When you’re wracking your brain to find gifts for the friends who have everything, holiday shopping can feel a little, well, indulgent. As you’re picking out new shoes, games, and accessories, wouldn’t it be great to find gifts that actually give a little back to the world?
You can. We’ve compiled a shopping list of the perfect presents that will delight anyone on your list—and let you contribute to a great cause at the same time. Here are five picks for gifts that keep on giving.
1. Take a Walk for the Rain Forest
Gift your warm-weather friends (or anyone who’s planning a beach vacation) these cool square-shaped flip-flops from Chipkos. For every pair purchased, the organization will donate funds to conserve 100 square feet of rain forest land in Guanacaste Costa Rica. Its ultimate goal: preserve 100 million square feet to protect the endangered land, species, and natural resources of the rain forest.
2. Shirts that Save Lives
For the cheeky t-shirt lover in your life, check out the tops from the “Good Shirts Do Good” campaign, a partnership between UNICEF and Threadless. Each shirt design bears a symbol representing a type of relief aid provided by the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, like a mosquito net or a motorbike. Pick your favorite, and 100% of your purchase will go to that effort in the Horn of Africa.
3. A Watch for the Cure
If she loves watches, check out this fabulous, chunky silver one from Guess, adorned with a tiny, sparkling pink ribbon on the face. For each watch sold, Guess will contribute $21 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure to support breast cancer research. (Or, use your holiday cash to snag one for yourself—the watch will be available through New Year’s Eve.)
4. A Lump of Coal
Give a gift that’s naughty and nice: When you purchase this (festively wrapped!) lump of coal from The Adventure Project, you’ll also donate stoves to five women in Haiti, where half a million people are still living in tents. These stoves reduce toxic smoke, use less energy, and help provide warmth to a family in need. Coal in your stocking never looked so good. (You can also pick up a holiday e-card, which will donate a stove to one family.)
5. The Gift of Sight
Give her TOMS sunglasses, and you’ll also give someone in the developing world the gift of sight. The TOMS company, known for its innovative buy-one-give-one shoe initiative, sells eyewear, too—and it’s the same deal: With every purchase, TOMS will donate glasses to a person in need. Sweet shades for her, a huge difference in someone else’s life—that’s a great holiday all around.
Photo courtesy of Stephanie Wesolowski.
