, though. They are choosing to donate their homes rather than go through foreclosure.

There are multiple advantages for everyone involved, according to lenders and charities. The homeowner earns a charitable tax deduction. The lender avoids the cost of foreclosure and the risk of having a property on its books for months to come. The charity can rehabilitate the house and sell it for a profit, or it can donate the property to the city.

The neighborhood benefits, too. Donated homes are no longer for sale, so the values of the homes around them don't suffer as much. Plus, in many cases the homes are in desperate need of repair. Renovating or razing a neighborhood eyesore "immediately stabilizes property values," according to one development professional.

Donating your home is a pretty drastic move, of course. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of donations come from lenders. The foreclosure crisis has turned lenders into unwilling -- and, at times, unskilled -- landlords. Maintaining vacant homes during and after foreclosure is not only expensive, but in many cases it's impractical.

Habitat for Humanity reports rehabbing 1,200 homes (nationwide) that were donated or purchased at bargain-basement prices during their last fiscal year. That's twice as many as the year before. The number should continue to go up, too, according to major lenders. Bank of America, for example, plans to donate 1,200 properties next year, eight times as many as this year.

Source: USATODAY.com, "Charities get more donated homes," Julie Schmit, Dec. 29, 2011