28 Holiday Gifts That Really Give Back
The holidays are all about giving
Photo: Pexels
The holidays are all about giving. We buy presents for our family, friends, and coworkers as a sign of our love, affection, and gratitude for them in our lives. But what if the gifts we give our loved ones spread that warmth and joy to others? What if the presents you give, give back?
We want the holiday spirit to reach and help as many people as possible. As a result, we decided to put together a gift guide that not only blesses recipients with dope things they’ll want, but that also goes beyond the traditional present, to give back to different organizations, people, and causes. Because that’s what the holiday season is truly all about — giving, togetherness, and love.
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Gold Chain Hoop Earrings, by Benevolence LA
A pretty pair of gold hoops is almost always a great gift idea. These cool chain link earrings by Benevolence LA are dipped in pure gold, and retails for less than $20. Added bonus? Proceeds from the sale of this accessory benefit Hope International, which is fighting against poverty around the world.
Available at amazon.com, $18.95
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Nipsey Pin, by Pin & Propers Pins
The marathon continues and what better way to rep that — and the late, great Nipsey Hussle — than with this dope best-selling enamel Nipsey pin by Pin & Proper Pins? “A portion of the proceeds from this pin will go to The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.”
Available at etsy.com, $10
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Piano String Copper Colored Bracelet, by Fox Designs Jewelry
Have a music fan in your life? They would probably love this interesting unisex bracelet made from piano string. The copper-colored accessory is not only is a unique find but also benefits a great cause — a portion of its proceeds will go to Youth Music Scholarships Sustainable Musician Gift.
Available at etsy.com, $42.95
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Cuffed Pom Beanie, by Love Your Melon
This hat not only will warm your head, but it will also warm your heart. You see, Love Your Melon’s beanies are not only stylish and functional, but they also support a great cause with 50% of the proceeds of each unisex knit hat (with detachable pom) gets donated to the fight against cancer.
Available at amazon.com, $45
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Penny Charity Designer Lightning Bolt Cat Eye Sunglasses, by DIFF Charitable Eyewear
Sunglasses are a great gift because we always need them to protect our eyes from UV rays, and they also add so much style to our looks. These shades by DIFF are totally on-trend for 2020 (earth tones, classic with a twist, cat-eyed, brown lenses, etc.), and benefit other eyes than just yours. Each purchase provides an eye exam, glasses, surgery, or medicine to another person.
Available at amazon.com, $50
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Baby Moccasins, by BirdRock
We haven’t forgotten about gifts for the little ones. These adorable leather moccasins by BirdRock Baby are stylish, come in over 30 color/pattern options, and retail for an affordable $22 to $25. If that wasn’t enough, this little zapatos also help other children. For each pair sold, BirdRockBaby will “feed a child in need for one day through…Feed My Starving Children.”
Available at amazon.com, $22-$25
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Listen To Your Heart CharityBand, by MantraBand
We all need positive, uplifting messages that make us smile and remind us of what’s important. This bracelet, by MantraBand, features such a golden reminder: “Follow Your Heart” (other colors are available). While you are feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, know that with this jewelry purchase you are literally helping heal someone else’s corazon — $5 from each sale of this item is donated to the American Heart Association.
Available at mantraband.com, $35
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Men’s Merino Wool Gift Box, by Bombas
A great gift to give during the cold winter weather is a cozy pair of socks. This set by Bombas features four pairs in merino wool, with cushioned footbeds, their honeycomb arch support system, seamless toes, and more. The guy in your life will love them; he’ll also love that with each pair sold, a pair goes to someone who is “homeless, in need,” or part of an “at-risk community.”
Available at bombas.com, $78
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Crayola Big Ideas Box, via UNICEF
Kids, for the most part, love to draw and color. It allows them to create art and have fun with their vivid imagination. Gifting a child something from Crayola is like igniting that imagination. UNICEF Market allows you to purchase their Big Ideas Box, with “10 mini Twistable Crayons, 16 Pip-Squeaks Skinny Markers, 12 Short Colored Pencils, 30 Sheets of Construction Paper, Modeling Clay and an Idea Booklet. (Ages 4+),” while also helping other kids. In fact, buying this can provide “13 doses of measles vaccine to protect children from this deadly disease,” or “provide enough polio vaccine to vaccinate 30 children against polio.”
