I love Christmas! Christmas is a time to gather with family and friends, reflect on the past year, and give gifts to your loved ones. It is truly better to give than it is to receive! I enjoy giving gifts that not only give joy to the recipient, but also give back to a charitable organization and positively impact the lives of others.
Here are some of my favorite gifts that give back to organizations and make a positive impact in the United States and around the Globe. As you give to your loved ones this Christmas, consider choosing a gift that gives twice!
LottoLove – Basic Needs 2-Ticket Gift
These scratch-off cards from LottoLove are sustainable scratch off and greeting cards that are a unique gift for the person in your life that has everything. Every ‘basic needs’ gift set enables LottoLove to donate to their partners to help others to receive clean water, solar light, literacy tools, or nutritious meals. They also donate any profits to their partners in over 60 countries.
You can purchase their Basic Needs gift set here, and learn more about their impact here.
OneGrid – Light Up a Household Candle
You can never have enough candles, especially if they are Phtahalate free and have no dyes or added enhancers. OneGrid sells hand poured candles made in small batches by women refugees. They are made with 100% soy and coconut wax and have a natural cotton wick. They come in a variety of beautiful scents as well. Each OneGrid candle purchased delivers 672 hours of clean, safe, solar light to a family, school, or clinic living with no access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa. Providing clean solar power transforms the futures of families and communities. What an incredible gift!
You can purchase this beautiful candle here, and learn more about OneGrid’s impact here.
BOBS – Keepsakes Ice Angels
Some people on your list are going to love practical gifts, and what is more practical that cozy, comfortable slippers? What is really cool about these clog slippers is that they have traction so you can wear them inside or outside and they are faux-fir lined so they keep your feet warm, even in the winter and you can slip them on and off easily. Come to think about it, I may just get these for myself. 😉 They come in all sorts of fun colors, too. For every pair of BOBS that are purchased, a donation is made to animals in need, so you are helping shelter pets find a good forever home.
You can purchase these cozy clogs here, and learn more about BOBS impact here.
STATE Products
It was so hard to pick just one product to highlight from this site because they have beautiful products. They carry backpacks, luggage, purses, bags, hats, you name it! What drew me to this website was that they carry products for both kids and adults and for every product purchased, they support American children and families in need by donating fully-packed backpacks.
You can purchase products from STATE and learn about their impact on their website here.
Hand in Hand – Clean Hands Set
When we think of gift sets, we often don’t think of soap by itself, however, if you are putting together a gift box for several people or looking for some great stocking stuffers, this Clean Hands Set from Hand in Hand is a great deal for how many great soaps you receive! Plus, it comes with hand sanitizer. All of the products are naturally derived from coconut palm trees, are vegan and cruelty free, the packaging is recyclable aluminum, and the scents are infused with real and not synthetic materials. The best part? For every liquid hand soap purchased, Hand in Hand donates one bar of soap and clean water to a child in need and this gift set includes 4 hand soaps!
You can purchase this gift set on their website here, and learn more about their impact here.
Rare Beauty – Lip Soufflé Matte Lip Cream
There are few items that donate 100% of their proceeds to charity, and this is one of those items that do. Selena Gomez created a makeup brand that donates 1% of all their annual sales to increase access to mental health services and education for young people, and this particular product gives 100% of the sales to support those endeavors. This lip cream is a limited edition shade so grab it while it is still available! It is described as an airy, hydrated color that is cruelty-free, vegan, paraben free, and suitable for sensitive skin.
You can purchase this product here, and learn more about Rare Beauty’s impact here.
The FEED X Katie Couric Bundle
FEED is always a personal favorite brand of mine because they specify how many meals they provide on each product on their site. This holiday season they partnered with Katie Couric, who curated an assortment of “small indulgences” for that someone on your list who appreciates the little things. Every item in this gift set is from a female-founded brand and has its own unique impact. From a necklace that’s made by hand by female survivors to a shea butter moisturizer made by a mother-daughter duo that supports fair wages, education, and opportunities from women in Ghana. This gift set provides 50 school meals to kids in need.
You can purchase this gift set on FEED’s website here, and learn more about their impact here.
Williams Sonoma – St. Jude Holiday Towels
This would be a wonderful housewarming gift, or a sweet Christmas gift. Kitchen towels are a staple, and you can never have too many! These beautiful towels from Williams Sonoma come in a set of two, are made of sustainably sourced cotton, are machine washable, and the designs are just too cute to pass up. 25% of the purchase price is donated to St. Jude Children’s research hospital to support the research and treatment for pediatric cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
You can purchase them on Williams Sonoma’s website here.
Bright Stripes – iHeartArt 24 Gel Pen Multi-Pack
Every child loves to scribble, draw, write, and doodle. Drawing is especially more fun when it is in multiple colors! This 24-pack of gel pens is perfect for the creative child on your list. This set includes a sticker sheet with blank dialog bubbles, hearts, stars, and arrows to color in and write their own phrases. With the purchase of this Gel Pen Multi-Pack, iHeartArt donates 5% of the profits to Art Feeds’ international division. This non-profit supplies art lessons, training, and art materials to kids in need, allowing kids to experience the life-affirming joy of artistic expression!
You can purchase this 24 Gel Pen Multi-Pack Here, and learn about Bright Stripes impact here.
Unicef USA Market – Multicolor Alpaca Men’s Sweater with Blue Trim from Peru, ‘Colca Melange’
This is a beautifully knitted sweater for the man on your list made from alpaca wool. It is created in an intricate geometric design in shades of burgundy, grey, ivory, and brown with blue accents.
This is perfect for the winter months! Purchasing this sweater can provide 379 sachets of oral rehydration salts, which can help children combat dehydration and diarrhea.
You can purchase this sweater on Unisef USA Market’s website here.
Conscious Step – Socks that Build Homes
Almost half of all adults have faced housing insecurity at some point in their lives. Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit housing organization working across America and around the globe to create a world where everyone has a place to call home. By building safe and affordable shelter, they help families break a cycle of unpredictable rent increases and poor living conditions. That freedom allows families to invest in themselves and their communities – with lasting, life-changing outcomes. This three-pack of ankle socks in green, blue, and heather grey is super comfortable, is fairtrade, GOTS, and vegan certified and has terry padding and extra arch support for comfort. With each purchase, Conscious Step donates a portion of the sales to Habitat to Humanity to help build homes and change lives in communities.
You can purchase Socks that Build Homes here, and learn more about Conscious Step’s impact here.
If you are looking to support an organization and simply give during the holiday season to a worthy cause, here is a short list of organizations that I support and partner with through The Jonathon D. Fischer Foundation (JDFF). Click on the name of the charity to learn more about the organization and to give directly:
The John Maxwell Leadership Foundation
The Dream Center LA
The David Foster Foundation
Lions Foundation of Canada
Thorn
CAMH
Planet Hope (learn more about their organization and click their name to give directly) Planet Hope provides over 10,000 gifts to homeless, abused, and ill children living in the hospital this holiday season.
Casa Hogar Cabo – You can donate through their website using Friends of Casa Hogar, Monarca Canada Foundation or International Community Foundation (ICF) to receive a tax-deductible receipt.
Casa Hogar Cabo also has two campaigns you can donate to:
“Our Caregivers are our Heros”
“Elevate Lives of Vulnerable Children in Mexico”
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” – James 1:17
May the joy of the Christmas season fill your heart and home! Any may you experience the joy of giving this holiday season!
Merry Christmas!
Christine