For the past six years, I have curated an ever-growing list of amazing Gifts that Give Back. My guide has become so popular that I have devoted an entire page on my blog that is updated frequently and features these wonderful organizations and the causes they support. Whether it be fighting hunger, gender inequality or providing educational or income opportunities, there are a ton of ways you can use your buying power as a consumer to do good and make a difference in someone’s life.
This giving season is by far like none most of us have ever experienced. Despite all the hardship and challenges during this unprecedented time, this year consumers have a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact on the world at a time when it’s most needed. Let’s come together to support one another in the fight against COVID-19, and make this holiday season, a giving season. Wishing you and your family health, strength, and hope during this challenging time.
Happy Shopping! And if you like this post, please share. Together, our collective buying can help change the world and make a difference. Also, be sure to check out my earlier post on Gifts that Give Back to Support the Fight Against COVID-19. There are so many amazing companies out there doing good.
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All Across Africa
Here are some of the latest ideas for the holidays:
Zig Zag Black and White Vase: Intricately crafted with timeless tradition, this carefully dyed sisal fiber and sweet grass round vase makes a stunning statement piece. $180. 6″ Brown and Black Checkered Planter: $44. Tiny Floret Open Weave Catch All: $20.
Anchal Project
Anchal [on-chal] believes design can change lives. As a non-profit social enterprise, Anchal uses design thinking to create innovative products and sustainable employment for exploited women worldwide. To date, we have provided alternative careers in textiles and design to over 200 women in Ajmer, India and Louisville, KY. Anchal is committed to producing the highest quality home goods & accessories while maintaining the integrity of our artisans and natural resources. Distinct design, craftsmanship and a personal signature connect you to the individual maker. Our eco-friendly products are entirely hand-stitched from vintage materials, certified organic cotton and low-impact dyes. Anchal makes gorgeous scarves, kantha blankets, and appareil.
Some of my favorites include:
The Did Quilt Throw: Our Didi quilted throw blends traditional kantha quilting techniques with contemporary geometric designs. Handcrafted with organic cotton, this reversible quilt features detailed stitch patterns and paneling, creating bold, dynamic intersections of color and texture. Slate-gray edging adds the finishing touch to this heirloom textile art. Price $356.
DIDI QUILT THROW
The Kantha Scarf: This patterned scarf is made from a lightweight vintage cotton material that will perfectly complement any look. Use the length of this lightweight straight scarf to drape over your shoulders or wrap around your neck. $60.
Kantha scarf
Awe Inspired
Awe’s mission is to bring to market meaningful, inspirational pieces to elevate your everyday. From reimagined classics to delicate essentials, they’ve got you covered. Awe gifts are as thoughtful as they are beautiful: every time you buy a piece of Awe, we donate 20% of the proceeds to a charity of your choosing. To learn more about their incredible charities and the work they do to save lives, visit aweinspired.myshopify.com/pages/charities
Some of this year’s top gift’s include:
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Necklace. Price $135. Sterling Silver or Gold
RBG Necklace
Triangle Hoop Earrings. Price $140. Sterling Silver or Gold
Triangle hoop earrings
Kamala Harris + Woman Power Necklace Set Price. $260. 14k Yellow Gold Vermeil
Kamala Harris set
b.a.r.e soaps
b.a.r.e. soaps is an all-natural, socially conscious soap & candle company. b.a.r.e stands for “bringing antiseptic resources to everyone”. 20% of proceeds are reinvested in economic development in India and Uganda.
Here are the top 5 picks for the holidays:
Kindness Gift: Price $30.00. Looking to send someone some love? You can give the gift that gives while spreading kindness and encouragement. This box comes filled with three handmade bar soaps of your choice, one of which will be placed in a cotton bag.
Kindness Gift.
Pick 3 Soy Candles: $56.99. There’s no better way to create a cozy home than with clean-burning, soy candles. Each candle is hand-poured and made with soy wax.
Pick three soy candles.
Pick 4 Bar Soaps: $29.99 Choose four different scents to mix and match. Every bar comes wrapped in our plantable packaging with a compostable label. It’s the perfect messaging to help get a conversation around sustainability started. Great for stocking stuffers or gifting all four in a go!
Pick Four Bars of Soap
Lump of Coal: $10.50 each or 3 for $25.99 Has someone you know been naughty but not nice? Based off of our black tie affair bar, this bar derives its black color from charcoal, a great natural substance that can pull out the dirt and oils from your pores. It has a bit of goats milk too, so it creates a silky lather, a great fit for anyone with sensitive skin. This bar comes wrapped in our plantable packaging but with a 4×6 cotton bag that says “lump of coal”.
