Instead of hosting a holiday party this year, Facebook has contacted friends and press offering to make a $25 charitable donation in their name.

In an e-mail signed by the Facebook Communications and Policy Team, the company directs recipients to DonorsChoose.org, where they can choose from a long list of classroom projects to fund. The e-mail list presumably went out to journalists, analysts and Capitol Hill workers.

More companies seem to be setting aside the material aspects of the holidays -- choosing instead to give the gift of giving. ClickZ received a similar gift message from Schematic, which made a donation in our name to charity: water, which is focused on providing clean drinking water in developing nations. And Google has reportedly decided to donate $20 million to charity in lieu of giving lavish gifts to its ad partners (Update: Check out Google's holiday card here.)

It's a trend we can get behind. Sure, we might miss the yuletide parties and fruit cakes a little. But having the chance to make a difference in communities that desperately need it more than makes up for the loss.