Available at market.unicef.org, $24.95
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100% Cashmere Socks, by Brave Girl
Christmas is the perfect time to get those luxury gifts that your loved ones may not splurge on for themselves. These cozy, 100% cashmere socks from Brave Girl would definitely add to their pampering and self-care. And 10% of the sales go to Breast Cancer Care, which is beneficial to others.
Available at etsy.com, $34.96
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Handcrafted Guatemalan Cotton Tote Bag, by Tantalizing Textiles via UNICEF
Roomy and stylish totes will always make great gifts. They fit so much in them, look fab, and are utilized on the regular. This one, available at the UNICEF Market store, is handcrafted in Guatemala by the Yama Aj Chixot Artisan Group, and its proceeds are enough to “provide 42 packets of lifesaving nourishment to children suffering from acute malnutrition.”
Available at market.unicef.org, $74.99
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Limited-Edition Chalice Box-Set – Mexico, India, and the Philippines, by Stella Artois
If your gift recipient is a fan of beer, and/or especially loves Stella Artois, then why not gift them this chalice set with a case of the pale lager? You get to gift beautiful “box art and chalice etching hand designed by Mexican illustrator: Silvana Àvila, Indian illustrator: Janine Shroff, and Filipino illustrator: Monica Ramos,” and the happiness of knowing that “Stella Artois will donate 15 years of clean drinking water to someone in the developing world.”
Available at amazon.com, $20.79
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The GUUD Box | Zero Waste Gift Set, by GUUD
Many people are trying to make the shift between wasteful plastics and trying to move towards options that are better for the environment. Give them a hand with this thoughtful Zero Waste Gift Set by GUUD. In it, you get an insulated thermos and water bottle, a 6-piece bamboo cutlery set, bamboo adult toothbrush with bamboo travel case, and two all-cotton mesh produce bags. And, “like all GUUD products, this set is carbon neutral with a portion of the proceeds invested in non-profit dedicated to fighting the climate crisis.”
Available at guud-products.com, $39.99
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A Recurring Donation to a Charity via the ALMA App
https://www.instagram.com/p/By53Sc0F7mT/
Some of the best presents aren’t gifts in the traditional sense, but rather a way to give back and help create some change in the world. By heading over to ALMA, you can search for a particular cause your activist family member or friend truly cares about, and be matched with a list of charities. You can then build a customized fund and be the first to set up a recurring donation. Added bonus? You get a tax receipt that allows you to write off this gift on your taxes.
Available at alma.app
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Friendly Vanilla Cotton Throw, by Gifts for Good
A cozy throw is like gifting someone you care about a warm, fabric hug. It also will add a dash of stylish decor to a couch, room, or office. At Gifts for Good, where signing up for their email newsletter a tree will be planted in your honor, nabbing this hand-crocheted cotton blanket will “employ a low-income artisan in Brazil for 9 hours” to create it.
Available at giftsforgood.com, $55
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TOMS Desert Tan Leopard Printed Microfiber Women’s Classics ft. Ortholite
TOMS has built it’s brand of cool shoes on style with substance. For each pair you buy, you allow the company to provide shoes, sight, safe birth, bullying prevention services, and water to other people, in over 70 countries.
Available at toms.com, $59.95
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Sparkling Wine 2 Bottle Gift Set, by Gifts for Good
New Year’s Eve is right around the corner from Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa, so why not gift a present that can be popped to ring in 2020? Gifts for Good offers their Sparkling Wine 2 Bottle Gift Set, which includes a Le Grand Courtâge Blanc De Blancs Brut and Brut Rosé. “Each gift set supports the counseling program for Downtown Women’s Center.”
Available at giftsforgood.com, $58
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Benevolence LA Gold Dipped Triple Satellite Beaded Chain Choker
Another jewelry piece from Benevolence LA that is so stylish, yet also gives back is this Gold Dipped Triple Satellite Beaded Chain Choker. Great on its own, or as part of a layered look, it will add a chic pop of shine to your outfits. And, it “will contribute towards building sustainable water systems worldwide through our charity partner, Water Mission.”
