1. Unique ways to give through online retailers and search engines
www.benevolink.com, www.igive.com, www.givingpal.com, www.care2.com/shopping and www.goodshop.com let you shop for personal and business needs with hundreds of brand name retailers, and a portion of each online purchase is donated to your favorite cause
www.goodsearch.com, www.searchkindly.org, and www.searchandgive.com are search engines that donate a portion of their revenue to the charities and schools designated by its users
2. Donation cards and gift cards in lieu of an actual gift
heifer.org, worldvisiongifts.org, worldrelief.org, fh.org/catalog (Food for the Hungry), harvestofhope.org, foodforthepoor.org, changingthepresent.org, treesforlife.org, alternativegifts.org, mercykits.org, oxfamamericaunwrapped.com, and others offer great options if you want to buy a cool gift in someone’s name
www.optinnow.org is funded and managed by Opportunity International, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending global poverty by selling gift cards to grant microloans to entrepreneurs in some of the poorest parts of the world
www.kiva.org offers gift certificates for microfinancing that the recipient can use to loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world (www.trickleup.org is a similar org but doesn’t appear to offer gift certificates yet)
www.tisbest.org sells email charity gift cards that allow the recipient to support a charity of their choice (over 200 carefully chosen and responsible nonprofits are listed) – the charity receives the amount of the Gift Card, less a $3.95 transaction fee and 3% that goes to the credit card company
www.justgive.org is a nonprofit that sells charity gift certificates that can be redeemed by the recipient at their choice of more than one million local and national nonprofit organizations, and JustGive deducts 3% from all donations to cover the transaction costs
www.charitygiftcertificates.org sells plastic charity gift cards (rather than just online certificates) that can be redeemed to make a contribution to one of over 100 major charitable causes (organized into 12 categories) – a 10% administrative fee plus $0.50 per card is deducted from the funds prior to allocation
www.globalgiving.com is a nonprofit that connects donors with community-based projects that need support, and they sell biodegradable gift cards to allow the recipient to select one of hundreds of social and economic development projects and environmental causes around the world
3. Greeting Cards
www.cardsthatgive.org, www.charitycards.com, www.goodcausegreetings.com, and www.cardsforcauses.com list a variety of places where you can buy greeting cards that donate a portion of the proceeds to charity
4. Baked goods, food gifts, confections, and wine
www.misericordia.org has a Hearts & Flour Bakery that provides jobs for developmentally challenged adults, and a friend tells me that their baked goods are wonderful
www.dancingdeer.com has a program called “The Sweet Home Project” and 35% of the price of the “Sweet Home” cake and cookie gifts go to education, job training, child care and housing through One Family Inc. (www.onefamilyinc.org) in an effort to help families move permanently out of poverty
www.bakemeawish.com, a nationwide gourmet birthday and special occasion cake delivery service, will donate 5-30% of all online cake sales to the various rotating causes (right now, to soldiers serving overseas)
www.lesleyslifeissweet.com was founded for the sole purpose of using the net proceeds from sales of artisan chocolates and gourmet confections to support global humanitarian projects that would contribute to the well being of all of our communities
www.basketworks.biz offers “For a Cause” gift baskets, where a percentage of each basket sold will be donated to the indicated charitable organization (and a card is enclosed with the basket advising the recipient)
www.womensbeanproject.com works with women, giving hard-to-employ folks a new start in life, and they offer lovely gift baskets (another friend tells me that their bean soups, etc. are delicious)
www.christkitchen.org is a nonprofit Christian ministry providing work, job training, and fellowship for women in poverty through production and sales of food gift baskets
www.hopewine.com creates good quality
5. Flowers
www.organicbouquet.com offers “charitable bouquets” where proceeds from the sale of each flower bouquet are used to support nonprofit organizations dedicated to social justice, wildlife conservation, animal rights, and environmental protection
www.urbanmeadows.org is a nonprofit organization that is a full-service florist dedicated to providing vocational training to individuals in their recovery journey from mental illness (local delivery in
6. Jewelry
www.narimon.org sells handmade jewelry, cards, and stationary made by women who were formerly trapped in
www.tandazulu.org sells hand-beaded jewelry to generate income for rural South African women (30% of each purchase goes directly to the beader) and to fund a non-profit organization (62% of each purchase) that support orphans and other vulnerable children at the Thanda After-School Project
www.beadforlife.org is a nonprofit that eradicates extreme poverty by selling beautiful beaded jewelry handcrafted by Ugandan women (they turn colorful recycled paper into beautiful beads) and using the profits to invest in community development projects (including food, medicine, school fees)
www.nightlightbangkok.com sells beautiful handmade jewelry and accessories to raise funds to assist women and children (through educational and alternative employment opportunities via a registered nonprofit organization) who are being exploited in the bars of
www.peacetags.com sells fashion dog-tag necklaces inscribed with words of peace, and in the process supports several non-profits by raising funds and raising awareness about their missions
A little bit different: www.lucinda.com is the website for Designs By Lucinda, a cause-related business dedicated to creating affordable jewelry of the highest quality for the purpose of bringing much needed financial help and awareness to non-profit organizations and their causes – the main purpose is to allow nonprofits to fundraise with these designer pins
7. Soap and spa products
www.theenterprisingkitchen.org is a nonprofit social enterprise that manufactures natural soaps and spa products to provide workforce development and support services to women who are working toward self-sufficiency and economic independence
www.saveyourworld.com sells personal care products (soap, shampoo, etc.) made with organic ingredients and then uses the proceeds from the products to save an acre of rainforest for one year (one acre for one year per product)
8. Fair Trade Handmade Products
