Gifts That Give Back
Keep scrolling to check out some of my favorite “Gifts That Give Back” to help you support great causes while you shop for birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and other occasions!
Does your nonprofit or mission-driven company sell any items that would make great gifts? Send me an email at jenni@nonprofitjenni.com with the link to your organization’s online store and a brief description of the cause(s) you support for a chance to be featured in an upcoming gift guide. (Please note: I’m not opposed to branded merch, but I do avoid listing online shops that exclusively sell items that are plain except for a logo.)
Brands with a wide range of gift options:
1. Uncommon Goods
A certified B Corp that donates a portion of sales to a nonprofit partner of your choice, and many of their products have an even greater impact because they’re crafted by independent makers, use recycled and reclaimed materials, and support other mission-driven initiatives. They sell a wide range of items including clothing, home items, wellness products, games, DIY kits, and more.
2. Ten Thousand Villages
A nonprofit that sells handmade products from artisans in developing countries, ensuring these makers are paid a living wage and work in safe conditions. They sell a wide range of items including bath products, home items, jewelry, games, and more.
3. Made by DWC
A nonprofit that sells cards, candles, bath products, clothing, and more. They employ women who are rebuilding their lives after leaving traumatic situations, allowing them to earn a living while learning new job skills. Plus, many of their products are designed or handmade by the women they serve.
4. Susan G. Komen shop
Find gifts sold by companies that donate a percentage of sales to Susan G. Komen when you purchase items like bikes, wine, clothing, accessories, and more. Additionally, some products are created and sold directly by Susan G. Komen, so 100% of proceeds from these items benefit their mission.
Gifts for your loved ones’ specific interests:
1. books (for all types of readers) + journals + coloring books
These are books I love, including nonfiction books, novels, children’s books, journals (some with prompts, some without), and coloring books (that are great for both kids and adults). Most of the books on this list are inspiring and uplifting, but some are my favorite guilty-pleasure books about things like true crime. ;) The list linked above lets you buy gifts through Bookshop, a climate-neutral B Corp that supports independent bookstores (instead of unethical companies like Amazon) and donates a portion of profits to nonprofits.
2. Books for nonprofit folks
This is a separate list of books (also made through Bookshop) that are more specific to nonprofit folks. Some are about leadership, fundraising, and other professional growth topics. Others dig into issues impacting the nonprofit sector as a whole, such as corrupt funding systems, misinformation campaigns, and deep-rooted systemic inequities.
3. Cookie gift boxes
Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is a nonprofit that funds pediatric cancer research. My favorite gift they sell is their “Tough Cookie” gift box, which includes a dozen cookies of your preferred flavor, as well as a card sharing the story of the child who inspired the flavor. Other gift options include their fun “Cookie of the Month Club” subscription (with 3, 6, and 12 month options), and gift boxes containing a variety of different cookie flavors.
4. Expecting and New Mother Gift Boxes
In Kind Boxes is a nonprofit that believes in prioritizing the self-care needs of expecting and new mothers just as much as the needs of their babies. Their gift boxes contain high-quality products for both mama and baby, which they sell using a buy one, give one model * — for each gift box sold, an identical one is donated to a nonprofit that serves expecting and new mothers in need.
Clothing and clothing-adjacent gifts:
1. KNOWN SUPPLY, Pact, Cotopaxi, and Bonfire*
Impact-driven brands that sell clothing produced with environmentally sustainable practices, ensure workers throughout their supply chain are ethically employed and paid living wages, and donate a portion of sales to nonprofits. Personally, I love that most of the graphic t-shirts these companies sell feature inspiring phrases and symbols.
* Note: Proceeds from many of Bonfire’s shirts support verified nonprofits, but some support fundraisers created by individuals who may or may not donate to nonprofits. The link I’ve provided above brings you to the page that only lists shirts that directly support verified nonprofits.
2. Bombas
A certified B Corp that sells high-quality socks, slippers, underwear, and t-shirts using a buy one, give one model * — for each item purchased, an essential clothing item is donated for someone in need.
(* See my note at the bottom of this page with additional info about “buy one, give one” programs.)
3. My Bag My Story
A nonprofit that sells backpacks, duffel bags, and pouches using a buy one, give one model * — for each bag purchased, one is donated to a foster child.
A donation of a bag may not sound very impactful, but these high-quality, durable bags can make a child’s traumatic experience of being removed from their home just a little less awful. Often, organizations that are responsible for child removal are underfunded and can only provide trash bags for children to use to carry their belongings. Understandably, carrying personal items to a completely foreign place in a trash bag can compound the dehumanizing feelings foster children already experience during the removal process.
(* See my note at the bottom of this page with additional info about “buy one, give one” programs.)
Gifts for loved ones who don’t need more stuff:
1. Free Wheelchair Mission
A nonprofit that sells tribute cards, both for year-round occasions and for the Christmas season. The purchase of each card covers the cost of a wheelchair that will be provided for free to a disabled person living in a developing country. Free Wheelchair Mission also sells bracelets that each cover the cost of a wheelchair.
2. Mwebaza Foundation
This nonprofit sells tribute cards that can be gifted for any occasion which support programs that empower Ugandans to build and own sustainable businesses. You can choose from a variety of cards at different price levels to accommodate your budget. Additionally, Mwebaza Foundation sells jewelry and stuffed animals that the Ugandan artisans craft through their businesses.
Nonprofit swag (that’s actually cool!):
A lot of nonprofit swag is pretty bland — like shirts that are plain except for the organization’s logo. These are some of my favorite nonprofits that sell clothing, mugs, bags, and other items that feature more interesting designs:
What you should know about “buy one, give one” programs:
Many companies that advertise “buy one, give one” programs mislead customers by implying that they donate the same types of products sold to customers when their donated items are actually of lower-quality and are less durable.
It is not necessarily unethical to donate products that aren’t identical to the exact products sold to customers. For example, companies like Bombas donate products that are most-needed by their charity partners, which aren’t always the same products customers have purchased — a nonprofit that serves men experiencing homelessness simply does not need Bombas’ baby-sized slipper socks, but may need Bombas’ regular adult-sized socks to keep their program participants’ feet warm outdoors.
However, it is unethical for companies to imply that they donate items of equal quality of those sold to customers when this isn’t true. Companies that engage in this practice usually aren’t transparent about the type of products they donate, so it can be difficult to know that their messaging is misleading unless you stumble across a report uncovering their deceptive marketing tactics or spend your own time investigating the company.
Before I include “buy one, give one” programs in my Gifts That Give Back list, I research the companies running them to make sure high-quality, durable products are donated.