The following companies have placed doing good as a top priority. Check them out and find unique gifts for those you love! Shopping that gives back makes the whole experience more worthwhile for everyone.
I Thought of You
My favorite statistic from this company is, “When one woman is lifted out of poverty, she takes an average of 3 people with her.” I Thought of You offers a variety of great products like sunglasses, jewelry, and clothing items. You may find gifts you have never even seen before, like necklaces made from fruit.
Smell the flowers on your necklace and you will be able to tell they were crafted from orange peels. I like to play the guessing game with my daughters. Can you smell this and tell me what you think it’s made out of? It’s pretty cool, and definitely a unique gift. The sunglasses are a good option; well made and lasting. The sunglasses alone make it easy to shop and do good at the same time. Check the I Thought of You site for a possible bundle again this year.
What’s the best part about shopping with this company? They are woman owned and on a mission to empower others by spreading hope in developing countries. They never mandate prices to artisans. In their words, “Everything created by our artisans uses natural, recycled, and/or upcycled materials. You’ll know that when you say yes to our fair trade, eco-friendly goods, you’re saying no to sweatshops, unfair wages, and child labor.” They offer sales and giveaways and price points are reasonable, some as low as $12. You can buy gift cards starting at just $5. If you really love what you see, check out their curator program.
Bridgewater Candles
Have you ever heard of, “Light a Candle, Feed a Child?” Bridgewater Candles says, “With over three million children dying each year from hunger, the need for change remains an urgent priority. This led us to partner with Rice Bowls, a non-profit organization that provides food for children in orphanages around the world. When you buy a candle, a child is provided three meals, allowing you to be a small part of something big.”
With prices as low as $2.50 (I’m not kidding), it’s never been easier to make a meaningful purchase. You can shop for the holidays & do good at the same time without going broke. In addition to candles, products include auto vent clips, wax bars and warmers, hand sanitizer, fragrance oil, reed diffusers, room sprays, and sachets. They even have laundry detergent and personal care products like bar soap and hand lotion. Scents like Berries Jubilee, Dancing Fields, Orange Vanilla, Storybook Dreams, Sweet Grace, and Welcome Home are sure to please. You can also grab a gift card to let your special someone choose exactly what they would like. Bridgewater does offer wholesale to retailers as well.
https://bridgewatercandles.com/
BeadforLife
The BeadforLife story starts in 2004 in Uganda, and it is the one I am most familiar with. I have partnered with them for many years to host product shopping opportunities in schools where I have been employed. BeadforLife gives you the chance to share stories and culture from a world away with your students, as well as with your loved ones. Everyone loves to touch the beads. They stare in awe at the craftsmanship when they learn the beads are actually rolled bits of scrap paper. It’s very impressive. I can still remember playing the African music BeadforLife sent with my event kit. My students danced around my classroom in a circle as we got excited about the people we were helping through this program. You don’t have to host a party or event (there are even opportunities for wholesale and community partners). You can shop online right now.
This company is a fair-trade nonprofit that focuses on women. They continue to grow and report, “And fifteen years later, we’re stronger than ever, with two separate, independent non-profit sister organizations, BeadforLife and Street Business School. Today, BeadforLife bead sale profits support Street Business School entrepreneurial training, providing thousands of women the opportunity to start businesses, put food on the table, send their children to school and lift themselves and their families out of poverty.” Items available include jewelry, loose beads, home goods like baskets and aprons, lavender and lemongrass pure African shea butter body creme and scrub, peppermint lip balm, and gift cards. They even have lanyards! Prices start at just $3.99. Holiday shopping that gives back has never been better.
https://www.beadforlife.org/shop/
GlobeIn
Sit down for this one! GlobeIn has been advertised as the best new subscription box for women. But did you know that you can shop without subscribing? You can enjoy their products without committing monthly. If you are interested in the monthly box, they offer lots of specials like 50% off your first box with a 3 month premium subscription. The gift boxes are so fun to look at and anyone would be excited to receive one. You can match the personality of the person you are shopping for to the box you choose with options like Coffee Lover, Colorful Wine Bath, Infuse Box (super cute if you like tea), or a Spa Box.
