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Finding a gift that gives back is a real balancing act. There’s the built-in donation part to think about: Where’s the money going, and what’s an actually impactful amount? (As in, probably not one percent.) Plus, you want the thing that does good to be a good gift, too — an ugly T-shirt simply won’t do. With that in mind, I rounded up some genuinely great gifts that give back, including ones that benefit organizations fighting for racial justice, food security, reproductive rights, and much more. Some gifts come from brands previously featured on the Strategist, while others were found with some internet sleuthing. Each gift is meant to be something someone on your list would be happy to receive — and you’d be proud to wrap up. (Meanwhile, if you’d like to donate directly, we also have directories of organizations supporting Black and brown lives and Asian communities.) And for more gift ideas, we have a hub with every holiday gift guide that’s live on our site now.
Clothes and Accessories
East Fork’s sweater (a Dinner Service collaboration) is inspired by the brand’s original studio and a tribute to its new workshop that was destroyed by the flooding from Hurricane Helene; 5 percent of sales go to grassroots organizations in the region helping with hurricane-relief efforts.
You know Kule for its stripes. These stripes are part of the 1973 collection, named after the year of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade ruling. Of every 1973 purchase, 30 percent goes to Planned Parenthood of Greater New York.
This Tracksmith tee made an appearance in a recent installment of our Strat Haul series — one of our resident runners, Jeremy Rellosa, got it for winter training. All the proceeds benefit the Tracksmith Foundation, which hosts meets (in places like Boston, London, New York, and Chicago) to give more people the opportunity to participate in track.
For NYC merch that’s not just for tourists, there’s the New York Public Library’s shop. A “Read Banned Books” T-shirt seems a fitting tribute to the place where New Yorkers get their free books. Even better: Every sale helps with the literary programs and book donations that Out of Print funds.
Block Shop’s limited-edition Tomato Robe was made in collaboration with Dan Pelosi of hot-dog party fame. The tomatoes are hand-screenprinted in Jaipur, and Block Shop puts 5 percent of its profits toward NGOs in India for health-care and education-related resources.
If you’ve listened to a podcast, you’ve probably heard a Bombas ad: For every pair of socks you buy, another pair is donated to someone in need. The company works with overnight shelters and rehabilitation centers so your Bombas order goes into a donation tally — including these supersoft sherpa slippers that I myself wouldn’t mind unwrapping on Christmas Day.
Agnès B. stores sell a red scarf throughout the year — wool in the winter and cotton in summer — a tradition since 1998. The proceeds from the fringe-trimmed foulard are donated to local organizations fighting against AIDS.
To charm a hard-to-please mother-in-law or surprise a mom who has everything, you might get a cashmere beanie that can be monogrammed (for an additional fee of $15). Make sure to mention that 100 percent of the profits are donated to the Children’s National Hospital.
The trucker hats from Amagansett’s Amber Waves are the newest status merch. You could give one to the cousin who thinks she’s the next Wishbone Kitchen. All the proceeds from the nonprofit farm support one of its programs, which include produce donations and an apprenticeship for farmers.
If you’re thinking of giving tinned fish, why not wrap the tin — of Cantabrian anchovies in olive oil, tuna-stuffed Piquillo peppers, or tuna belly in yuzu koshō — in Siesta Co.’s mermaid-patterned bandanna? Siesta Co. donates 20 percent of the sales from each bandanna to the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
Get someone whose underwear is made of seaweed or who just got their first compost bin Keep Nature Wild’s sustainability-minded fanny pack. Every purchase helps the company coordinate litter-cleanup days. Strategist technology writer Jordan McMahon says his can hold a Kindle and Fujifilm, when it’s not overstuffed.
If they already have a full Boat and Tote, they could be in need of another carry-all. This tote is made from a waterproof and tear-resistant vinyl. You can get it monogrammed for an extra $15 (add on a matching toiletries case while you’re at it). Mark & Graham includes a 15 percent giveback with your purchase, supplying up to 100 meals for No Kid Hungry.
Among Marlow Goods’ leather goods is this magnolia-blossom key fob that comes in colors of sunflower, oxblood, burnt orange, and tobacco. All the profits go to Brooklyn’s Pure Legacee Inc., helping those who are aging out of foster care and facing homelessness.
A splurge for a good cause: 30 percent of the necklace’s purchase price is donated to Every Mother Counts, an organization working for equitable maternity care (Clare V. has a long-standing partnership with EMC). The heart is engraved with a play on France’s official motto of “Liberté, égalité, fraternité.”
As seen in an Instagram carousel from the Cut’s editor-in-chief Lindsay Peoples, this diamond-encrusted folding chair is inspired by Shirley Chisholm’s famous words, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” (A “genius” lightbulb and “hammer home” are part of Pavé the Way’s “empowerment tools” collection too.) And 100 percent of the profits will be sent to the charity of your choice — you can write one in a text box at checkout.
Beauty and Wellness
Caswell-Massey is older than the United States of America (it began as an apothecary in 1752). If you’re going to buy only one thing from the company, it should be a bespoke soap. Or, for our purposes, a set of three triple-milled soaps with the essences of flowers found in the New York Botanical Garden: peony, orchid, and rose. It supports the garden’s research, conservation, horticulture, and education efforts.
