Choose Gifts that Support a Cause from These 10 Companies

Gifts that support a cause, that’s what I’m been researching and where I’ve been doing my shopping in preparation for the December holidays. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Fast Fashion and how damaging it is for the environment. So I’ve been searching for gifts that are meaningful, sustainable, and give something back.

10 Places to Find Gifts That Support a Cause

I’ve been a fan and supporter of Bombas since the company started. The socks and underpinnings manufacturer donates underwear, t-shirts, and socks on a one-for-one exchange to people experiencing homelessness. Meaning you buy a pair of socks and they donate a pair, and to date, they have donated more than 50 million pairs. Due to aggressive social media campaigns and plenty of publicity, the company has a lot of devoted customers.

But other companies that offer gifts that support a cause may not be as well known (or at least not for offering gifts that support a cause). For example, Cost Plus World Market is selling beautiful blankets crafted by Sackcloth & Ashes. The blankets are from 100% recycled wool-blend materials colored with eco-friendly dye and are produced by a team of refugees. Like, Bombas, Sackcloth & Ashes makes a one-to-one donation of blankets to homeless shelters across the United States.  The company also has a Heritage Collection that has been designed by Lehi ThunderVoice Eagle and 100% of profits from the collection’s sales are donated to Families to Families, an organization that supports those in the Navajo Nation.

Unicef USA offers a wealth of gifts that support a cause, such as this colorful confetti hand blown glass pitcher.  Purchase of  the recycled glass provides 28 packets of lifesaving nourishment to children suffering from malnutrition. The Unicef Market permits you to search for gifts by type, country of manufacture, price, theme, or occasion.

Williams Sonoma also has gifts that support a cause, such as Rainbow Stripe Towel Sets (shown in the header photo) that are made with 100% Turkish cotton that has been certified by the Better Cotton Initiative. Fifty percent of the purchase price of these four dish towels (plus pride mugs and candles) goes to The Trevor Project, the world’s largest provider of crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ young people. Additionally, Williams Sonoma sells a mug and holidays towels that support St Jude Children’s Research Hospital and a tote and a mug that supports the NAACP.

Lula’s Garden sells adorable succulent gardens that are sure to wow the green thumbed people in your life. For every garden sold, someone in the developing world gets six months of safe drinking water, as Lula’s has partnered with Water.org.

FEED has been creating products whose sales feed children around the world since their company was started in 2007 by Lauren Bush Lauren. Their products (bags, accessories, and home goods) are designed and made by artisans in Kenya, India, and elsewhere so they not only feed people but create sustainable livelihoods for families. On their website, each item has a “# meals” below it to let you know how many meals you are providing by the purchase of that item.

For every backpack purchased through State a child in need in the U.S. get a backpack filled with supplies. State sells backpacks, fanny packs, travel kits, tote bags, and travel bags for all ages. They are a certified B Corporation.

Or if you need wine or alcohol gifts that support a cause, you have a number of options, including Teneral Cellars that offers a The Healthy Women, Healthy World Collection (3 bottles) that support The Endometriosis Foundation of America, Rescue Dog Wines where 50% of their profits support dog rescue organizations,  Elephant Gin that sells gin and handcrafted chocolates and supports elephant conservation charities like Big Life Foundation and Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and sustainability projects such as waste reduction and social responsibility projects in Botswana and other countries.

These 10 places to find gifts that support a cause are just the tip of the responsible gift-giving iceberg. If you Google gifts that support a cause, hundreds of options pop up.  As you consider what you might like to get your friends and family this holiday season, consider sustainable gifts created with purpose as a way to champion social and environmental responsibility. Your recipients will love your thoughtfulness and you can feel good knowing you gave something helping others and/or the planet.