The 2016 Gifts for Good Guide

 The season of giving is upon us! As we all rushed out to buy gifts for loved ones, colleagues, and maybe even acquaintances (our great mailmen or that nice neighbor down the street), we started thinking about how our gifts could be used for social good. After a little digging we found some great options and thought we’d share.

Here’s our list of 24 “gifts for good” that can increase your impact and social responsibility.  This list of gifts supports causes ranging from clean water to pets to veterans. Take a scroll and see what amazing gifts you can give to give back today.

Purses for good

These handmade clutches, duffels, and purses are empowering Guatemalan women to break the cycle of poverty and become agents of change within their community. Each item is crafted by an aspiring businesswoman who, through the program, receives business and leadership training. Since 2004, Mercado Global has earned $3 million in sales for the Guatemalan businesswomen.

Andrea crossbody: http://www.mercadoglobal.org/collections/fall-2016/products/andrea-crossbody-2

Knits for good

Krotchet Kids, a nonprofit founded in 2008, was started by three best friends who found themselves knitting warm and unique headwear for their snowboarding adventures. Each item is handmade by a worker they trained in Peru or Uganda. Their training and employment program has increased savings for the workers and their families by a whopping 25,000% and helped lift them out of poverty.

Fox knit hat: https://www.krochetkids.org/shop/the-fox/

Hostelling for good

With over 100 years experience, Hostelling International has helped young people from all over the world expand their worldview, engage in conversation, and develop a better appreciation of their world with international hostel stays. All proceeds from their online store that offers shirts, bags, stickers, and water bottles are reinvested in the hostelling cause.

Portland Men’s shirt: http://www.cafepress.com/shophiusa.1680580251

Chocolate for good

Endangered Species Chocolate Bars are not only delicious but they are also focused on supporting conservation efforts. With 10% of the net profits going back to endangered species causes, their line of chocolate bars contain facts inside the wrappers about at-risk species helping to spread their message.

Dark chocolate with cranberries, orange, and cinnamon: http://www.chocolatebar.com/?page_id=20

Safari (!!!) for good

For the adventurous, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya is the best place to spot herds of elephants, buffalo, giraffes, lions, cheetahs, and more than 400 species of birds and, if lucky, a pack of wild dogs! A third of Lewa’s revenue is raised by tourism and provides crucial support to their mission. You can book several different types of accommodations and Lewa provides quite a few activity options, including guided walks and rides.

Book a safari: http://www.lewa.org/visit-lewa/visit-lewa/

Athletics for good

All Senda athletic balls are certified Fair Trade products, ensuring the proceeds go to workers who receive a fair wage, involve no child or slave labor, and are ethically made. Senda also gives back to the communities in which its products are made to improve social, economic and environmental conditions.

Amador club soccer ball: https://sendaathletics.com/product/amador-club/

Coconuts for good

For every product purchased, Conscious Coconut provides one meal to a hungry child through Feeding America Food Banks. The coconut oil and packaging are Fair Trade certified and made free of all artificial ingredients, GMOs, fillers, parabens, alcohol, fragrances, sulfates, artificial colors, and unnatural preservatives.

Coconut oil: http://consciouscoconut.com/

Body care for good

Badger Balm sounds like a great company. Not only do they provide great benefits to their employees and their families, but 10% of proceeds go to a wide range of different charities chosen by the staff, ranging from Doctors without Borders to local schools. Their line of body care products are all natural and organic. They had such a wide ranging product line we included three gift options below.

Lip Balm: https://www.badgerbalm.com/p-444-classic-lip-balm-4-pack-blue-box.aspx

Shaving set: https://www.badgerbalm.com/p-535-basic-shave-set.aspx

Beard grooming kit: https://www.badgerbalm.com/p-598-beard-grooming-kit.aspx

 

Tea for good

Harney and Sons Tea gives 1% of its proceeds to support positive environmental change through the 1% For The Planet program. Their teas have helped support ocean and nature conservancies as well as trails and forests trusts.

Earl Grey tea: https://www.harney.com/products/earl-grey-supreme-50-sachet-bag

Dolls for good

An adorable gift for that cute child in your life, these dolls and kids decor items from Cuddle and Kind directly provide meals to hungry children across the globe. Each doll provides 10 meals through the World Food Program and is ethically made.

Aspen the Penguin doll: https://www.cuddleandkind.com/product/aspen-the-penguin/

Gift Bags for good

The Global Mamas community provides a wide assortment of clothing, jewelry, body care, and gift items that support African communities. Since 2003 they have helped hundreds of African women and their families gain access to education, healthcare, and food.

Handmade wine bags: http://www.shopglobalmamas.com/Products/home-wine-bag-batik-assorted

Awards for good

Rivanna Designs is an environmentally aware award and plaque company. This B Corp's creations are sustainably made and a portion of the proceeds gives back to refugee groups to help them find jobs, housing, and good community in America.

Dash silver award: http://www.rivannadesigns.com/collections/under-79/products/dash-silver-recycled-award?variant=27099920519

Shirts for good

Heart Fun is the project of a 7-year-old girl named Kaiya, who aims to promote love, kindness, inclusion, and happiness. Through her line of screen printed ethically sourced bamboo-fiber shirts, she donates 10% of sales to nonprofits supporting inclusion. Shirts range from youth to adult sizes.

