Alternative Gifts International has many wondeful projects that help people without harming animals. There is also a hunger relief organization called Vegfam in Britain. You can donate to them in US dollars through The American Vegan Society. People may also want to be careful sending donations to health charities in someones name. Someone in an earlier post mentioned how she wouldn't want someone to donate to The American Cancer Society in her name because of her views on medicine.
Some charities fund animal experimentation and many people take objection to that as well.
For a list of health charities that do not test on animals go to charitiesinfo.org. One that I know that focuses on cancer prevention and survival through nutrition is The Cancer Project of The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.