Sometimes the best present is the one that gives back. Here are 15 socially conscious ways to make a difference this holiday season with a last-minute gift.
Sometimes the best present is the one that gives back. Here are 15 socially conscious ways to make a difference this holiday season with a last minute gift.
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Defenders of wildlife
Defenders’ of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection and restoration of imperiled species throughout North America by transforming policies and institutions and by promoting new solutions. Their efforts are informed by scientific, legal and policy expertise, hands-on wildlife management experience and effective advocacy. By purchasing a symbolic animal adoption, you can contribute to Defenders of Wildlife initiatives like their Wolverine Watch program, which documented Wolverine kits for the first time in the Bitterroot National Forest.
2/15
Doctors Without Borders
Doctors Without Borders help people worldwide where the need is greatest, delivering emergency medical aid to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters or exclusion from health care. Their two main focuses are responding to an immediate humanitarian crisis, and providing long-term health care in underserved areas. What distinguishes the organization from other medical NGO’s, are “some of the ways in which it maintains its independence from governments and partisan political forces — among which one of the most notable is the fact that more than ninety percent of its overall funding comes from five million private, non-governmental sources.”
3/15
Feeding America
Feeding America is a United States–based nonprofit organization that is a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that feed more than 46 million people through food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other community-based agencies. A donation helps contribute to programs like The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program which helps families in need, or the BackPack Program which helps children facing hunger access nutritious food during the summer or on weekends, when free or reduced-priced meals are not available through school.
4/15
FILL IT FORWARD by Cupanion
Every Cupanion reusable water bottle or product ships with a barcode tag that is activated in-app, or you can purchase a barcode to put on your own mug, cup or bottle. Your refills are tracked to help contribute to water projects around the world and providing water to those in need. Give a cup of clean water to someone in need each time you refill. With each refill, the app can easily tell you your progress; waste diverted, emissions saved, and how much ocean pollution you have prevented. You’ll be updated as partner projects around the world are completed.
5/15
Go Campaign
Go Campaign invests your donations in local programs that address the root causes of problems affecting orphans and vulnerable children throughout the world. This year, the GO Gala is raising awareness and funds to support the children affected by gun violence and the migrant crisis in the US.
6/15
International Rescue Committee
The IRC is dedicated to high-impact, cost-effective solutions that help people affected by crisis. They use their learning and experience resources to shape humanitarian policies and practices in ways that improve the lives of more people worldwide. In all of their work, they focus on breaking down each of the barriers faced by women and girls .
7/15
LottoLove
Play LottoLove to win for someone in need. With the purchase of each scratch card, LottoLove donates to one of its nonprofit partners to support a different worthy cause. For every card purchased LottoLove donates to non-profit partners to fulfill their social mission of helping people receive: clean water, solar light, nutritious meals or literacy tools.
8/15
WWF – ADOPT AN ANIMAL
World Wildlife Fund helps endangered animals by working on immediate threats to animal conservation and saving the environment in which the animals live. Your donation is directed to field programs to support science, research, conservation, and animal study. The adoption is symbolic in the sense that many animals benefit from a donation.
9/15
Conscious Coconut
Conscious Coconut is made with 100% organic cold-pressed fair trade coconut oil is handmade by adult farmers in the Philippines and is cruelty free. For their packaging and fulfillment, conscious Coconut works with the MacDonald Training Center located in Tampa, Florida where adults with developmental disabilities are provide high-quality job skills training in order to successfully hold paid positions in retail, warehousing, and distribution. They also donate to Feeding America’s BackPack Program, which helps underprivileged kids eat on the weekends.
10/15
Gifts For Good The Storm Signature cufF – $2,150
Each purchase of the Gifts For Good ‘Storm Signature Cuff’ Helps fund a loan for a woman entrepreneur in a developing country through the nonprofit Womentum.
11/15
Archive New York Antigua Pillows – $165
Heritage techniques are celebrated in each piece of Archive New York’s vibrant, colorful pillows, blankets, rugs, and towels. Their team works exclusively with artisan weavers in Mexico, Guatemala and India to help preserve fragile art forms and approaches to design that support slow production practices, and pays living wages to all their artisan partners through either direct trade or certified Fair Trade groups.This pillow is inspired by traditional textiles from Almolonga, Guatemala. The cotton used to make this pillow was handwoven by artisans using a back-strap loom.
12/15
ARCHIVE NEW YORK MOMOS GRID BLANKET-RUGs– $520
Ultra heavyweight, handwoven felted wool blankets from the highlands of Guatemala in Momostenango. These blankets are so thick and plush they double as rugs!
13/15
VEJA SNEAKERS VIA Amour Vert – $150
Amour Vert sources Mulberry silk from family owned operations, and their OEKO-TEX certified silk undergoes rigorous testing to ensure it’s entirely non-toxic. Silk prints are inspired by nature and created by artisans exclusively for Amour Vert using non-toxic dyes to create vibrant colors. They are also purveyors of Veja, leather sneakers made in Brazil that use 70% less water in the tanning process.
14/15
Turtle Bay Resort, Oahu Hawaii
Kind traveler
Kind Traveler is a hotel booking platform that allows travelers to benefit communities, the environment, and animals while traveling. When social impact travelers ‘give’ to a local or global charity, Kind Traveler facilitates an exclusive rate to book directly with some the world’s best hotels and unique properties. 100% of the donations raised on the Kind Traveler platform are given to charity. If you are giving the gift of travel by booking a trip for someone special, booking your vacation through Kind Traveler ensures your gift gives back.
15/15
R0AM Customizable Slider- $135
Created with consciousness, R0AM juxtaposes fashion, sport and technology using recycled materials for the most minimal footprint possible. Additionally, proceeds from each purchase goes to the R0AM Foundation which provides at risk children an opportunity to explore and spend time in nature.
