Gifts That Keep On Giving

The holiday season immediately puts me in a frenzy of finding the best gifts for my friends and family. I love giving people presents and putting a smile on their face. But one thing I never thought of during the holidays was giving to others far beyond my reach. Sound familiar?
 

We often get so caught up in decorating and buying and baking that we often fail to think of those less fortunate than us. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of gifts that keep on giving. For each of these gifts, a donation will go to a charity, be it a child in need of glasses or a grassroots organization!
 

1. TOMS is famously known for giving a new pair of shoes to children in need for each pair customers purchase. However, their work extends beyond that. They now offer eyewear and for each pair purchased, someone will receive prescription glasses, surgery, or medical treatment. Pretty awesome. $88-$160

2. Ten Thousand Villages is a company that sells handmade products from artisans in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, creating opportunities for these artisans to earn income. Because of the wide selection of products — jewelry, home decor, stationery, toys, and more — you can be sure to find something for everyone on your list. Shop at http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/about-us/.

3. (RED) gives back 50% of it’s profits to fight AIDS in Africa. Get the music lover in your life Red Edition Beats by Dr. Dre headphones. $195
 

4. Gifts That Give is an amazing site that allows you to donate to a cause of your choice when you purchase products on the site. One dollar out of every five dollars that you spend will go to the cause of your choice. There’s so much to choose from you can get all of your shopping done in one place! Shop at http://www.giftsthatgive.com/.

5. Lush Charity Pot is the perfect gift for the beauty junky in your life. This cocoa butter cream keeps on giving because every penny of your purchase goes to grassroots charities all around the world. $5.95 – $22.95

6. Same Sky trade initiative employs HIV+ women in developing countries. Skip getting mom a last-minute gift at a jewelry store and opt for these handmade accessories instead. Shop at samesky.com.
 

7. Pottery Barn is known for it’s luxe home goods, but did you know they have a line that benefit’s St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital? Fifty percent of the purchase price is donated to the the cause. Only $49.99 – $22.99 for these etched mercury glass bottles and candle pots at http://www.potterybarn.com/search/results.html?words=St.+Jude+Children%27s&cm_sp=OnsiteSearch-_-GlobalNav-_-Button&type-ahead-viewset=ecom.

8. Philosophy is offering an exclusive product this holiday season with singer Jackie Evancho. The cranberry currant gel triples as a shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath, and 100% of the net proceeds go to WhyHunger. Perfect for a certain someone with too many bottles in the shower. $20

9. Rachel Roy and Deepak Chopra? You heard right. The pair has teamed up for a limited edition holiday collection that benefits The Chopra Foundation which helps to create a peaceful, just, sustainable and healthy world. Grab a shirt or piece of jewelry before they’re gone. Shop at http://www.rachelroy.com/Deepak/110388931,default,sc.html.
 

10. Orvis is currently selling a shirt for men that can withstand the harshest outdoor conditions. For every one of these shirts sold, a donation will be made to the nonprofit Malpai Borderlands Group, an organization that attempts to implement ecosystem management in Arizona and New Mexico. I think I found the perfect shirt for dad. $89

11. Kwait has joined forces with charity: water to create a diamond waterdrop bracelet. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go to fund the charity: water organization, which brings clean drinking water to people in developing nations. A precious gift for someone precious to you. $100

12. Refinery29 and Biographe, an organization that provides job training and work experience to women who have been exploited in the commercial sex trade, have created a clear plated ID bracelet. The bracelet represents the new identities that these women can create for themselves. The perfect gift to the women who are closest to you in your life. $25