While some items are higher priced, don’t let that keep you from exploring the site. The gift cards start at just $10. There is also an under $60 category to make shopping faster if you are trying to be careful on how much money you spend. You can sort prices from low to high. Remember as you shop that you are doing good at the same time and that every purchase makes a difference.
Chocolate & More
Grab some unique chocolate at GlobeIn starting at just $3. Hazelnut Crunch, Dark Chocolate Root Beer Barrel, Dark Chocolate Caramel Crunch with Sea Salt, Mint Chip Gelato, Confetti Cake & Sprinkles, Cherry Almond anyone? There are lots and lots of products that are offered. It’s fun just to check out each item and see the country of origin. You have to go to the laundry category. There are seriously dryer balls that look like sloths, penguins, pandas, and koalas!
So what is Globein? You can read the 32 page social impact document on their site, but here is a highlight. From 2015 to 2018, this company invested $3.5 million into artisan communities around the world to help people rise out of poverty. Shopping that gives back at its finest.
Serrv International
This is a perfect pick to shop & do good at the same time! Serrv has been around since 1949, fighting against poverty through the world. They are a well known, well established fair trade nonprofit who works in 25 countries to partner with over 8,000 artisans and farmers. Serrv sells handmade items and they have a large selection. One of the coolest things about Serrv is that they pay their artisans and farmers up front and take on all business risks for them. They also focus on education, both for the artisans and farmers themselves and for their families. You can search for their artisans and find information about each of the countries they live in. Even if you don’t purchase anything, still check this out! The items here for Mother’s Day shopping that gives back are absolutely beautiful.
Serrv actually has an awesome host program. You can volunteer to host a sale to help support the mission of this organization. Maybe you’d like to have one in your home, at your church, community center, or school. They even have a fundraiser program, where you can raise money for your own nonprofit and receive 20% of profits from Serrv sales, and they offer wholesale. As you explore their selection, notice that the country of origin is listed under each item.
UNICEF Market
UNICEF is a well known organization, but have you shopped their market? Look for the hand icon to know which items are handmade by artisans. The profits go to the artisans around the world and to UNICEF to save and protect children. My favorite feature of this site is that lots of details are given. It stands out in a really unique and special way. You can see pictures and information about the actual artisans and/or families who made the products.
You can also see exactly how your money is benefiting the mission of UNICEF helping kids. For example, the site reports one Country Beauties purchase “can provide enough polio vaccine to vaccinate 19 children against polio.” The beautiful Fruit of the Vine earrings made in Thailand, available for purchase at a cost of $17.99, will give “49 sachets of oral rehydration salts, which can help children combat dehydration and diarrhea.”
I can almost guarantee you will see items that you have never seen before. Check out the wooden puzzles!
https://www.market.unicefusa.org/
Ten Thousand Villages
Ten Thousand Villages is one of my favorite places to shop for shopping that gives back. Many of the sites I’ve listed give you the option to type in your email for an instant discount code, and you want to make sure you do it for this one! I can walk around a Ten Thousand Villages store for hours, but since I don’t live close to one, online shopping is the next best thing. Be prepared – the choices are extensive and can be overwhelming! There are multiple ways to sort as you shop and the gift categories are fun to explore.
You will notice that the site says, “More than 100,000 marginalized people – artisans and their family members – rely on us for income.” You will enjoy reading about the artisans. I just love this fair trade company. Check out the meaning behind their name on the Mission page, and you can’t miss the History. You have to read it to see how one person can make a huge difference. To me, this quote sums up what shopping to do good is all about, “Choosing to purchase fair trade is a way of saying that it’s important to you that the person who made your product is not exploited. By your action, you are investing in the dignity of others.”
https://www.tenthousandvillages.com/
Shopping That Gives Back
I hope you can find something you love in this list of great companies. Shopping that gives back to others makes the day extra special. As you remember those you love, consider a unique gift this year with special thoughtfulness.