Available at amazon.com, $19.95
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Mascara + Eyeliner + Brilliant Eye Brightener™ + Free Mini Mascara Set, by Thrive Causemetics
It’s important to feel beautiful, and makeup helps us to enhance our natural beauty. But so does giving back and aiding others. Thrive Causemetics offers this packed cosmetics set that comes with mascara, eyeliner, and eye brightener and a free mini mascara. Even better, proceeds from this purchase will help women fighting cancer, military veterans, those emerging from homelessness, and leaving domestic violence situations.
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Work Bag, by FEED
You want your work bag to be fashionable enough to serve for other situations where you’ll need to load up a portable container with your life (there are many). This tote by FEED is neutral and functional, but elevated, and it gives back. In fact, it provides 50 meals that “feed children in schools around the world, and here in America, through…on-the-ground giving partners.”
Available at feedprojects.com, $148
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A Word is Power – Margaret Atwood Unisex T-Shirt, by Out of Print
We are avid literary fans and know you have some in your life. At Out of Print, you can gift these bibliophiles a cool T-shirt and/or tote and feel good knowing that it goes beyond the initial present(s). “Each purchase helps to fund literacy programs and book donations to communities in need.”
Available at outofprint.com, $30
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Portable Humidifier, by Hey Dewy
Whether you want to keep your skin and hair extra moisturized for beauty reasons, or live in a dry climate that affects your sinuses, a humidifier is a great thing to have handy in the home. This one by Hey Dewy is portable, so you can get that glow on the go. Added bonus? Hey Dewy donates 10% of sales to The Water Project.
Available at urbanoutfitters.com, $39
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Benevolent Brownies, by Greyston Bakery
There’s always a major sweet tooth in a family and/or a group of friends, and now you have the perfect thing to gift them. Over at Uncommon Goods, you can purchase Greyston Bakery’s Benevolent Brownies. The box comes with the following goodies: a Vegan Fudge Brownie, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Brown Sugar Blondie, and Snickerdoodle Blondie. It’s even sweeter to know that by buying these treats, you are also helping others escape poverty.
Available at uncommongoods.com, $35
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Bedford Backpack, by STATE Bags
A classic yet sleek backpack is a gift that anyone can use, but this one is marketed to the fellas. It’s a great, well-organized bag for every day, and perfect as a travel carry on. No matter which STATE Bag you opt for, proceeds will “support American children and families in need… in the ways, they need it most. Whether that’s donating fully-packed backpacks at…bag drop rallies, to fueling #WhatDoWeTellTheKids initiatives to funding special projects supporting partner schools and organizations.”
Available at statebags.com, $115
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Kiehl’s Collection for A Cause
Kiehl’s Collection for a Cause is a gift that allows you to pamper your loved one. The boxed set includes a Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash, Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Mask, Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner, and Calendula Serum-Infused Water Cream. This present also gives, back, helping to “secure 449 meals for Feeding America.” Your recipient will look beautiful and feel beautiful too.
Available at kiehls.com, $50
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Women’s Chelsea Rain Boots, by Roma
It might be raining or snowing in your part of the country right now, and you shouldn’t have to sacrifice your sense of style because of it. You can look cute, and keep dry, with these 100% waterproof, knit-cotton lined, Chelsea rain boots, by Roma. For each pair sold, a pair of rain boots also make it out to a child living in poverty.
Available at amazon.com, $54.95-$69
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Travel Battery Bank & Solar Charger, by Gifts for Good
The best gadgets make life so much easier. This Travel Battery Bank and Solar Charger allow you to power up your phone with force of the sun. It also features a bright flashlight, is dustproof, and water-resistant. Great for traveling, it’s also just as handy for day-to-day activities when you won’t be near an outlet. Added bonus? For every one sold, “one solar light is given to a person in-need living without electricity.”
Available at giftsforgood.com, $50
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Strength Necklace, by ban.do
One of a woman’s greatest qualities is strength. We want the next generations to also have that strength. This ban.do necklace allows you to rep your own fuerza while supporting Girls Inc. The organization helps “girls navigate gender, economic, and social barriers and grow up healthy, educated, and independent.”
Available at bando.com, $38
