Do Good. Feel Good.
Do you ever struggle between wanting to find the perfect gift and making that gift meaningful? I do. That’s why I try to find gifts that give back. I want to do good and feel good and give twice the joy. I browsed the internet to find some of the most unique and special gifts that I thought your “someone special” would love. Happy shopping!
1. Conscious Step Socks
Wear what you believe in. Not only is each pair of Conscious Step socks certified organic and fairtrade, but every purchase supports an organization and the community they serve. Each design corresponds to a different charity – socks with keys help build houses, socks with dogs support the Best Friends Animal Society and socks with waves help to restore oceans. Other causes include empowering women, fighting for equality, supporting mental health, and more.
2. Bob’s Keepsake Slippers
Stay cozy and comfortable in classic style with the BOBS from Skechers Keepsakes — Ice Storm shoe. This slip-on comfort clog features a soft sweater knit fabric upper with faux-fur lining and cushioned Memory Foam footbed. For every BOBS purchase, a donation is made to animals in need.
3. The Elephant Project
This one is near and dear to my heart since I visited Kenya, Africa, this year and witnessed firsthand the beautiful and majestic elephants that roamed about. Profits from sales of the specially created stuffed animals go directly to organizations that are helping to end the poaching crisis, as well as distributed to big cat sanctuaries in the United States and abroad.
4. Kenneth Cole Pet Carrier
In light of the recent crises in Haiti, this one is on the top of my list! Holding most pets up to 22 pounds, this backpack features breathable mesh, a waterproof bottom, a pocket for his head to peek out, and an interior safety leash that hooks to your pet’s collar. When not in use, the bag collapses for easy storage. Kenneth Cole is currently donating a percentage of sales to the St. Luke Foundation for Haiti.
5. Love One International Crew Sweatshirt
Crewneck sweatshirts are in right now, and this option from Love One is made from a soft cotton-poly jersey you’ll want to live in. Your purchase helps support the children of Uganda, by providing emergency medical care and rehabilitation services for their critically ill youth.
6. Grounds and Hounds Coffee Company
I’m a coffee snob and dog lover through and through so this organization caught my eye. Not only do they offer coffee, but apparel, mugs and gear, and other gifts as well. Grounds and Hounds is committed to using a portion of their profits to support animal rescue organizations providing a safe haven for pups between homes and to provide funding and support for life-saving initiatives that impact rescue pups in communities throughout the country. Great coffee. Great purpose.
7. Soapbox Soaps
With each purchase, Soapbox Soaps donates a bar of soap to someone in need; more than 20 million bars have been donated so far. Each product has a unique Hope Code. This code can be entered to find out the specific project your purchase benefited from. Why? So you can see how your act of giving can contribute to a larger mission and impact.
8. Goli Vitamins
For every purchase, Goli will make a one-for-one vitamin grant to provide a child in need with a six-month supply of vitamins through Vitamin Angels.
Vitamin Angels has built a network of over 2,000 program partners globally who have a deep understanding of the communities they serve and can identify and fill gaps in health services. In this way, they can ensure their vitamins reach the women and children who need them most.
9. Autism Speaks Apparel and Accessories
Each purchase supports its mission dedicated to promoting solutions for people with autism and their families. Autism Speaks is dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the lifespan, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. They do this through advocacy and support; increasing understanding and acceptance of people with autism, and advancing research into causes and better interventions for autism spectrum disorder and related conditions.
10. Out of Print Apparel and Gifts
Since 2010, Out of Print’s mission has been to spread the joy of reading by transforming literary classics into bookish apparel and accessories. With every purchase, you help them donate books and support literacy programs around the world. Out of Print has donated more than 5 million books to communities in need and supported a variety of literacy initiatives. With every purchase, you help make a difference, while also supporting the authors, publishers, and artists who helped bring these iconic works to life.
11. Frankie Cameron Backpack Diaper Bag
Thirty percent of the sale of each bag is donated to Project Night Night, a nonprofit that equips children ages 0 to 12 living in homeless and low-income situations with Night Night Packages so they will be ready to learn, feel less stressed, and be reminded of their value.
Project Night Night donates more than 30,000 Night Night Packages each year to homeless children 12 and under who need childhood essentials to have a concrete and predictable source of security and increased exposure to high-quality literacy materials during their time of upheaval. Each Night Night Package contains a new security blanket, an age-appropriate children’s book, and a stuffed animal — all nestled inside of a new canvas tote bag. By providing objects of reliable comfort, Project Night Night reduces trauma and advances the emotional and cognitive well-being of the children we serve.