Heart Fun shirt: https://www.heartfun.org/shop/heart-fun-heart

Coffee pods for good

Fair Trade, organic, ClimateSmart, Kosher, and B Corp certified, these compostable Keurig pods from Ethical Bean Coffee are all you could ever ask for in a coffee pod. Every year they donate a portion of proceeds to Child Aid and Project Somos, organizations that provide education, health care, and support for the women and children of the Guatemalan villages they source their coffee from.

Compostable Keurig Pods: http://www.ethicalbean.com/coffee/single-serve/

Food gift boxes for good

Patagonia, which started out as a company for climbing gear, now has hundreds of products all supporting the great outdoors and conservation efforts, Patagonia’s product line now includes gift boxes featuring snack and apparel that give back to causes specific to each box.

Deluxe feed the family box: http://www.patagoniaprovisions.com/products/feed-the-family-deluxe-gift-box

Boots for Good

Boot Campaign promotes patriotism, raises awareness of the issues service members and their families face daily, and provides mental and physical wellness program for the military. All the proceeds of their boot and apparel sales go towards furthering their mission and providing for military families.

Bates 11” paratrooper side zip men’s boots: http://shop.bootcampaign.org/collections/mens-combat-boots/products/2184

Dog food for good

Dog for dog is on a mission to help as many dogs as possible. With each sale of their dog food, Dogsbar, and Dogsbutter (peanut butter for dogs!), they match the sale in donations of their products to shelters in need.

Dogsbutter for immunity and digestion: https://www.dogfordog.com/dogsbutter-immunity-digestion/

Cards for good

Janet Healey and Joe Grisham spend the first Thursday of every month photographing shelter animals in need of homes. Their photographs of the potential pets helps to create online adoption listings. They sell (hilarious and cute) cards through Hooray for the Underdog! using their best images to help support their mission and animal charities across America.

The pack note card set: http://www.hoorayfortheunderdog.com/product/NS156.html

Games for good

Unicef Market helps promote UNICEF’s mission to make sure children across the world can access clean water, a good education, healthcare, and vaccinations. Each purchase of a handmade item from the market supports their mission. To date, UNICEF has helped save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization.

Handcrafted Wood Chess Set from India, 'Monarch's Battleground': http://www.market.unicefusa.org/itemdetail/?pid=U13066

Earbuds for good

Vibes paired with Hear the World Foundation to create a pair of earbuds with great acoustics and a give back campaign. Each pair of Vibes funds hearing projects around the world.

Vibes: http://www.discovervibes.com/our-products/

Ties for good

Brooks Brothers and the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital gift shop came together to create this handsome navy tie. Made from pure silk and hand woven in Italy, it’s a great gift for the working professional. 100% of the proceeds go to the hospital and it’s mission of finding cures and saving children.

Brooks Brothers logo'd navy tie: http://giftshop.stjude.org/collections/brooks-brothers-navy-tie.html

 

Wine for good

The classic housewarming or thank you gift of wine just got better. Over the past 7 years, Onehope Wine has supported various causes from clinical trials for cancer patients to shelter animals, donating more than $2 million since 2009. They have an assortment of holiday boxes including a pride wine gift box, see above, supporting LBTQ youth in crisis.

Pride box: https://www.onehopewine.com/shop/pride-box/

 

EDIT:

After we shared the article with our B Corp community, we heard of more great gifts that support great causes, plus a similar list of great gift ideas that give back. Below are the new additions.

 

Language lessons for good

 

Mandarin eSpeak is an online language learning platform in which you learn Mandarin through live online 50-minute sessions with a native Mandarin speaking coach. Every coach at Mandarin eSpeak is a person with a disability. The company is recognized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the United Nations Internal Labour Organization, the International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment, and the Asia Pacific Centre for Disability. Sessions, which are purchased in packages, start at $16 and are scheduled at your convenience twice a week.

 

Mandarin Lessons: http://www.mandarin-espeak.com/packages.php

 

 

Coffee for good

 

Fellow B Corp, Thanksgiving Coffee, roasts artisan single-origin coffee. With a wide selection of roasts and lots of options for learning about coffee and making a selection (they even have an app!), Thanksgiving coffee helps sustainable coffee cooperatives, their employees, and employee’s families thrive throughout the world. In addition to helping the cooperatives, the company also uses sustainable practices at their roasting facility and at the cooperatives, provides shade grown coffee trees to help bird migration and eliminate pesticides, and donates a portion of proceeds from every pound of coffee sold to numerous conservation and environmental nonprofits.

 

Causes Coffee: http://www.thanksgivingcoffee.com/our-coffee/cause-coffees/

Check this out

Looking for even more ways to give back this holiday season? Here’s another great resource on gift ideas that give back from our friends at fellow B Corp, Cabot, a dairy cooperative. (Cheese alert: they’re doing some great things like #RandomActsOfCheddar!)

 

Know of more great “gifts for good”? Share them in the comments below!

Happy Holidays from all of us at Idealist Consulting!