It is that time of year: Carolers are singing, Snow is falling [or ash here in Southern California], and children are writing their Christmas lists. I am going to let you in on a secret: I hate Christmas shopping. I have vivid flashbacks of Black Fridays spent in Walmart and Target, and of being trapped in the mall parking lot for over two hours and still never finding a parking space.

Too often, I find that holiday gift-giving comes down to scratching someone’s name off your buying to-do list, as opposed to finding gifts that really matter.

As I approach 30 [which is terrifying and we don’t need to talk about it], I have become more aware of how I can use my purchasing power to support the type of world I want to live in. In addition to often buying second hand at thrift stores as a way to decrease my fast-fashion footprint, I have been compiling a list of companies that people can support which give back to their community.

I have always appreciated the work that Toms and Warby Parky have put into their one-for-one models, and I love companies with a strong Corporate Social Responsibility plan. As a Beer Nerd, I geeked out that Sierra Nevada [which I finally visited in Asheville last summer!] coordinated with 1,400 craft brewers around the country to brew ‘Resilience,’ with 100% of sales going to relief efforts and long term recovery after the devastating Camp Fire in the area.

I love when huge companies take a stand in supporting their community, but this month I began thinking more of smaller companies who also do amazing work but may not be in the media spotlight. As you prepare to buy holiday gifts this year, I encourage you to think about some of the amazing companies below who all either have a one-for-one giving model, or donate part of their proceeds to charity!

So whether you have someone on your list who wants to support our national parks or buy from local artisans, this list is the ultimate ethical holiday gift guide to giving gifts that give back [say that five times fast!].

Socks that Tackle Global Issues

Conscious Step

One of my favorite things about Conscious Step is that they have something for everyone!

Each of their socks benefits a different cause since they partner with a variety of different nonprofit organizations. For instance, I have their LGBT pride socks which donate to the Trevor Project [ A confidential suicide prevention hotline for LGBT youth], socks that give books to children’s literacy programs, and socks that support environmental conservation.

And that support matters! For instance, by working with Conservation International, Conscious Step has been able to protect 115,000 tropical rainforest trees.

Conscious Step has socks that benefit all kinds of causes: Animal rescue, sloths, malaria prevention, HIV, and more. Plus they use mindful manufacturing practices and are Fair Trade Certified.

Clothing that Gives Back to Nature

Parks Project

Do you have a National Parks Lover in your life? Consider purchasing from Parks Project!

For every product purchased, Parks Project directly contributes to one of over 50 different nonprofit groups dedicated to preserving our national public lands. For instance, the Santa Monica Mountains shirt you see to your left supports the Santa Monica Mountain Fund, which supports habitat and trail restoration in the area after the Woolsey Fire of 2018 destroyed 88% of parklands in the area.

In addition to supporting National Parks through awesomely-designed products, Parks Project also strives to have a highly sustainable production process. For instance, many of their facilities are solar powered and run with motion-sensors in order to conserve energy. They also use, on average, “7x less water than the average for clothing manufacturers, saving 24 million gallons a week. Any water we do use goes through a filtration system that allows it to be recycled.”

Check out the image below to see some of the amazing ways that Parks Project has already been able to contribute, but it doesn’t stop there. Parks Project has a goal of funding 100 projects and generating 100,000 volunteer hours within the next 10 years.

WeWood

One look at WeWood and you can tell they make gorgeous watches out of wood.

All of the wood is reclaimed and recycled in order to make the process as eco-friendly as possible. The best part? For every watch sold WeWOOD partners with nonprofit organizations such as American Forests and Trees for the Future to plant a tree.

Since the company was founded, WeWOOD has planted 442.246 trees. In the coming years, WeWOOD has the goal of planting 1 million trees around the world to assist with reforestation programs.

Happy Earth Apparel

Happy Earth Apparel is all about making the earth happy! For every order, the company plants one tree [139,288 Trees Planted to date!]. In addition, 50% of all the profits are donated to environmental conservation groups.

Happy Earth describes their products as ‘conscious cotton,’ as they work in Lima, Peru and source the cotton from local, farmer-owned, organic farms. They work with local printers and World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) certified facilities. Sustainability is part of their core. In fact, organic cotton uses '“90% less irrigation, promotes soil health, and eliminates chemical runoff” according to the organization. In addition, all of their packaging is made from recyclable and post-consumer materials so they are a 100% carbon neutral organization. Talk about sustainability!

Clothing to Support Mental Health

Self Care Station

Rocking my ‘No Pill Shame’ Shirt because no one should be shamed for using medication to support their mental health

I love Self Care Station. As someone who lives with Depression and Anxiety, Mental Health is a critical issue to me. Yet often times, mental health still has a stigma that prevents it from being talked about in the open.

