This year, I’ve decided to look into “gifts that give back”. What if you could give a fun, interesting, different, stylish gift to anyone on your list while “doing good” at the same time?
I am at a point in my life where I feel like coming up with gift ideas is such a struggle and shopping for those gifts is more of a chore. Anyone else? I know I’m not alone because I overhear you all talking in the coffee line or in the Target line, you know who you are 🙂 My parents have the things they need, I don’t have any siblings and my husband never really “wants” anything specific. If you’re like me, long about mid-November you start asking “what do you want this year?” Aside from the kids, no one has an answer or they’ll think about it and get back to you. You wind up buying stuff just to “mark it off your list” and many times, those gifts are practical, like gift cards. Over the past couple years, I’ve been trying to come up with gifts that support small businesses and are different and unique. I’ve scoured the internet to find some gifts that will make anyone happy and at the same time, benefit some of the causes that are important to me.
Gifts That Give Back – Supporting Dogs
As you may know, we have a bulldog and she’s a hot mess. After our first bulldog crossed the Rainbow Bridge, we began helping out and fostered a couple bulldogs for Georgia English Bulldog Rescue. One of which was our current bulldog, Mags. My eyes have been opened to the tireless work many rescue organizations do as well as the constant need for funds to support that work and give these dogs the second chance they so deserve. With that said, these companies offer you the opportunity to give great gifts that give back.
I was introduced to Squishy Faces when my favorite bulldog rescue was the “rescue of the month”. Every month, Squishy Faces chooses an animal rescue to donate a minimum of 10% of their profits to so, of course, I was going to happily buy some new shirts. It took no time for them to arrive and I simply love them. The baseball tee is super soft and fits true to size. Who wouldn’t want a cute squishy face on their back all day?
Are you a coffee lover or know someone who is? Grounds and Hounds Coffee Co. is dedicated to giving animals a second chance. 20% of all Grounds and Hounds proceeds are donated to support their no-kill rescue organization partners. Bonus, their coffee is 100% Organic Fair Trade certified. Don’t forget, when you’re done with those coffee grounds, don’t throw them in the trash. This post is sure to inspire you.
Need some chocolate to go along with that coffee? Benefiting rescue dogs with chocolate? I can’t think of a better gift. Head over to Rescue Chocolate for some sweet gifts. This is fair trade, organic, vegan, kosher, b-corp certified chocolate and 100% of the net profits are donated to rescue groups. This is like a marriage of two of my most favorite things, chocolate, and dog rescue.
I’m pretty sure my dog is spoiled, she has two of her very own blankets, a basketful of toys, bones all over the house and she spends her days lazing around on the couch. Even still, she always deserves more. If you know a dog who needs to be spoiled, check out Bark Box. 10% of the profits go to animal rescue organizations.
Who doesn’t need greeting cards, for any occasion? Hooray For The Underdog has some cute holiday cards as well as greeting cards for many occasions that will bring a smile to anyone’s face. I love the story behind this team, they are photographing dogs that need homes and using those photos for their greeting cards. They donate 5% of the profits to animal welfare charities.
Gifts That Give Back – Supporting the Environment
Every day I read about great ideas for solving our planet’s problems ranging from plastic pollution to honeybees to recycling and everything in between. These companies offer you the opportunity to give great gifts that give back.
Have a friend who loves to garden? These push pops go in the garden and will attract pollinators like butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. Modern Sprout donates 10% of the proceeds from each sale to The Pollinator Partnership. You can read more about the importance of pollinators in this blog post.
Time for a new pair of sunglasses? Lord knows I need a new pair. My $8 pair from Old Navy that I bought about 5 years ago is nearing the end of their usable life. I came across Nectar Sunglasses and thought they would make a great gift for anyone. The best part is, a portion of every order is donated to The BeeCause, an organization dedicated to educating children about the importance of honeybees as well as repopulating bee colonies around the world. This is an extremely important initiative because, without honeybees, we won’t have any food.
This one’s a threefer! Are there people who haven’t gotten on the reusable bottle bandwagon yet? This surprises me but hey, everyday life surprises me. Maybe you have a friend who just needs another reusable water bottle to add to their collection? Reusable water bottle collections are like the sticker collections of the 80’s. Anyone else remember that, am I dating myself? The S’well Bottle Wood Collection not only reduces plastic usage but also provides clean drinking water for children around the world AND plants trees with the American Forests organization! One purchase that has three benefits! I might just have to add to my growing water bottle collection.
Who doesn’t love jewelry? How about an upcycled brass cuff bracelet that donates to the climate change fighting charity of your choice? Bird + Stone has what you’re looking for. They have plenty of other gorgeous jewelry pieces to choose from, many of which benefit other charities.
Who do you know that likes making a statement on their chest? Groovy Globe t-shirts are made from 100% organic cotton and their tote bags from 100% recycled cotton. If that’s not enough, 10% of their product sales are donated to non-profit organizations that are dedicated to protecting our environment.
When I came across this match, I knew I had to share it. Proud Pour pairs wine with environmental change. They offer two varieties of wine, a white and a red, both of which support environmental programs. The sauvignon blanc supports oyster farms and the pinot noir supports increasing bee populations. I’m a white wine drinker so if you’re looking to send me a little something this year……
Dogs and the environment are my favorite causes. I can’t survive without them. If these causes aren’t your thing or your gift recipient’s, a simple Google search can turn up all kinds of gifts that give back that will most definitely make your gift giving easier this year. Would you like any of these as gifts this year? What’s on your holiday wish list this year?
~ Heather
Great ideas, and much better than gifting things people don’t want
Thanks Amy! I really love that most of them are consumable so they won’t be sitting around collecting dust 🙂