Violets Are Blue’s lotion is formulated with nourishing argan oil, hydrating avocado oil, and calming lavender oil for smoother-looking skin. And 10 percent of everything in its entire skin-care line is donated toward gift packages for cancer patients at Mount Sinai’s Dubin Breast Center.
J.Hannah’s nail polishes are meant for the “color-resistant,” with shade names like “marzipan” (to channel a sponge cake) and “artichoke” (a “hearty green”). But it’s the “dune” hue (a “windblown sand”) that does some good — all profits from its sale are donated to an ever-evolving list of human-rights organizations — right now, the recipient is the L.A.’s Downtown Women’s Center, helping women who are experiencing homelessness.
The biggest name in the brush business is Mason Pearson. The best thing I’ve ever done for my hair is getting its delightfully pink “child” boar-bristled hairbrush. It happens to be also available on Olivela, where 20 percent of proceeds from every purchase goes to causes like girls’ education, climate change, and health services (you can find all of its partners here).
Strategist writer Kitty Guo describes Public Spirit’s hand soaps as “in the lineage of Aēsop.” It has notes of cardamom, violet, and sandalwood, with the formula featuring ingredients like jojoba oil and vitamin E. The company bills itself as a brand of “personal care with purpose,” giving 10 percent of its profits to nonprofits, including Mercy Housing for low-income families and ScholarMatch for underprivileged students.
As our friends at the Cut recount, Dieux’s reusable Forever Eye Mask catapulted it into fame (and launched many an Instagram selfie). You can put on a patch to help the serums and creams in your skin-care routine melt under your eyes. Now, there’s a limited-edition Eye Mask with the slogan “promote homosexuality.” It’s a collaboration with designer Willie Norris, and 100 percent of proceeds are going to G.L.I.T.S. Inc., which provides crisis support for transgender sex workers.
Home Goods
Marianna Fierro’s illustrations reference traditional Italian ingredients, like deli-counter classic mortadella. Fittingly, for every online order, Fierro makes ten meal donations to local kids in need. The whole shop’s worth poking around (see her spaghetti crewneck, negroni stickers, and garlic magnet) — but I especially like these cannoli plates.
Pottery Barn is donating 25 percent of the purchase price of the preppiest teddy bear you’ve ever seen to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital …
… and West Elm is donating 12 percent of the purchase price of this skier-themed glassware (the frosted glass resembles snow-capped mountains) to St. Jude as well.
The devoted Indicator listener needs a mug with Planet Money’s martini-ed squirrel. Every purchase made on NPR’s online shop supports the broadcaster’s programming.
For the spoiled pup’s kibbles, fetch this dog bowl from ceramicist Helen Levi’s collection for Kismet. It’s dishwasher- and microwave-safe, plus it benefits Project Street Vet and Paws for Life.
The easy maintenance of reBoard from Material Kitchen makes it a great cutting board for the home cook. It’s what food stylist Judy Kim slices produce on for shoots (the texture doesn’t make you feel like your knife is slipping when you’re chopping away). Half the profits from the beige version of the reBoard, called “To Pó Pó With Love,” will go to Heart of Dinner.
Alight donates 10 percent of the proceeds from its essential-oil-scented incense sticks — with scents like blood orange, palo santo, gingergrass, and bergamot — to a rotating roster of causes (LGBTQIA+ rights, criminal justice reform, and migrant and refugee rights among them).
Philadelphia Printworks fundraises quarterly donations to groups like the Gender Liberation Movement and National Network of Abortion Funds, and all its collaborations are done with grassroots organizations. Artist Milo Parker’s “no justice no peace” rug helps support marginalized creatives.
Parks Project’s mission centers on preserving public lands, with sales funding projects across the country’s national parks. The site is chock-full of things for outdoorsy types, including this brass French press that’s illustrated with a folksy scene you’d see at Yosemite or the Grand Canyon.
Miscellaneous
Our sister site Vulture described Lily Anolik’s double biography as “an account of a dispute between highly creative frenemies where the wounds festered for years and no one ever worked it out on the remix.” It sounds promising for the Babitz apologist who has a dog-eared copy of Hollywood’s Eve. You could consider buying the book from Bookshop — you can choose to support an independent bookstore through your purchase or send your dollars to a “profit pool” that’s shared by over 1,000 bookstores.
It’s a build-your-own-tiara for the budding princess. Super Smalls will donate one kit to Mia’s Miracles, which provides programs for frontline workers and financial grants for families, for every kit sold.
You can get the delicacies from New York City’s oldest delicatessen — slices of pastrami and corned beef, matzo-ball soup, potato latkes — delivered to the homesick native Manhattanite. Katz’s is donating a portion of its proceeds to Toys for Tots.
Or for something sweet, here’s a sampler’s box of 12 Georgetown Cupcakes — including flavors like peanut butter fudge, salted caramel, and pumpkin cheesecake. And Williams-Sonoma is promising 30 percent of its retail price to Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign.
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
