What is the best way to show appreciation to a stranger anonymously?

How about doing something anonymously that the person will like or appreciate? A donation in their honor to a group they support, or if you want to be more personal, something like a gift basket with things you know they like and an anonymous note saying you appreciate that they do X, Y and Z for the neighborhood/community?

@JilltheTooth said what I would have said.

@marinelife : That’s a first! Usually I bob in your wake! :-)

Why would you want to do something anonymously? If you’d like to encourage more of the same sort of behavior between strangers, do something for them outright, with no subterfuge.

@CaptainHarley : I get the anonymous thing, it kind of embodies the appreciation of all…

Yes, but if you reward someone for doing something but don’t tell them what they did… ? Or am I just reading into the issue?

I think you’re misunderstanding the issue. My suggestion for the basket included a note that says why. If you do a donation, you could include an anonymous note with that as well, for the group to pass on. A teacher in our town does a lot for the community and one Christmas I made her up a basket with a note expressing how much the community appreciated her, she was delighted as she thought it was a lovely gesture from the community. That is, until, one of the kids in her class told her in a panic that she’d seen KatawaGrey’s mom put something in the teachers car and thought it was maybe a bomb.. Thanks, kid, no good deed goes unpunished. :-/

Hmmm, I’m confused by the answers, but if the person is a “stranger” then you don’t know them personally do you? Or do you? Would you know where they lived? Under the context of the question I think that you want to do something for someone you don’t even know, like maybe they gave you an organ, or you adopted their child or such thing? Or maybe this is someone you do know and they helped you but you just want to give a gift like a surprise? I’m confused…but that’s normal sorry.

@Meego We are surrounded by strangers who do things for others and put themselves last and the general good first. The ones who do random acts of kindness. Little things that help others.

Oh well in that case I suggest the thing to do is Pay it Forward
And there is a day for that
PIFD

@NightStalker Maybe a bit more context to your question might help? I’m confused as to what you mean by ‘stranger’ coz there seem to be so many degrees to it i.e. total unknown, or someone you heard about but never met, or a someone you recognize e.g. as a regular customer at Starbucks but whom you’ve never spoken to, or a nodding ‘acquaintance’ in the neighborhood, or just a familiar face around your part of town…

You must know this person….right? In order to “thank” this person…you must know (at least) who they are….I am assuming this.

Anything that can be delivered (anonymously) by a company and this would include: flowers, gift baskets, “Edible Arrangments” (fruits shaped like flowers), balloons. You can also mail something to the person (if you know their address). Or find a way to leave something with the receptionist at their work and not identify yourself…or just say, “Hello, this is a delivery for Miss Simplicity,” and act like the courier. This could be any gift—a framed print, a box of chocolates, a MontBlanc fountain pen, a leather-bound notebook, a book of poetry, etc.

You can also mail/slip a card with a gift certificate to Amazon, to Williams-Sonoma (if he/she cooks) or any other mail order catalogue, or perhaps pop in a pair of tickets to a concert or play. Or you can just write a typewritten anonymous heartfelt note with how much you appreciate the work they do (this is also a great gift!) and mail it/deliver it/put it in their postbox or through their mailslot or in their box at work. If you know things they enjoy, try to find something that matches their interests.

I think that thanking people anonymously….is absolutely lovely and the times that I have been surprised anonymously…I am over the moon with happiness. So, you are on the right track.

(Although, if it is someone like a significant other——I agree with @CaptainHarley , sometimes, it’s best to look the person in the eye, and thank them personally from the heart.)

Dear asker,

I think your question is fairly simple. You want to anonymously show appreciation to a person who is a stranger to you after you have seen him/her do something worthy of it.

The strangers identity would be very handy, but not essential as long as you know a way for your appreciation to reach him/her. I’ll assume you do know his/her identity though.

Your token of appreciation will normally equal your appreciation for the deed(s).
Thus “the best way to show your appreciation” as you asked, will depend on context.

To begin with you could send a (short) message of appreciation.
The form will vary as receiving a typed posted letter would be somewhat awkward if we’re talking about something really small kind of a deed for example.

If you’re considering e-mail then I must warn you that anonymous e-mail senders like http://send-email.org/ are normally blacklisted by spam filters and will go directly into the spam folder.

A gift can be a great addition to your message and I think DarlingRhadamanthus gave many good examples.

But please keep in mind that some people may be distrustful towards edible gifts from anonymous strangers…

And to add to the anonymity conversation.

Anonymity has two sides to it.
But sadly the good side is too often not recognized for it’s worth.

Anonymity enables most crime in the world, but at the same time it gives people a fighting chance against injustice. (Think of WikiLeaks, Anonymous, etc.)

There are many reasons why NightKiller could want to use it, like:
1) saving him the awkwardness of having to seek contact with that person,
though this contact can be beneficial and create friendship, good people should stick together
2) protecting him from people who disapprove the deeds he would like to show appreciation for, or from people who simply do not like the person. (like towards gay activists)
3) making sure the person knows the appreciation is sincere, that he’s not trying to flatter them in his own interest
4) making it seem as if the appreciation origins from several people
5) etc.

I do not think we should be judging his choice to remain anonymous,
even though the word “stalker” is literally in his name :)

@TheMarquis : I think you may be way over analyzing this. Maybe @NightStalker wants to remain anonymous because he would be uncomfortable receiving praise for his actions that are meant to be about praising someone else’s actions.

I have seen people write in to Dear Abby with a message such as: Today I saw a man in Cincinnati, where I live, do such and such (insert random act of kindness). I was so moved by his thoughfulness that I wanted to thank him, but since I have no idea who he is, I just want to put this out there and hope that he reads this and sees it. Signed anonynous

I think that would work. Even if the do-gooder never sees the message, it will inspire other people, hopefully, to do good deeds and the letter writer doesn’t have to assume any kind of un-wanted credit.

@JilltheTooth I do not like the term “over analyse”
There’s always holism in the way I think.

Secondly, that’s what the 5) etc. is for…

I do not see how naming every possibility aids the conversation nor how you can say with certainty that your possibility is the only valid one… with all due respect

@Kardamom Shoot! I actually forgot to add that in my post, even though I had thought of it. =S But you phrased it way better than I would have with your example! Great job!
I think the posting in public is a great way, though one must take care in how to do it, to not lose anonymity.

@TheMarquis: No offense to you was intended, mine was a casual observation, and use of the word “maybe” indicated that.

@Kardamom Brilliant!

@All- thank you for the input. It has been a great discussion with inspired ideas.