12. Lazy TurtleWave Sun Safe Long Sleeve Shirt
Eco-warrior Megan Elwell hatched Lazy Turtle after her oldest daughter discovered a sea turtle nest on the beach and it sparked a teachable moment about conservation and the environment. Now, their family is dedicated to doing everything they can to save sea turtles and created a line of sun-safe beachwear (SPF 50) for active teens, millennials, and moms that is made in the USA — all while giving back 10 percent of their profits to the Sea Turtle Conservancy, the world’s oldest and most respected sea turtle conservation group.
13. ROMA Boots
Giving poverty the boot! Boots for men, women, and children. For every pair of boots sold, a brand new pair is given to a child living in poverty. In 2020, alone, ROMA has donated 30,000 boots in Armenia, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and the United States.
14. Who Gives a Crap Toilet Paper and Tissue
Who Gives a Crap loves toilet paper because, for them, it’s their way of making a difference. They started Who Gives A Crap when they learned that 2.4 billion people don’t have access to a toilet. That’s roughly 40% of the global population and means that around 289,000 children under five die every year from diarrheal diseases caused by poor water and sanitation. That’s almost 800 children per day, or one child every two minutes.
Contaminated water contributes to more than 1 million deaths per year. A toilet could make all the difference, but billions of people worldwide still live without one. Without a loo, waste ends up in local waterways – the same place people collect water for drinking, cleaning, and bathing. That’s why toilets are an integral part of a bigger health initiative called WASH, which stands for water, sanitation, and hygiene. Together, these three elements strengthen communities and save millions of lives. Who Gives a Crap donates 50% of their profits to help build toilets and improve sanitation in the developing world.
15. Bridgewater Candles
Be a small part of something big. An issue close to the hearts at Bridgewater Candles is the world hunger crisis, and specifically how it impacts children across the globe. With more than three million children dying each year from hunger, the need for change remains an urgent priority. This led them to partner with Rice Bowls, a non-profit organization that provides food for children in orphanages around the world. When you buy a candle, a child is provided three meals, allowing you to be a small part of something big.
16. Sticky Be Socks
For every pair of men’s, women’s, or children’s socks sold, a pair is donated to Baby2Baby, a nonprofit that provides diapers, and other basic necessities to low-income children. Sticky Be Socks donate socks to moms who have babies in the NICU, Cancer Survivor Classes, Baby2Baby Los Angeles, and other causes where their mantras will hopefully bring inspiration to those in need.
17. Lush Charity Pot
Charitable giving is at the heart of their business. They believe it’s their responsibility to advocate for the environment, animals, and people in need, as well as give back to organizations locally and around the world. They do this through their Charity Pot program.
Nourish your skin and give back when you buy the Lush Charity Pot. When you buy one, Lush donates 100% to small grassroots organizations that support human rights, animal protection, and environmental justice. As a bonus, the pot can be reused and recycled when you return it in stores.
18. National Parks Playing Cards
This National Park-inspired card deck (made with Forest Stewardship Council-approved paper) supports the National Parks Conservation Association, an organization that helps protect and enhance the National Park System. Parks Project’s mission is to leave it better than we found it. Their goal is to protect and preserve parklands for generations to come by educating, advocating, volunteering, and activating park supporters to get involved in conservation. To date, Parks Project has contributed more than $2 million to help fund vital projects in national parks around the U.S.
19. West Elm St. Jude Sherpa Pom Pom Throw
Every holiday season, West Elm collaborates with charitable organizations on an exclusive collection — and this year’s ornaments and decor are extra special. West Elm is donating 50% of proceeds from the items below to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, No Kid Hungry and The Trevor Project.
20. Yoobi Children’s School and Craft Supplies
You buy. Yoobi gives. For every Yoobi item purchased, Yoobi will donate a school supply item to a child in need in the U.S. Millions of kids in the United States do not have the fundamental school supplies to learn and be successful. This affects not only their school work — it affects their confidence. So teachers step in and spend their own money to make sure students can learn. Yoobi wants to help alleviate the burden on teachers and school districts, and level the playing field so all kids have an equal shot at learning. Up to date, 74 million school supplies have been donated and five million kids and 185,00 classrooms have been impacted.
