15 gifts that give back

The Times may earn a commission if you buy any of these gifts through links on our site. The items were independently selected.

See all lists →

Refugees from Burundi in the Mtendeli Camp in northwest Tanzania receive their monthly food rations in feed sacks — which they then hand-weave into pretty baskets and embellish with colorful threads. The Mbare Home + Gift x Refugee Collection is available through Georgia-based etailer, Mbare.

$58. Purchase here→

New York footwear brand PS821 donates 8.21% of each sale to one of three charities (the shopper gets to choose); No Kid Hungry, which helps children across the country who don’t get enough to eat; the Trevor Project, provider of crisis intervention to LGBTQ youth and water.org, which helps people afford access to clean water. This shoe, the Lor Sky, is made of cotton terrycloth and vegan leather.

$295. Purchase here→

Bead for Life is a program where Ugandan women make and sell bead jewelry from recycled paper, lifting themselves out of poverty and enabling them to send their children to school.

From $8-85. Purchase here→

Here’s a stocking stuffer idea for new parents; El Sereno-based Bibito makes silicone baby bibs in modern colors like “white sage” and “dusty plum.” Sales of the non-toxic, BPA-free bib support causes that work to end hunger among children. The product is packaged in recycled paper and may arrive in a pre-used box. Once your baby has outgrown it, send it back to the company to recycle.

$18. Purchase here→

For armchair and real travelers alike: San Anselmo-based Wendy Gold Studios treats globes with the artistic technique of decoupage like this Flutter By Vintage Globe Art with Butterflies. The globes can come with push pins to help you plan, or memorialize, travels and can be customized for weddings and birthdays. A portion of proceeds goes to charities such as Make a Wish, and the Marin Humane Society.

$599. Purchase here→

Those plastic bottles that are the bane of conservationists have found a new use: Oregon-based Rumpl is turning them into polyester thread, which then makes lightweight, waterproof, go-anywhere outdoor blankets. By the end of 2019, the company estimates it will have recycled some 3 million bottles that would have otherwise clogged landfills.

$149. Purchase here→

Love Your Melon was started by a couple of college students in St. Paul, Minn., in 2012, with a view to providing hats for children with cancer. As of today, the brand — which originally made beanies — has donated 170,000 hats and $6.2 million to pediatric cancer causes. With its newly launched home goods collection, the company continues its philosophy of donating 50% of its post-tax earnings to non-profits fighting pediatric cancer.

$75 each. Purchase here→

Los Angeles luxury beauty house Ranavat Botanics, predicated on the lavish beauty rituals of India’s royal families, has teamed with an India-based couturier for a seasonal offering. The Ranavat x Payal Singhal Collection for Holiday includes full-sized bottles of Ranavat’s Jasmine Tonique, Mighty Majesty Hair Serum and Radiant Rani Brightening Serum with a limited-edition silk scarf from Singhal: 2% of proceeds are earmarked for organizations that help women escape human trafficking.

$175. Purchase here→

Until Dec. 24, International flower delivery service 1-800-Flowers is aligning with Smile Farms, a non-profit that helps developmentally disabled adults find work in farms, urban gardens and greenhouses. Eight gift baskets from the delivery company, from English muffins to overflowing tins of popcorn to frosted red-and-green cookies, are offered in the initiative, with 20% of net proceeds going to Smile Farms.

$89.99. Purchase here→

Mental health is the focus of the Crystal Campaign, a national advocacy group that addresses the causes behind mounting rates of suicide, depression and opioid use. For each purchase of Heal, a black agate necklace, 240 people can be connected with mental health resources. Also available at select Urban Outfitters stores.

$29. Purchase here→

Give the gift of family time with this Epic Family Game Night collection; popcorn, trail mix, serving bowls, fudge, sprinkles — and of course, games. Each brand with items in the kit supports various causes, including food banks, cancer charities and the SPCA.

$176. Purchase here→

Alice + Whittles was founded by former U.N. emergency relief workers; the brand makes rain boots made from sustainably sourced Sri Lankan rubber; they also pay more for the rubber, with the extra income going into a community fund to provide electricity to homes or new shoes for a child.

$120. Purchase here→

For every watch sold by Original Grain, the brand promises to plant one tree in Senegal; in the past few years, the initiative gives families there a sustainable food source, livestock feed and wood for fuel. New from the brand is the Grainmaster watch.

$595. Purchase here→

Flower delivery company J’Adore Les Fleurs has teamed with Looney Tunes for its limited-edition “Hope” Collection: Sales of the 250 Tweety Bird-adorned boxes will be donated to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

From $100. Purchase here→

Vividly colored and screen-printed Daripara placemats are made in Bangladesh by workers who are paid a fair wage and can sustain their artisan communities.

$28 a pair. Purchase here→