Buying gifts for friends and family is a big part of our Holiday traditions. It’s a way to show those closest to us know how grateful we are to have them in our lives. Make this season even better by shopping to make a difference. The way to make our gift buying and gift giving even more meaningful is by making conscious decisions about what and from whom we are buying.
Here’s how to make gift buying even more special — when your shopping makes a difference for people and the planet.
There are an increasing number of companies and organizations that are committed to doing good on top of the goods and services they provide. They are part of the impact economy. These companies are social enterprises and B-Corporations and include many of our favorite brands and soon to be favorites. (If you’d like to understand more about what is special about these types of enterprises, read our blog, Social Enterprises and B-Corporations Make A Difference.“)
As you shop for the perfect gifts this Holiday season, why not give a gift that makes a difference and delights a loved one? Here are three great options to find that perfect and unique gift.
Shop small and local businesses to make a difference.
Explore companies committed to being a force for good.
Shop organizations that make the world better.
Shop Small and Local Businesses to Make a Difference
Shopping in your small and local businesses is a great place to get started. The impact on your community is measurable.
Did you know that for every dollar spent in a local store as much as $3.50 goes into the local economy?
Local restaurants bring over twice as much money into the local economy as the national chains.
Small businesses created 65% of the new jobs in the last 17 years, while large companies have reduced the workforce.
Small, local businesses are unique and bring out the feel of the community.
Shopping small and local creates a vibrate economy and community.
Need more reasons to shop small and local businesses? Check out our Shop Local infographic.
Spend some your gift dollars at your local restaurants, gift shops, chocolatiers, book stores, and farms.
Shop Companies Committed to Being a Force for Good
We love businesses that balance purpose and profit. There are 3,608 Certified B Corporations and, by making a commitment to this designation, are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment. Additionally, there are social enterprises that are committed to making a positive impact in our world. These leaders are focused on using commerce and business as a force for good. When you can’t find that perfect gift locally, take a look at these great options.
Here a few to get you started:
Reduce plastic in our waterways with a gift from 4ocean.com. For every bracelet or other gift you purchase, a pound of plastic is being removed from a waterway.
Plant more trees with a gift from tentree.com. For each purchase of a t-shirt or socks, ten trees are planted.
Reuse and recycle books with a gift from betterworldbooks.com. They have recycled and reused over 370 million books.
Chocolate with a reduced footprint with a gift from frenchbroadchocolate.com. They are focused on sustainable practices and treating farmers well.
Sustainable Paper with a gift for the write from greenfieldspaper.com. They have unique and sustainable paper products such as seed paper.
Fairtrade and environmentally conscience nuts and dried fruit for a healthy treat from Tierrafarms.com.
Sustainably grown coffee with a gift from peacecoffee.com or thrivefarmers.com. These are tw of the many B-Corporations where you can have a cup of coffee and peace of mind.
Apparel and doing good – some options here are Patagonia.com, Allbirds.com, Athleta.com, and Nisolo.com.
Shop from Organizations that Make the World Better
For the person who seems to have it all or who loves doing for others, consider making a donation or membership in their name. It’s a gift that keeps on giving.
Plant trees with a membership to Arbor Day Foundation (arborday.org) or a donation to One Tree Planted (onetreeplanted.org)
Protect Wildlife by adopting, apparel or donating to World Wildlife (worldwildlife.org)
Protect the planet with a donation to Friends of Earth (foe.org), National Resources Defense Council (nrdc.org)
Local museums and organizations – look at what is most important in the community of your loved one and get a membership or donate in their name.
For more ideas, we encourage you to check out our Cool Stuff and Who’s Doing Good sections.
We hope this starter set gets you shopping to make a difference. We hope you have fun exploring as much as we do. We love all the options we have for making a difference and finding the perfect gift for loved ones!
