Valentine's Day has long been a boon for confectioners and greeting-card makers. (Consumers are expected to spend a whopping $448 million on candy alone during the week of Valentine s Day, according to The Nielsen Company.) Now another group is trying to horn in on the Valentine's Day spending frenzy: Charities -- and the retailers that say they give to them.

The pitch: Even if the recession has you cutting back dramatically on spending, you can get a little extra by buying your Valentine's Day gift from us because we'll donate to a charitable cause. All of a sudden, forking over $40 for a box of fancy chocolates or a teddy bear doesn't seem so frivolous if some of the purchase price goes toward building a well in an African village or saving the rainforest. Right?

Adding a charitable component to shopping is permeating the marketplace. Especially in this economy, it s a good way for charities to generate a new revenue stream, says Sandra Miniutti, spokeswoman for CharityNavigator, a nonprofit organization that evaluates charities.

Buy a bouquet of sustainably-grown flowers through OrganicBouquet.com, for example, and 5% of the purchase price will go to a nonprofit like the Nature Conservancy or World Neighbors. Just don't bank on writing that purchase off as a charitable tax deduction -- the merchant gets that honor.

See our slideshow of five gifts that come with charitable donations.

Before you start shopping, a few words of caution. Avoid vague claims, like merchants saying they ll donate a portion of the purchase price to a certain charity. Instead, they should be specific so you know that your money will get to the intended destination, says Miniutti.

Also, ask questions. Smart shoppers should ask the merchant: How do I know my money goes to charity? Can I follow up with you or the charity to see how much was donated? advises Lucy Bernholz, president of Blueprint Research & Design, a consulting firm specializing in philanthropic foundations.

For more help with maximizing your charitable contributions in challenging economic times, read our story.

For some Valentine's Day gifts that give back, view our slideshow:

Monique Pean Charity: Water

Monique Pean started her namesake jewelry line in 2006 after a career in finance. For her water collection of jewelry and accessories, she partnered with Charity: Water, a nonprofit that provides clean water and basic sanitation to impoverished communities in such countries as Bangladesh and Congo. The collection includes an 18-karat recycled gold chain with a conflict-free blue diamond drop and diamond clasp ($795, pictured); a water pendant ($340); and cuff links ($1,000). All the proceeds go to Charity: Water.

TenThousandVillages.com

Sales from this gift site go toward paying for food, education, health care and housing for artisans in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. This heart-decorated photo album ($20), for example, was made by the group Salay Handmade Paper in the Philippines. The group produces handcrafted products with pressed flower designs using cogon grass, a weed that interferes with local farming, and other natural fibers.

OrganicBouquet.com

Buy a bouquet of sustainably-grown flowers as a token of your affection and 5% of your purchase goes to nonprofits like the Nature Conservancy (lilies, $59.95; about $3 goes to the charity), World Neighbors (roses, $49.95; $2.50 to the charity) and Oceana (blue irises, $44.95; $2.25 to the charity), which works to protect the world s oceans. All flowers are sustainably grown and meet environmental and fair-labor product standards.

Giftback.com

This stainless steel money clip from Giftback.com ($33.99) could come in handy once the economy (eventually) comes around. The clip holds up to five credit cards and 30 bills. You can also get a personal Valentine s message engraved. The site lets you donate 10% of all purchases to the charity of your choice. There are hundreds of nonprofits to choose from, including Children s Hunger Fund and Amnesty International.

John & Kira s Chocolates

Treat your sweetie to John & Kira s handmade chocolates, which can be shipped anywhere in the world. A Bee My Lovebug box ($29) comes with nine handmade salted chocolate honey bees and "lovebugs" filled with dark chocolate ganache. Even sweeter John & Kira s ingredients come from local and family farms and urban school gardens in Philadelphia and New Jersey.