28 Gifts That Actually Make A Difference: 2019
Even if you dread holiday shopping, we’ve got 28 reasons to motivate you. We researched and found 28 awesome, affordable gifts for adults, teens, kids, babies and age-less presents that actually make the world a better place. (Seriously: almost everyone would appreciate something from this list.) We all want to make a difference, so why not pick holiday gifts that truly do good at the same time?
Each and every gift on ThatHelps’ list makes a meaningful impact for a cause you care about, from fighting climate change to veterans support to the arts—and many more. Even better: whoever receives one of these gifts will be thrilled to know their present did some good.
That’s not all. When you share this list with your friends, family, or networks, ThatHelps will donate $5 to a vetted nonprofit organization. Visit ThatHelps’ app to learn more. Don’t have it? Download now to make an even bigger impact this holiday season.
Happy shopping—and spreading more good this holiday season!
Gifts for Adults That Give Back
Gift: Sword & Plough tote bags, backpacks, and accessories
Interest it helps: Veterans Support, Sustainability
Why it makes the world better: Sword & Plough supports veterans by offering jobs in every step of the bag-making process. Even better? Their made-in-the-U.S.A. products use repurposed military surplus materials, so the bags are a fashionable way to recycle and reduce waste.
Buy it for: Any family member or friend who cares about supporting America’s military heroes, or just loves a sleek, functional bag.
Gift: Vickery Trading Co. Ornaments
Interest it helps: Humanitarian Aid, Family + Community
Why it makes the world better: This Dallas, Texas company hires refugee women and prepares them for long-term success through vocational training, personal development and fair wages. They offer a range of kids and adults’ clothes and accessories, but their colorful ornaments are sure to brighten up any Christmas tree.
Buy it for: Host or hostess, the decorations fanatic in your life.
Gift: One Hope Wine Sparkling Rosé
Interest it helps: Health + Well-Being (Ovarian cancer)
Why it makes the world better: When you purchase a bottle of One Hope wine, you help the company make donations to a variety of charities and causes. Our pick: the festive Sparkling Rosé that helps fund education programs that teach women about the risks and symptoms of ovarian cancer.
Buy it for: Host or hostess gift. Or, um, yourself!
Gift: ABLE x MINKA Miriam Multi Ring
Interest it helps: Social Justice
Why it makes the world better: Women comprise 95% of ABLE’s staff, and the company ensures their employees receive fair treatment and compensation. (They publish their workers’ wages, too.) All their classic, chic jewelry is made in-house in Nashville, TN. We love this great-for-any-occasion gold ring from their collab with actress Minka Kelly.
Buy it for: Friend, sister, wife, or any jewelry lover.
Gift: Bombas socks
Interest it helps: Poverty + Hunger
Why it makes the world better: When you buy a pair of socks from Bombas, one pair gets donated, fulfilling a need in homeless shelters across the U.S., where socks remain the most requested donated item.
Buy it for: Husband, dad, or grandpa.
Gift: Hand in Hand Soaps
Interest it helps: Humanitarian Aid, Clean Water
Why it makes the world better: For every bar of soap purchased, the company donates one bar of soap and one month of clean water to a child in need. Not among the soap’s ingredients: planet-unfriendly palm oil.
Buy it for: Host or hostess, stocking stuffer, friend, aunt, or coworker.
Gift: Roma rain boots
Interest it helps: Poverty + Hunger
Why it makes the world better: When you purchase a pair of these fashionable, waterproof boots from Roma Boots, the company will donate a pair to someone around the world who needs them.
Buy it for: Sister, mom, or the gardener in your life.
Gift: Sackcloth & Ashes blankets
Interest it helps: Poverty + Hunger, Sustainability
Why it makes the world better: Help support the homeless community with a purchase of a chic blanket made from recycled materials. When you buy one, one will get donated to a shelter, and you can use the provided gift box to offer donations that will get sent to a local shelter.
Buy it for: A recent mover, mom, dad, grandparent.
Gift: Ocelot Wild Market Wild Olive Wood Bowls
Interest it helps: Culture
Why it makes the world better: Ocelot Market sells ethical, handmade products from artisans all around the world, with the artists sharing their stories as well on the website. You can even shop by country, so learn as you shop!
