This year, you can both give a gift that someone will love for themselves that also gives back to others at the same time.
Socially-conscious gifts are both the “it” item and great for bettering the world around us. And really, isn’t that what the holidays are all about anyway? Here are 10 awesome gifts to give this holiday season that will keep doing good long after the wrapping comes off.
Wanderwide Map
Give the adventurer in your life a new way to track all of their journeys with a Wanderwide Map. The company creates beautiful graphic prints on National Parks, World Wonders, Seven Summits, and 14er Summit Register. Each time they visit a spot on one of the prints, the person can then stamp it as “complete.” Best of all, the company donates $1 to a corresponding charity partner.
Shop: Wanderwide.co; $59
Starling Candle
Who knew a simple, sweet-smelling candle could do so much good? This holiday season, pick up a Starling Candle as the ultimate hostess gift. Not only will it light up a home and bring scents like hyacinth and bamboo, orange and amber, and juniper and saffron with it, but it will also help light up the world too. With every purchase of a candle, you help fund the Starling Project, which brings solar energy to communities in need around the globe.
Shop: StarlingProject.org; $55
WeWood Watch
There’s perhaps no more sophisticated accessory than a watch. If a timepiece is on one of your loved one’s wish lists this year, think about purchasing a WeWood Watch. Each watch is made from high-quality maple wood and will most certainly be a conversation starter for the wearer. And, for every purchase made the company in turn plants one tree.
Shop: Wewood.com; starting at $119
Donate to Visionary Women
If a person in your life already has everything, consider making a donation in his or her name. One way to do that is with an organization like Visionary Women and their program in partnership with Chrysalis, In Her Honor. When you make a donation to the organization, the money goes directly to helping homeless women in Los Angeles get both job training and counseling to help find and keep employment. By gifting $500 to the organization, you will help 10 women to participate in the organization’s support groups and job retention programming, making it the gift that keeps on giving.
Shop: Visionarywomen.com; any amount
The Ethical Silk Company’s Eye Mask
All travelers and beauty sleep-lovers need a good eye mask. This holiday season, gift your favorite sleepy jet-setter with an eye mask by the Ethical Silk Company. Each mask is made with 100 percent eco-friendly mulberry silk on front and organic cotton filling for extra padded comfort in the back. And, the company gives five percent of all of its profits to the Jeevan Jyothi AIDS Centre, which will certainly help you sleep well at night, mask or not.
Shop: TheEthicalSilkCompany.com; $35
Boka Brush Kit
Make your friends and family smile just a bit wider this year by gifting them all a Boka Brush Kit. Inside each electric kit, giftees will find an electric toothbrush with activated charcoal bristles, beeswax floss, and mint toothpaste made with all-natural ingredients. And, for every Boka brush purchased the company donates a toothbrush to its non-profit partner, Surge. And that little act of kindness makes everyone smile.
Shop: Boka.com; $85
Shit That I Knit Hat
It’s the holidays, which typically means colder temperatures. So buy your entire squad a toasty warm knit beanie this year from the fine crafters at Shit That I Knit. Each handcrafted merino wool hat will keep a wearer warm and stylish thanks to the adorable pom pom poof on the top. And each purchase supports the company’s goal to donate Give-A-Sh*t Knit Kits to young adults undergoing cancer treatment all over the country.
Shop: shitthatiknit.com; $125
Unicef backpack
Unicef has an extensive market filled with items that will give back, but perhaps no item is as cool as its Black Highroad leather backpack. Each bag is crafted with quality leather and treated to have that stylish weathered and waxed appearance. It features an external pocket as well as a lateral zipper, which allows the owner easy access to its larger compartment. And, each bag provides 384 sachets of oral rehydration salts, which UNICEF explained can help children combat dehydration and diarrhea.
Shop: UNICEF.org; $140
Love Goodly Monthly Box
Don’t give your loved ones just one tiny present this year, get them an entire box filled with goodies instead. The Love Goodly Monthly Box subscription can bring giftees a box full of natural, cruelty-free products to their door each and every month. Those products can include Axiology Lipstick, Dr. Rogers Restore Healing Balm, Hippeas Vegan White Cheddar Snack, Everything Branded Stainless Straws, and Dr. Botanicals Kale Superfood Nourishing Moisturizer. With each purchase, the company supports a number of partner organizations including Farm Sanctuary, Cure Cervical Cancer, and more.
Shop: LoveGoodly.com; gift boxes starting at $29
Open Mari Cuff
Everyone loves a good bauble, especially one that has a timeless look they can wear for years to come. The Open Mari Cuff by Globe In does just that. The bracelet, made of recycled brass, features a two-horn accent on a sleek silhouette. Each handmade bracelet is expertly crafted in Kenya. Each purchase of this bracelet, or other items on the site, goes to the local artisan who made it, ensuring a high rate of return via the Fair Trade Federation.
Shop: Globein.com; $6