Self Care Station brings conversations around mental health front and center.

They specifically work with independent artists in order to increase the range of diverse voices in the conversation. Artists are credited on the site, earn a portion of the proceeds from each design, and they maintain the full rights of their work.

As if that wasn’t enough, in their first year of operation, Self Care Station has been able to donate over $10,000 to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, National Alliance on Mental Illness American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the National Eating Disorder Association.

Headbands that Benefit Children with Cancer

Headbands of Hope

I first heard about Headbands of Hope on the Goal Digger Podcast. Headbands of Hope was founded on a simple idea: donating headbands to children with cancer. The founder had interned at Make-A-Wish and when she was at hospitals she noticed that a lot of the children preferred to wear headbands as opposed to wigs when they lost their hair during chemotherapy.

Out of that idea Headbands of Hope was born. For every one of their [super cute!] headbands that is sold, Headbands of Hope donates one to a child with cancer. To date they have already donated 484,800 headbands and that number grows by the day!

Products Which Support Local Artisans

Forever En Voyage

This is personal. One of my former coworkers, and all around AMAZING human launched a travel blog and a brand called Forever en Voyage.

Using her background as a Colombian-born and USA-based global citizen, Emiliana encourages people to examine their roles as conscious consumers. Her site is a ‘boutique of products 100% handmade by Colombian artisans, uplifting indigenous traditional design, women creatives, and eco-friendly practices.’

Not only are the products gorgeous, but you will know the creators by names: Sandra. Catalina. Victoria. Diana. Jeimy. Ipuana. Clara.

Forever en Voyage states that “Working directly with them allows us to build a close and collaborative relationship, while ensuring transparency between the customer and the product. Our philosophy includes uplifting the delicate, precious, and beautifully imperfect work of craftsmanship. That means that we always pay our artisans fair prices for their work, while educating our customers on why handmade goods are a valuable representation of creativity, art, and culture.”

Support local artisans AND learn about the importance of eco-friendly and fair-trade practices? What could be better? They officially launched this month so be among the first to purchase!

Wild Hearts and Halos

Wild Hearts & Halos was launched in 2017 and every purchase gives back to artisans in Peru.

Each headbands is called a halo, and is inspired by a different adventure, place, or country. These halos also are perfect for having a low-maintenance but cute way to style your hair when you are traveling.

Clothing that Supports Literacy

Out of Print

Out of Print launched in 2010 with the dual mission of spreading a love of reading and donating books/supporting literacy programs around the world.

Rock apparel from your favorite classic book while making a difference. Not only will you raise awareness of reading [and maybe meet a fellow book nerd in line at the grocery store] but you are supporting the ‘authors, publishers, and artists who helped bring these iconic works to life.’

Out of Print has already donated 3 million books to communities around the country!

Shirts that Give Back to Animal Shelters

Mission Driven

Mission Driven was front and center this year when their founder went viral for moving into an animal shelter to raise awareness of a dog that needed a home.

However, Mission Driven doesn’t stop there, they create and promote fundraisers to help shelters meet their needs. One of these fundraisers ensured that every shelter dog in the state of Kansas received a new bed.

By supporting Mission Driven, you are supporting animal shelters around the country, helping animals find their FUR-ever home, and joining the pet adoption movement.

Scrubs which Benefit Healthcare Providers Worldwide

FIGS: Threads for Threads

Do you have anyone in your life that wears scrubs? Buy them some comfy new scrubs from the FIGS Threads for Threads initiative.

FIGS works with over sixty amazing organizations in 35 countries to donate scrubs to healthcare providers in resource-poor areas. In these areas, lifesaving medical procedures may need to be performed in jeans and a t-shirt due to a lack of scrubs.

Every medical professional around the world deserved to be able to protect themselves and their patiences, no matter where they live. Plus FIGS scrubs are supposed to be incredibly comfy!

Bags to Benefit Military Spouses

R.Riveter

Founded by new military spouses Lisa Bradley and Cameron Cruse, R.Riveter addresses the challenges of employment opportunities for military spouses.

According to their site, “Plenty of military spouses want to work, but obtaining employment is especially tough. Military families move on average, every 2.9 years - and oftentimes, they relocate to remote military bases where there are fewer professional opportunities for spouses. In duty locations next to smaller cities, it's oftentimes difficult to create a professional network, interview, search and obtain jobs - all while supporting your service member and helping your family adjust to the new location. This is an aspect of being a military spouse that is not widely discussed, yet is a major struggle for most families.”

57% of military spouses do not work outside the home!

In response R.Riveter was born, providing employment opportunities to military spouses. The point isn’t to hire more military to make more bags, it’s to sell more bags which provide an opportunity to hire more military spouses. 33 cents of every dollar spent at R.Riveter goes directly back into the hands of military spouses!