Buy it for: They sell a wide range of products, but we think these chic bowls make a great gift for a foodie or a person who loves to entertain.
Gift: Everlane’s ReNew puffer
Interest it helps: Sustainability
Why it makes the world better: This clothing company’s ReNew line of warm, stylish puffers, parkas and fleece pullovers is made entirely out of over 3 million recycled plastic bottles, thus saving earth and its oceans from plastic waste. Everlane has also pledged to use no new plastic in their supply chain by 2021. #Goals
Buy it for: A modern, fashion-forward gal.
Gift: FinalStraw portable straw
Interest it helps: Sustainability,Clean Water
Why it makes the world better: At ThatHelps, we’re pretty much obsessed with single-use plastic straws alternatives, because millions of plastic straws are polluting our oceans and marine life every day. FinalStraw is super-easy to carry—it fits on a keychain—and most importantly, it’s super-easy to clean. Even better: it comes in fun colors.
Buy it for: An iced coffee/smoothie/soft drink addict. (Though we think it makes the perfect gift for just about anyone!)
Gifts for Teens That Give Back
Gift: Happy Earth Alpine Fleece
Interest it helps: Conservation, Sustainability
Why it makes the world better: This comfy fleece from Happy Earth is made from source sustainable textiles (as all of the company’s products are), and will land on your doorstep in recyclable and post-consumer materials that don’t provide extra waste. Need another reason to add it to your shopping cart? Fifty percent of Happy Earth’s profits are earmarked for environmental conservation projects.
Buy it for: The teen who refuses to wear a coat in the dead of winter.
Gift: Bureo skateboard
Interest it helps: Clean Water, Sustainability
Why it makes the world better: Discarded fishing nets make up an estimated 10 percent of all of the plastic polluting the Earth’s oceans. Bureo helps mitigate the danger fishing nets pose by using them to make quality products, like this fun skateboard, plus sunglasses, board games, and more.
Buy it for: The gnarly young person who lives to shred—or wants to learn how.
Gift: STATE backpacks
Interest it helps: Education
Why it makes the world better: STATE donates fully stocked knapsacks to kids and funds special projects with partner charities. Also: their stylish, practical bags come in a variety of fabrics and colors.
Buy it for: The fashion-obsessed student or ambitious worker bee in your life.
Gifts for Babies + Kids That Give Back
Gift: “Frozen 2” ornament set from Box Lunch
Interest it helps: Poverty + Hunger
Why it makes the world better: With every $10 spent on our pop culture-themed product, BoxLunch will help provide a meal secured by Feeding America® on behalf of local member food banks. There will be a lot of “Frozen 2” gear wrapped up for kids this year, so you may as well make your “Frozen” purchase help kids in need!
Buy it for: The “Frozen” obsessed kid in your life… So pretty much any kid.
Gift: BirdRock Baby Moccasins
Interest it helps: Humanitarian Aid
Why it makes the world better: For every pair of these affordable, adorable moccasins sold, BirdRock feeds a child in need for one day through Feed My Starving Children.
Buy it for: The mom-to-be or little one in your life.
Gift: MoMA Design Store Art Projector Kit
Interest it helps: The Arts
Why it makes the world better: Every purchase from the Design Store supports MoMA’s educational programs. Plus, the kit comes with rolls of drawing tape so kids can trace their masterpieces on the wall without making permanent marks.
Buy it for: A budding artist—or a little one who could use an alternative to creating fine art on the walls.
Gift: UNICEF Kid Power Band
Interest it helps: Humanitarian Aid, Health + Well-Being
Why it makes the world better: This fitness band for tykes tracks steps and movement, so it encourages kids to get active, plus their activity unlocks therapeutic food packets that UNICEF delivers to severely malnourished children. The more they move, the more good done for kids who need it most. Also good to know: the fitness band doesn’t track the kid’s GPS or location.
Buy it for: Any kid, especially a couch potato or screen addict.
