9 "Give Back" Brands to Consider this Holiday Season

​1. TivaWater

Ok- so maybe we are a little bias on this one. But hey, can you blame us? Besides, this is the perfect gift for the person who has it all or would rather use their Christmas to help others in need. $100 gives a filter to a family in need and provides them with clean water for at least 5 years! Donate a filter in someone's honor and we will send them (or you to give to them yourself) a donation card, photo and bio of the family and GPS location of the filter on Google Maps. Ready to send a filter? Click here!

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2. Sudara

These gorgeous pajama pants, AKA Punjammies, are handcrafted by women in India. Sudara helps women out of the sex-trade by providing them with a career. In addition to the business, they have a non-profit side that helps care for the entire family. You can buy some super cute pajama pants and learn more about their work at www.sudara.org. 

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3. FASHIONABLE

This company partners with other companies in Africa and holds them to fair business practices and employment. Their beautiful leather bags and accessories are made in Ethiopia. They recently added a “local” component by employing 5 women in Nashville, TN who have overcome various challenges in their lives. Learn more and make your purchase here.

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4. Homeboy Foods

​Do you send cookies, cake, pies and other tasty treats to clients and friends during the holidays? Then check out Homeboy Foods. This LA based company works with former gang members and incarcerated men and women by providing employment, education, case management, legal services, tattoo removal, mental health, substance abuse and domestic violence support. If you’re looking to buy some delicious baked goods then consider ordering from Homeboy Foods. 

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5. Bloom and Give

Buy one of Bloom and Give's stunning handmade scarves or handbags and 50% of your purchase will go to Educate Girls, a revolutionary program in India whose volunteers champion girls education from the ground level. They do this by working with families to enroll their daughters in school, promoting gender equality, working with the government to use underutilized resources, offering parent workshops, teacher training, community mobilization through village meetings. Make your purchase at www.bloomandgive.com and learn more about Educate Girls at www.educategirls.in

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6. Krochet Kids International

Krochet Kids International works with women in Peru and Uganda to provide jobs, training and mentorship to empower them to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. KKi produces high quality, fashionable women’s, men’s and children’s clothing, headwear, bags and accessories. All their products are made by the women they partner with in Peru and Uganda. www.krochetkids.org.

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7. The Root Collective

Someone makes everything you wear. Many times in the fashion industry, employees are subject to dangerous working conditions with unfair pay. The Root Collective is different- they are committed to treating their artisans with respect and dignity. These unique, high-quality shoes are handcrafted in Guatemala. Go to their website and you'll meet Otto and Anna, the team leaders who made these shoes. Otto’s goal is to employ former gang members in Guatemala who have trouble finding work elsewhere. Anna went to school but was unable to find work, so she and the other women in her village have kept the traditional art of backstrap weaving alive to produce these stunning detailed shoe designs.  www.therootcollective.com 

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8. Mitscoots

Made in the USA, Mitscoots manufactures high quality socks, scarves, t-shirts, beanies and gloves.  For every purchase, Mitscoots sends the same piece to someone suffering from homelessness on your behalf. The founders discovered that after food and water, the greatest physical need requested by those experiencing homelessness were things to keep warm. Mitscoots also provides work opportunities by employing the transitioning homeless to package all their products. www.mitscoots.com  

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9. Akola Project

Fashionable, handcrafted jewelry. These stunning pieces, some currently featured in Neiman Marcus, provide jobs, training and opportunity to women in Uganda and Texas. Akola trains women in Uganda to hand-roll paper beads and hand-carve Ankole cow horn.  Women in both Uganda and Texas are paid a living wage to hand-assemble the jewelry. Akola’s distribution center runs as a second chance job program for women in Dallas who have criminal records, giving them a chance to enter the mainstream workforce. 
www.akolaproject.org