Bird + Stone
Bird + Stone is a jewelry company that is building a more equal world. Their jewelry is ethically made in the USA, and every piece donates 10% to support causes that you care about – including women’s health, girls’ education, poverty alleviation, and more. Check out these amazing gift ideas: Each bracelet set donates 10% to She Should Run to expand the talent pool of women running for office, close the gender gap in politics by getting 250,000 women to run by 2030.
Kamala Harris Set: $60. Silver or Gold cuff and Cleopatra bracelet. Inspired by the nomination of Kamala Harris for Vice President as the first woman of color nominated for VP of a major political party, this set is a fabulous and classic set to remind us to persist and keep pushing boundaries.
Kamala Harris Set
Young Activist Set. $85. Inclueds Who run the world? Girls! Beaded Bracelet, Nevertheless, She Persisted Cuff and a Black Lives Matter Cuff.
Young Activist Set.
Bloom & Give
Bloom & Give sells beautifully handcrafted scarves and bags made in India using techniques passed on from generation to generation. Each product is designed in the US by one of Bloom & Give’s designers, and made in India with love.Bloom & Give donates 50% of their profits to support girls education programs in India through their partner Educate Girls to improve the lives of girls in Rajasthan.
Here are some of the topic picks for the season:
Iris Komono Robe: $95. 100% Cotton, and made using a traditional block-printing process.
Iris Kimono Robe
Ammu Throw Blanket
Maya Dot Wool Scarf. English Blue. $60. A classic polka dot rendition on incredibly light hand-loomed merino wool, blended with a touch of natural silk to improve durability and feel.
Maya Dot Wool Scarf
dignify
dignify helps women shop for excellent quality, meaningful gifts and goods: items that promote dignity, empower humanity, and champion good. dignify’s online boutique sells premium quality, ethically made “kantha” quilts — blankets stitched by hand from layers of sari cloth using a centuries-old tradition in Bangladesh. The women who sew dignify’s blankets are the most vulnerable in society: recovering from sexual exploitation or in a high-risk environment. Now, they are employed with dignity in safe, loving, and sustainable work, producing beautiful blankets that customers love.
Fill it Forward
The Fill it Forward is a sustainable water bottle that is perfect for the environmentally conscious, active mom passionate about giving back and staying hydrated. $5 of every purchase goes toward water, sanitation and hygiene programs in your selected location. But it doesn’t stop there. With each refreshing refill, Fill it Forward will continue to donate clean water to those who need it most, aiming to raise $100,000 for its charity partners this holiday season. Choose the gift that keeps on giving. Every purchase of the Always Giving Collection unlocks a $5 donation to help fund essential clean water and WASH projects in 5 locations: USA, Canada, India, Ethiopia, and the Dominican Republic, with a fundraising goal of $100,000 for WASH programs. The Fill it Forward – Always Giving Collection. Price: $20/bottle
Give Back Goods
Give Back Goods carries eco-friendly, fair trade and cause-based gifts, home goods, and accessories for the whole family. Some of our products give back directly to important causes like providing clean water & solar power to those without, or creating jobs & educating human trafficking victims, at-risk girls and young moms. Other products help save our planet’s resources or feed & protect animals & wildlife. We also support fair trade artisans from around the world, with fair wages & healthy work environments, reversing the cycle of poverty. Give Back Goods has everything from fairtrade & handmade storage baskets, baby & kids gifts, serving dishes and linens to cause-based gifts like headphones, speakers & jewelry as well as eco-friendly blankets, repurposed bags and more!
Here are some of the top picks for the holidays(click on each image for product description and price):
Hand Knit Polar Bear Holiday Christmas Pillow, Fair Trade $66.00. Hand Knit Baby or Toddler Hat with Pom (orange & grey), Fair Trade. $36.00. Open-Weave Kenya Wool Shawl / Throw-Indigo- Eco-Friendly, Fair Trade
$100.00. Each product supports a different charity and cause.
Gifts for Good
Gifts for Good serves companies and professionals with high-quality goods that people will love to give and love to receive. Their gifts are made by nonprofit or social enterprise partners who make and sell their own products to support their mission. Each product supports one of 40 nonprofit and social enterprise partners tackling the world’s most pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges. Gifts for Good generates impact in over 19 states and 65 countries around the globe.
For this holiday season, here are the top ideas for the holidays:
Unwind Gift Set $100.Transform any business or home with the lasting scent of luxury, all-natural fragrances! This set includes: a handmade 6.5 oz coconut wax candle; a scented Room Spray made in Los Angeles from the finest ingredients; four premium cut Agate Coasters; and an eco-friendly, aromatic reed fragrance diffuser. Handcrafted in small batches in the USA.
