Gifts that Give Back

bracelet/slippers/skirt/necklace/headphones

It isn’t really a new thing to give gifts at Christmas that have a deeper purpose than just to give something to your friends and family. These gifts support world wide initiatives to feed and clothe at risk groups. They maintain traditional arts and allow their craftsman to get paid a decent wage. They do so much good that the smile on your face from getting one of these gifts will be extra wide.

Click through to find out my 5 favourite places to shop for gifts that give back this Christmas.

Me to We – this Toronto based charity sells everything from clothing to accessories and books to support their Free the Children initiatives. Much like the other entities in this list the Me to We products are crafted by artisans in the Free the Children countries around the world. Find out more about the Me to We products here.

Ten Thousand Villages – This is the oldest Fair Trade provider on the list. Run by the Mennonite Central Committee Ten Thousand Villages has been around since I was a kid in the 1990’s (maybe longer!). I remember shopping here with my mom to find interesting, worldly gifts each Christmas. Products sold at Ten Thousand Villages come from 29 different countries in the developing world. Find out more about Ten Thousand Villages here.

Indego Africa – Another part of the Fair Trade Federation, Indego Africa partners with women artisans in Rwanda. Indego stands for INdependence, DEvelopment & GOvernance. I first caught notice of Indego Africa with their collaboration with JCREW but they have so many fun, modern, edgy items. This is a non-profit (as are the others) and profits are reinvested in training programs within the communities they are active. Find out more about Indego Africa here.

31 Bits – Started by a bunch of girls on the verge of graduating college and the women of Uganda who inspired them to take an nontraditional route post-grad, 31 Bits is more than just jewellery. It is a way of investing in a community of women. Helping them get educated. Have health care and a career. Find out more about 31 bits here.

Toms Marketplace – Everyone knows about Tom’s one for one program. They do it for shoes, glasses. Now there is Tom’s Marketplace which shares companies with the same social responsibility on their website. In fact 31 Bits is also part of this marketplace as is JadeTribe, LSTN, and Cleobella.

There is a wide diversity through the Tom’s Marketplace (much like Ten Thousand Villages) which includes stuff for the home, tech in addition to jewellery and bags. Of course you can always give a pair of Tom’s shoes or glasses and give back that way too!

This is my list, share your favourite ways to shop and give back at Christmas below in the comments.