www.globalgoodspartners.org is a nonprofit dedicated to alleviating poverty and promoting social justice by strengthening women-led development initiatives and creating access to the US market for marginalized communities in Asia, Africa, and the Americas – their online store is extensive and allows you to search for hundreds of gifts by category, country, or producer
www.serrv.org is a nonprofit alternative trade and development organization that promotes the social and economic progress of people in developing regions of the world by marketing their gifts in a just and direct manner
www.shopinlight.com sells high-quality Fair Trade home fashion and women's accessory products made by highly disadvantaged Cambodian women, and the income from these products support their mission to foster hope for vulnerable women and children in crisis through holistic, transformational development, and creative initiatives
www.ashaimports.com distributes Fair Trade products (accessories made from recycled plastic bags, saris, and tote bags) made by people who have been given a chance to rise above their circumstances and take back their humanity (i.e., Free Set bags www.freesetbags.com made by former Calcutta prostitutes, Saris made by training and employing families out of the slum districts in Calcutta, and accessories made by the urban poor in Delhi, India, who are paid a fair wage for their work)
www.saribari.com sells handbags and blankets that have been made from Indian saris by women living in a safe home that has restored their dignity after they have been exploited in the sex trade; each product is marked with a woman's name, a woman who now has the opportunity to make a choice for freedom and new life
www.madebysurvivors.com sells beautiful Fair Trade handicrafts (bags, jewelry, stationary, and clothing) made by survivors of human trafficking and modern slavery at 22 shelters and prevention programs all over the world
www.novica.org (in association with National Geographic) offers handmade home décor, jewelry, apparel, paintings, and more by talented artists and artisans in Asia, Africa and Latin America who set their own prices so they earn more and customers pay less
www.madre.org is a nonprofit that uses human rights to advance social justice by partnering with women in communities worldwide to meet urgent, local needs and create long-term solutions to the problems that women face – their online store sells unique items (jewelry, textiles, household items, and clothing) that were hand-crafted by women from around the world, which helps build sustainable sources of income in those communities
www.bridgeforafrica.org is a nonprofit dedicated to promoting self-sufficiency and the dignity of work in rural Africa – the sales of the handcrafted baskets, jewelry, pins, textiles, tableware, bags, and purses go back to the African artisan groups and are reinvested in community development, training, and job creation in the regions
www.originalgood.com is the online shopping site for World of Good, which aims to eliminate poverty and structurally improve the quality of life for artisans in very low income craft producing communities around the world by selling Fair Trade and handcrafted bags, purses, home decor, housewares, jewelry, desk accessories, notebooks & journals, scarves, and more
www.world-shoppe.com sells Fair Trade products (garden supplies, housewares, accessories, jewelry, kitchen items, stationary, bags, and children’s toys) that not only provide income, dignity and hope to people in developing regions, but the products also help sustain the communities by promoting community development, healthcare and childcare, education and literacy training
www.appreciate.org creates socially responsible & sustainable designs for corporate gifts, and 100% of the profits from every purchase fund programs for homeless youth operated by the Reciprocity Foundation and the enterprise provides employment and design opportunities for homeless youth
9. So much variety, it’s tough to categorize
www.giftback.com offers a wide variety of gifts and gift baskets, and 10% of every purchase goes back to a charity of the giver’s choice
www.worldofgood.com is the world’s first online marketplace to convene thousands of People Positive and Eco Positive sellers and products all in one place, empowering you to shop in ways that align with your personal values: you can search for a vast array or products that are People Positive, Eco Positive, Animal Friendly, and/or Support a Cause
www.amberchand.com sells well-designed, high quality products (jewelry, baskets, candles, purses, and more) created by physically disabled artisans and women who are victims of war, genocide, civil strife, pandemics, and natural disasters – the founder is a former Ugandan refugee and she works with her team to create sustainable, market-driven relationships that result in poverty alleviation, economic opportunity and shared prosperity
www.greatergood.com lists 10 sites that offer Gifts that Give More™, where 5-100% of the purchase price of jewelry, apparel, and gifts is given to the charity (helping people, animals, or the planet)
www.thebreastcancersite.com has an online store as part of its nonprofit mission, where they sell a wide variety of gift items (jewelry, clothing, home accessories, and more – including many items that are not pink) whose proceeds benefit breast cancer research and fund mammograms for women who can’t afford them
www.drawbridge.org is a nonprofit that provides art programs for homeless and other vulnerable children in an environment that fosters their sense of joy, creativity and exuberance – their online shop sells greeting cards, clothing, tote bags, and posters designed with the kids’ artwork
www.homeboy-industries.org (located in downtown Los Angeles and recognized as the largest gang intervention program in the county) includes five nonprofit economic development enterprises (two of which can be accessed online if you don’t live in the LA area) whose proceeds help support their services for at-risk and formerly gang-involved youth: Homeboy Bakery, Homeboy Silkscreen (custom shirts, pens and more with silkscreen or embroidery of your logo), Homeboy Maintenance, Homeboy/Homegirl Merchandise (casual wear, backpacks, totes, and other products emblazoned with the popular Homeboy and Homegirl logos), and Homegirl Café
www.globalfundforwomen.org/cms/shop-your-values lists several sites that sell gifts, bags, accessories, jewelry, home accents, stationary, children’s toys, baby goods, photo books, handcrafted artisan truffles & confections, clothing, and music and donate a portion of their sales to the Global Fund for Women (a nonprofit international grantmaking foundation that advances women's human rights worldwide)