Unwind Gift Set
Holiday Brew Set. $60.00. A great gift for any coffe loverl, this set comes complete with a beautifully designed ceramic mug paired with a 12 oz. bag of medium-bodied, whole-bean coffee. Our black 12 oz ceramic mug is designed to hold your favorite hot (or cold) beverage. Our leak-proof bamboo lid allows you to travel at ease, double-wall insulation keeps your liquids hot, and drinking from ceramic upholds pure taste – wherever you go. The Holiday Brew Gift Set is the perfect gift for the holiday season! Every purchase supports fair wages for coffee growers in Honduras.
Holiday Brew Set
Make A Meal Give A Meal Gift Box. $37.95. Our Make A Meal Give A Meal Gift Box includes the makings of the perfect meal from start to finish – and gives a meal to a child in need for every box purchased! Carefully arranged in a beautifully designed, eco-friendly, yet sturdy gift box, this gift box makes the perfect present for any occasion. Bulk shipping to individual addresses available upon request. Provide jobs for American Women afflicted by poverty and chronic unemployment
Make A Meal Give A Meal Gift Set
GreaterGood
GreaterGood is a network of cause-focused sites and have raised more than $60 million for people, pets, and the planet. They have also given more than $50 million in artisan payments.
Bond Between Sisters Pin: $10.99. Handmade, fairly traded from Bolivia, feeds 35 shelter animals, supports the artisan community.
Bond Between Sisters Pin
Alpaca Fingerless Mittens Price $15.99. Handmade, fairly-traded, feeds 71 animals.
Alpaca Fingerless Mittens
Super Cozy™ Fleece Paw Print Throw Blanket. $13.99. Feeds 71 animals, designed exclusively for The Animal Rescue Site.
Super Cozy™ Paw Print Fleece Slipper Booties Price $18.00. Feeds 71 animals, a bunch of designs.
ImPaper
ImPaper (Impact Paper) is a social enterprise that ventures to bring creative and originally designed greeting cards and other paper goods that make a social impact. For every product purchased, ImPaper contributes to a specific cause to help improve the lives of others. These causes range from giving meals to the poor, planting trees, and providing vaccines for diseases. To date, ImPaper has given over 5000 meals, 1500 tetanus vaccines, 2500 anti-malarial pills and more.
2021 Puntastic Desk Calendar Price $28.00. The cutest 2021 Desk Calendar with a fun pun each and every month. The calendar includes twelve individual month sheets (January 2021 – December 2021). This item will make the perfect stocking stuffer or Christmas gift this holiday season. This product will provide 4 meals for those in need through Feeding America.
Puntastic Desk Calendar
Purpose Jewelry
PURPOSE Jewelry is handcrafted by young women escaping human trafficking in California, India, Uganda and Mexico. The art of jewelry making through their social enterprise PURPOSE, paired with holistic care through their program, International Sanctuary, ensures every artisan gains dignity and hope for the future. 100% of the proceeds go to our nonprofit, International Sanctuary, to ensure that each artisan receives living wages, education and holistic care. Through their wide range of services, young women can begin to heal and grow in mind, body and soul. It is PURPOSE and International Sanctuary’s mission to not just sustain victims of modern-day slavery, but to provide the tools and life skills they need to embrace their true identity and worth and transform into survivors with true freedom.
Dusk Drops. Price $26. The Dusk Earrings feature delicate teardrops with cascading crystal beads. Their fashion-forward design and elegant feel make these earrings a season must-have
Dusk Drops
Stone Bracelets. $28. This luxe bracelet set is a striking addition to any wardrobe. Faceted glass stones and hammered coin charms make up these beautiful bracelets. The Stone Bracelets come in a set of 2 that can be worn together or alone.
Stone Bracelets
Solstice Hoops. Silver or Gold. $30. The Solstice Hoops are beautifully curved into contemporary crescent shapes. Shimming brass is hand hammered for texture and finished for shine. These hoops are truly unique and sure to impress.
Solstice Hoops.
Sheep Not Goats
Sheep Dreamzzz is a project of Sheep Not Goats, a US-based charitable organization with 501(c)(3) status. It was founded in 2013 by Steve and Sandy Jacoby to help the poor in Nicaragua, through employment opportunities, assistance with medical expenses, teaching English and other services. The blanket project emerged in 2018 after the Jacoby’s had their first grandchildren and Sandy decided to teach local women to knit. They have been making blankets for almost 2 years now and the quality of their work is amazing. They work 5 mornings a week in the Jacoby’s’ home, which is a clean and safe environment, and are often seen helping one another out to ensure that as many as possible finish a blanket each week. Most of the women have young children at home and are their families’ primary source of income in an already-poor country with a failing economy and almost no jobs. The sale of one blanket feeds a family in the small rural town where the women work for over a week. Blankets prices begin at $52.