Gift: Sevenly Honey Bee Baby Onesie
Interest it helps: Climate Change
Why it makes the world better: Sevenly’s products are designed and printed in the USA, and use Fair Trade facilities. This adorable onesie helps fund the National Parks Foundation, a group at the forefront of combatting climate change.
Buy it for: The l’il honeybee in your life. (Or a mom-to-be.)
Gift: Krochet Kids
Interest it helps: Family + Community
Why it makes the world better: Krochet Kids provides job opportunities to women in need. You can even meet the woman who made the product you bought and visit her online profile to learn more about her.
Buy it for: Krochet Kids offers products for all age ranges, but we think this panda hat makes an adorable lid for any tot!
Gifts for (Almost) All Ages That Give Back
Gift: Kor water bottle with filter
Interest it helps: Clean Water, Sustainability
Why it makes the world better: Plastic water bottles contribute to a growing problem of discarded plastic pollution in our world. With Kor’s Nava Filter Water Bottle, you can get clean, filtered water that won’t create waste.
Buy it for: Anyone who drinks water!
Gift: Benevolent Brownies from Greyston Bakery
Interest it helps: Poverty + Hunger
Why it makes the world better: Greyston Bakery’s More Than Just a Brownie is a collection of four types of brownies that helps employ people stuck in a cycle of generational poverty. As the bakery’s motto says, “We don’t hire people to bake brownies, we bake brownies to hire people.”
Buy it for: A teacher, neighbor, or any choco-holic in your life.
Gift: Bird + Stone Upcycled Love necklace
Interest it helps: Climate Change
Why it makes the world better: This wear-with-anything necklace is handmade in NYC from recycled materials. Each necklace donates 10% to NY Renews, a coalition of over 150 organizations working to make New York State a model for a fair and inclusive transition to a clean energy economy while protecting workers and investing in the resiliency of communities at risk of climate change impacts.
Buy it for: BFF, girlfriend, daughter, wife—or the Greta Thunberg-admirer in your life.
Gift: Endangered Species Chocolate Bars
Interest it helps: Conservation
Why it makes the world better: This tasty chocolate offers more than just a sweet bite. Ten percent of the profits earned from Endangered Species’ milk and dark chocolate bars get donated to support conservation efforts for at-risk species.
Buy it for: Stocking stuffers, the animal or chocolate lover.
Gift: Wildfang’s Pronoun Pin
Interest it helps: LGBTQ+ Rights
Why it makes the world better: In 2018, Wildfang raised over $400,000 for charities that support reproductive, immigrant, and women’s/human rights. But we like the company’s pronoun pin because it can be worn both by trans people and allies in a show of support—and simply lets people know your pronouns without having to say a word.
Buy it for: A member of the LGBTQ+ community, or an ally. If you buy for someone else, make sure you know their preferred pronoun—then grab a pronoun pin for yourself, too.
Gift: Found My Pet collars and products
Interest it helps: Animal Welfare
Why it makes the world better: Found My Animal lets your adopted animal speak for themself: encouraging rescue over purchase with a brass tag that says “FOUND.” Part of the proceeds from their sales support animal welfare and rescue organizations, and their website helps facilitate direct pet adoptions! Plus, these colorful, creative collars and leashes will your make your furry friend stand out in any crowd.
Buy it for: Your pet or the adopted pet parent in your life.
Gift: Better World Books
Interest it helps: Education
Why it makes the world better: Amazon and Barnes and Noble are both convenient for buying books, but Better World Books goes a step farther: for every book sold, a book is donated to someone in need. (Millions of books have been donated so far.) They also provide literacy grants, crisis response donations, and more.
Buy it for: The book lover in your life, or a student prepping for a college or graduate-level exam. They also have a great selection of classics and kids’ stories.
Gift: Love Your Melon knitwear
Interest it helps: Health + Well-Being (Pediatric cancer)
Why it makes the world better: Love Your Melon is on a mission to make sure all kids who are battling cancer receive a warm beanie (or these cute mittens) to enjoy. They donate a whopping fifty percent of net profits to help fund donations to programs that support cancer-fighting kids and their families.
Buy it for: Husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, wife, daughter, or son.