Pop Culture Goods to Feed the World

BoxLunch

If you have someone in your life who loves pop culture and novelty items, you have come to the right place. I just spent 30 minutes going through the BoxLunch site because I every page came up with new products I loved! That isn’t the only thing that is awesome about BoxLunch though.

For every $10 spent on products BoxLunch provides ‘a meal secured by Feeding America® on behalf of local member food banks.’ To date they have have been able to donate 40 million meals!

A Subscription Box of Ethically Sourced Products

Causebox

I am a subscription box fiend!

While I haven’t had an opportunity to purchase CauseBox yet, I have only heard amazing things about their subscription box, which only provides hand-crafted, socially-conscious, and ethically sourced products.

Makeup to Help Women Thrive

Thrive Causemetics

Cause is directly in the name! For every purchase, Thrive donates to help a woman in need. They do this by working with '“dozens of partner organizations that empower women who are fighting cancer, surviving domestic abuse, emerging from homelessness, or adjusting to life outside the uniform.”

Not only are you giving back, but their causemetics also look amazing on anyone.

Blankets to Support Children, Women’s Shelters, and Children of First Responders

Happy Blankies

The Happy Blankies mission is simply, to spread happiness and love. That is why for every blanket you purchase, they donate a second blanket in their "One to Love, One to Give" initiative.

You can see some of the different ways Happy Blankies gives back, whether it is providing blankets to sick children in hospitals, women’s shelters, or providing blankets to the children of first responders and military personnel. I personally am a big fan of this dinosaur blanket.

Chocolate to Benefit Animal Rescue

Rescue Chocolate

There is no way I can do justice to the story of Rescue Chocolate, so check out the story below from their site.

“It all started with a thumbnail image of a forlorn pitbull. Cropped ears, swollen nipples, her name was Mocha, and her photo had been posted online (Petfinder.com) by her foster mom as a desperate act to find her a permanent home before the clock ran down to zero.

Mocha’s eyes stuck with me. I flashed through that online posting once, twice, and then again. I kept going back to check on her, to see if by some miracle an angel had descended and adopted her. I had grown up sharing my house with dogs and volunteering at my local animal shelter, but I knew I couldn’t have a dog at the moment—I was never home, and I lived in the middle of the biggest concrete jungle in the world, New York City. Besides, the building in which I rented a room didn’t even allow pets.

Those beautiful mocha-brown eyes…. It took awhile to track down the email address of her foster mom. I set up an appointment just to meet Mocha near Central Park, with no strings attached. Dear Reader, you absolutely know what happened next.

At first touch, I felt an instant, profound connection. A bit later, we rode in a taxi together back to Brooklyn. And then, a few months later, she handed me a wallop of inspiration.

I was savoring the last bite of a dark chocolate bar before heading out for our morning walk (doesn’t everyone eat chocolate for breakfast?!). Powered up by the darkest of dark chocolate, I hit the sidewalk with my gorgeous best friend.

Suddenly it occurred to me: why not put together my two loves? How about developing a scrumptious new dark chocolate line, selling it, and donating the profits to animals in need?

I already worked part-time at Gnosis, a raw chocolate company in Queens, where I had developed a best-selling flavor. I knew what tasted good. And God knew there was certainly a need to raise awareness about the epidemic of homeless pets in America. The idea for Rescue Chocolate was almost fully formed before Mocha and I returned from our walk that morning in December 2009.

People give it a try and become addicted. Maybe it has something to do with the picture of the pooch on the wrapper of every Rescue Chocolate bar—that one with the mocha-brown eyes.”

Every month Rescue Chocolate works with different organizations. In December 2019, they will be supporting Pets for Patriots in order to support the joint mission of helping veterans adopt pets [which is proven to assist with PTSD and depression] AND helping shelter animals finding loving homes.

International Organizations Giving Back

Heifer International

When I was a child, every year my family and I used to purchase ‘animals’ from Heifer International and give them to my teachers for Christmas.

Does that mean that my teacher went home with a goat? No!

Instead, in their name a family in one of the regions Heifer International operates in received a goat [or chicken, cow, sheep, etc.]. The family in turn receives a new and sustainable way to generate income for their family.

UNICEF Market

UNICEF will always hold a special place in my heart. UNICEF marketplace has hand crafted and artisanal gifts that give back. The funds raised from these gifts provide lifesaving supplies to children around the world.

For example, the ring to the left could provide 60 doses of the measles vaccine. Seeing how your gift could be put into action to support children, WHILE providing a stunning present for your loved one is an amazing way to make an impact this holiday season.

Do you have other companies that give back? Let me know in the comments!