Sutisana
Thistle Farms
Thistle Farms is dedicated to helping women survivors of addiction, trafficking, and prostitution find healing, hope, and freedom. Thistle Farms lives into this mission through three integrated paths: In residential communities where women experience healing, restoration, and love without judgment; Through social enterprises where women gain skins, financial independence, and the opportunity to connect with customers and partners globally; and across a coordinated movement of survivors, customers, advocates, and communities collaborating, on innovative ways to deliver justice and challenge the systems that commodify women. Thistle Farms’ signature body and home collections are handmade in Nashville, TN with high-quality ingredients, including the finest essential oils available on the market and healing ingredients like Moringa oil, organic rose geranium, shea butter, and aloe vera.
Here are some of the beautiful gifts for the holidays.
Candle Healing Collection. Price $60 each. Handcrafted in small batches with the finest soy wax and naturally fragranced with 100% pure essential oils.
Thistle Farms Candle Healing Collection
Essential Oils. Price varies depending on the collection.
Tranquility Set. Price $35. Blended with invigorating essential oils and natural ingredients, each product in this curated set is formulated to soothe and uplift the body and mind.
Tranquility Set
UNICEF
Here are some new gifts that give back to children by helping fund UNICEF programs in health, nutrition, sanitation, COVID-19 relief, and more. To date, UNICEF has distributed over 122 million PPE across the globe and is set to lead the world’s largest and fastest vaccine distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Purchasing gifts from our two platforms UNICEF Market (international, artisan-made gifts) and UNICEF Inspired Gifts (supplies gifted to children’s programs in the name of a loved one) help make these efforts possible.
To view their complete list, Visit UNICEF Market:www.unicefusa.org/Gifts2020
Peruvian 100% Alpaca Men’s Sweater with Zipper, ‘Traveler’. This purchase can provide 84 doses of measles vaccine to protect children from this deadly disease. Price $154.
Men’s Alpaca sweater
Tan and Navy Blue Peruvian Knit Bohemian Drape Poncho. This purchase can provide 28 packets of lifesaving nourishment to children suffering from acute malnutrition. Price $49.99.
Peruvian Poncho
For the person who has everything but wants to give something special to those in need
Everybody Water
Free Wheelchair Mission
Free Wheelchair Mission is a non-profit organization that works to provide the gift of mobility through wheelchairs around the world. So far, they have sent over 1 million wheelchairs to 93 developing countries. As a unique, alternative gift idea, they provide a way to order Christmas and Holiday e-Cards. So, instead of sending someone socks or a tie, you can purchase a card for $80 and provide a life-transforming wheelchair to someone who needs one.
Oxfam
Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty. With 70 years of experience in more than 90 countries, Oxfam takes on the big issues that keep people poor: inequality, discrimination, and unequal access to resources including food, water, and land. We help people save lives in disasters, build stronger futures for themselves, and hold the powerful accountable.
Oxfam Gifts (available online at oxfamgifts.com) offer items that symbolically represent the organization’s lifesaving work. Each purchase is a contribution toward Oxfam’s many programs that help people living in poverty throughout the world. Last year, 22.3 million people benefited directly from Oxfam programs, from emergency response aid following Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, to the 730,000 villagers who now have access to savings and loans opportunities thanks to Oxfam’s efforts.
WhyHunger
Founded in 1975 by the late Harry Chapin and radio DJ Bill Ayres, WhyHunger believes a world without hunger is possible. We provide critical resources to support grassroots movements and fuel community solutions rooted in social, environmental, racial and economic justice. WhyHunger is working to end hunger and advance the human right to nutritious food in the U.S. and around the world. While shopping for the humanitarian, musician, or even tough-to-buy-for family member, look no further than items from WhyHunger‘s 35th annual Hungerthon fundraiser. Proceeds raised go directly to solving hunger for the over 54 million Americans struggling with food insecurity by providing access to nutritious food to all.
World Bicycle Relief
World Bicycle Relief is an innovative organization that brings rugged, specially designed, high-quality bicycles to girl students in rural Africa. This holiday season you can give a gift that will change the course of a young girl’s life and give someone special a limited edition t-shirt they’ll want to wear every day. Through the global nonprofit World Bicycle Relief, you can provide a life-changing bicycle for a young student in rural Africa, where youth often walk hours just to get to and from school. Education is essential to ending the cycle of poverty. Bikes help students get to school faster, safe and ready to learn. Cost to donate 1 bike and receive Joy t-shirt: $165 ($147 is tax-deductible).
Amazing list you have compiled, Nicole. Thanks for all your efforts 🙂 🙂
Thanks Jo. Hope you are well! 🙂
A fantastic list as always, Nicole. 🥰
janet
Thanks Janet!
This is a really wonderful post Nicole. It’s such good work you do. I’ll definitely share.
Alison
THanks Alison! 🙂
What a great list of unique gifts that give back, Nicole. Thank you!
Thanks Jane for checking it out! I am for sure going to do some shopping here. I hope all is well. 🙂