15 gifts that give back for the holidays
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It's the holiday season, which also means it's the giving season. With rising inflation and the increased impact of the climate crisis, there are needy communities everywhere that could benefit from a boost. There are plenty of giftable options out there that will allow you to not only provide the people on your list with thoughtful gifts, but give back to communities beyond your own.
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Proceeds from the gifts on this list either offer direct monetary assistance to the communities they support, or else serve to support the global community by contributing to the mitigation of the climate crisis, raising money for medical research, fostering local networks of support and more.
1. For the hiker: Patagonia Better Sweater Fleece Jacket
Prepare to see a lot of Patagonia here. The outdoor recreation retailer recently made a massive pledge—all the proceeds from their sales will go to the mitigation of climate change. You can read more about the terms of their profit pledge, and if that entices you to check out their clothing lines and hiking gear, we recommend you start with the Better Sweater fleece jacket.
We tested the 100% recycled fleece jacket last year, and loved its sweater-like feel and overall quality and fit.
2. For the caffeine-hungry: BLK & Bold Coffee
Whether your giftee is a night owl or a morning person, coffee is a must. BLK & Bold is home to coffee beans and tea blends, as well as coffee accessories. The fair-trade certified dark roast beans are a great gift for the home latte artist.
BLK & Bold donates 5% of its proceeds to organizations that support children-in-need in the United States as part of its For the Youth program, with the idea that your daily coffee could be part of offering a network of daily support.
3. For the traveler: State Kane Double Pocket backpack
If your giftee has been in the market for a new backpack, this neutral, lightweight backpack from State Bags could be a perfect option. Every State purchase supports families in need across the United States by donating fully packed backpacks with school supplies at various bag drops and schools, and works with partners like Time’s Up and Seeds of Peace as part of its #WhatDoWeTellTheKids initiative.
4. For the everyone on your list: Conscious Step Socks
Socks are an evergreen holiday gift, and these socks could actually support the planting of real evergreen trees. Conscious Step is committed to supporting a broad swath of causes with every purchase you make. Depending on the single pair of socks or pack of socks you select, you’ll be able to support organizations like Habitat for Humanity, The Trevor Project, Room to Read, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and many more.
Celebrate winter with one of their seasonal sock gift boxes, like the protect the arctic gift box, proceeds from which go toward the efforts of Conservation International.
5. For the one with cold feet: Bombas Gripper Slippers
There can never be enough socks, or in this case, slippers. Your giftee—and their feet—will be more than happy with these slippers from Bombas, which were a favorite of Managing Editor Kate Tully Ellsworth’s. They’re comfy and have a strong grip for wandering around the cold floors in your house. The best part? For every pair purchased, a pair of socks is donated to someone in need.
6. For the one who loves a stroll: TOMS Alpargata Penguin
TOMS is home to all sorts of shoes and apparel now, but the classic look of the Alpargata shoe combined with adorable, fuzzy penguin appliques make the Alpargata Penguin shoes a great gifting option.
TOMS used to be a big proponent of the ‘buy one, give one’ model, but now its aim seems to be sustainable contributions. A third of TOMS yearly profits go to grassroots projects, like grants and partnerships with community organizations. It’s a certified B corp with an aim to make its contributions sustainable as well as impactful.
7. For the backpacker: Cotopaxi Allpa 35 L Travel Pack
The Cotopaxi Allpa 35 L Travel Pack is extremely easy to store, with excellent interior pockets and a compact, lightweight design. If you and your giftee are planning on traveling somewhere together over the holidays, the 16L is a nice, throw-over-your-shoulder go-to.
Cotopaxi donates a percentage of its revenue to the Cotopaxi Foundation, their own charitable grant fund for nonprofits that work against extreme poverty. The company is also part of 1% for the Planet, meaning at least 1% of their revenue goes toward improving the health of the planet.
8. For the runner: Allbirds Wool Runners
Allbirds is not only a carbon neutral, certified B corp—the company is working hard to rehabilitate the fashion industry by improving their practices year over year. If someone on your list is looking to expand their closet without adding to the impact of fast fashion, shopping at Allbirds is a good option. The Wool Runners are some of our favorite sneakers we’ve tried, so your giftee should be impressed with the quality as well as the mission.
9. For the minimalist: Everlane 100% Human Crew t-shirt
Everlane’s 100% Human collection is committed to donating 10% of all profits to the ACLU. The collection includes t-shirts, sweatpants, face masks, hoodies and more. The basic black t-shirt is an easy stocking stuffer, but plenty of other items in the collection are currently on sale.
10. For the cozy winter dresser: Love Your Melon Beanie
Nothing says winter quite like a big, cozy hat, and Love Your Melon beanies are perfect for stuffing stockings this holiday season. Love Your Melon has donated almost $10,000,000 over the years to nonprofits that provide charitable programming for children and families affected by pediatric cancer, as well as pediatric cancer research. You can get the classic knit beanie in a variety of colors, including this black-speckled one for $28.
11. For the tortoiseshell enthusiast: Warby Parker glasses
Besides the fact that Warby Parker glasses are high quality and very trendy, they also give back through the brand's "buy a pair, give a pair" program. For each pair of frames sold, Warby Parker distributes a pair to someone in need. You can choose from tons of styles of glasses and sunglasses for both women and men and, if you're shopping for someone who stares at a screen all day, you can even add in blue light-blocking lenses.
12. For the jewelry fan: Ban.do Good Intentions Necklace
Jewelry is another evergreen holiday gift, especially if it’s something small. These gold necklaces from Ban.do come with small encouragements as charms, and a portion of the proceeds from each purchase will go to Girls, Inc., a nonprofit that supports the leath and development of young girls.
13. For the newlywed cooks: Personalized Cutting Board from Uncommon Goods
Personalized gifts are an excellent way to show the people in your life that you care, and this personalized cutting board from Uncommon Goods allows you to customize with a hand-cut name along the top of the maple board.
Every purchase from Uncommon Goods gives you the option to donate $1 from each sale to charitable partners through its Better to Give program. So far, Uncommon Goods has raised over
$169 to $179 at Uncommon Goods
14. For the e-reader: Brooklyn Public Library Books Unbanned T-Shirt
Banned Books Week may be over, but the fight to encourage and empower teens to read what they like and experience perspectives beyond their own is still on. To combat the rise of book bans and allow teens and kids a chance to read banned books, books on a wide range of topics and much more, the Brooklyn Public Library offered up digital library cards to everyone earlier this year. You can show your support for the library’s efforts by making a donation, or you can purchase merchandise from the store, like the Books Unbanned t-shirt.
$30 at Brooklyn Public Library Shop
15. For the home librarian: Bookshop.org Gift Card
Local bookstores are great for your community, and if someone on your list is a big reader, you can get them the gift of more books with a Bookshop.org gift card. Bookshop.org functions as a marketplace that allows you to spend money on books, with a percentage of the proceeds going to a bookstore of your choice. It’s an excellent option for people who live far from you, whose local bookshops you might not be familiar enough with to order from.
Buy gift cards at Bookshop.org
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This article originally appeared on Reviewed: 15 gifts that give back to the community
