20 gifts that give back in 2020

Seven local artists designed these NYC-themed cards to show love for the city during what’s been a difficult year. Each pack purchased delivers a full box of nutritious food and special treats to an older New Yorker in need – just in time for the holidays.

Image: “Celebrate the City” card by John Segal

Not only are these soaps vegan, sustainable, and palm oil-free, but for every single product sold, Hand in Hand donates a bar of soap to children in the developing world to help prevent deadly water-related illness. Over 13 million bars have been donated to date.

Photo courtesy of Hand in Hand

This year, we’re all a little more tense than usual. If you know someone in your life is suffering from an achy back or swollen joints, this CBD-infused cube can help soothe their pain. It’s made with organic plant butters and oils (like cocoa, mango, aloe, and eucalyptus). Available at Uncommon Goods, the cube is handmade in San Diego by company Koa+Roy, who plant a tree with the help of the environmental non-profit One Tree Planted for every cube sold (they also use only 100% plastic-free packaging).

Bedding brand Parachute designed this sheet as an homage to their hometown of Venice. It’s light and airy and comes with a fitted sheet, a pillowcase set, and a duvet cover (there’s no top sheet “because that’s our favorite way to sleep,” says the company. For every Venice Set sold, Parachute donates a life-saving bed net to Nothing but Nets, a global campaign that raises malaria awareness and funds to help prevent it.

Photo courtesy of Parachute

For every item sold through fashion and home brand Benevolence LA, 10 percent of profits go to one of their five partner organizations. Their super popular Mexican blankets–which are perfect for the beach, yoga, or curling up on the couch–support the Water Mission, which builds sustainable clean water supply systems around the world.

Society6 was founded as a way to give emerging artists a platform to sell their work, which can be purchased as prints or on other items like cellphone cases, water bottles, throw pillows, wallpaper, and so much more. They’ve created a special collection of work by Black artists, which is great because, as always with the company, every purchase pays an artist.

Photo of “She’s Fast” poster by Indoor Cat Girl, courtesy of Society6

This Wifi-connected digital photo frame allows you to email your photos to it, so they appear in seconds. For every purchase made in November using the code FISHER, Skylight will donate $10 to the Fisher House Foundation, which builds comfort homes where military and veterans families can stay free of charge while a loved one is in the hospital.

Photo courtesy of Skylight Frame

The Phenomenal Woman Action Campaign was founded by Meena Harris (Kamala Harris’ niece) as an advocacy organization supporting communities of color and women, which is furthered through their merchandise. A best seller is the signature Phenomenal Woman t-shirt and sweatshirt, but other great gift ideas include a Justice for Breonna Taylor t-shirt for which all profits are donated to the Breonna Taylor Foundation and the Black Lives Matter collection.

Photo courtesy of Phenomenal Woman

Jimmy Fallon teamed up with Alex Mill to create a limited-edition holiday collection of “P’Jimmies,” COVID-era sleepwear designed to spend the whole day in. Available for men and women and a variety of striped patterns, 100 percent of proceeds from the collection go to Feeding America.

Photo courtesy of Alex Mill

“Buy beanies, fight cancer” is the motto of this apparel brand that gives a hat to every child battling cancer in America. Fifty percent of the net profits from the sale of all Love Your Melon products is given to nonprofit organizations around the world that lead the fight against pediatric cancer. Their pom beanie is definitely the best-seller, but they also make regular beanies, face masks, gloves, and more.

For every State bag purchased, the company supports American children and families in need. Giving initiatives include donating fully-packed backpacks at their signature bag drop rallies. Their collection includes backpacks for kids and adults, luggage, purses, and more.

Photo of the Kane Double Pocket Large coated canvas backpack courtesy of State

This LA-based company 3D prints their custom jewelry. 10% of proceeds from the Girl Power Collection benefit Saving Innocence, which works towards the rescue and care of human trafficking victims. Additionally, 10% of proceeds from the Love in Every Language Collection benefit the ACLU to support social justice and equality for all.

Photo courtesy of Capsul

This special trio of bouquets from flower-delivery service The Bouqs Co. is called United With Flowers. It was brought to life by the dynamic artist and florist Maurice Harris, founder of Los Angeles-based floral studio Bloom & Plume. One hundred percent of the net profits from this collection will be donated to Campaign Zero, supporting its mission to combat police brutality through data-informed policy solutions.

Photo of the Melissa Mellow bouquet, courtesy of The Bouqs Co.

Uncommon Goods is donating 100% of profits from sales of these designed-by-kids bags go to Americares’ COVID-19 response efforts in the US. The design was inspired by the rainbow drawings that children around NYC hung in their windows “to symbolize hope and solidarity during challenging pandemic times.” Also part of Uncommon Goods’ Rainbow Collection are facemask sets for adults and also for children.

Carroll Gardens nonprofit-restaurant Emma’s Torch serves as a culinary school for refugees, asylum seekers, and survivors of trafficking. Their Collab Box is made up of products from social enterprises “doing good.” It includes spiced nuts and Hawaij hot chocolate by Emma’s Torch, granola by Beautiful Day, coffee by Bean Voyage, a chocolate bar by Peace by Chocolate, dried fruits by Jali Fruit, hot cereal by SoulFul Project, and a tote bag by Emma’s Torch.

Photo courtesy of Emma’s Torch

This certified-Kosher spice blend–thyme, sumac, coriander, turmeric, Himalayan sea salt, cayenne pepper & cinnamon–donates 10% of its proceeds to the Masbia Soup Kitchen Network’s COVID-19 Relief Fund, which provides emergency food packages to New York residents in need. Plus, it’s wrapped in “beam me up, Scotty”-themed packaging that perfectly captures the… thymes.

Photo courtesy of Unprecedented Thyme/Fleishings

BLK & Bold is the first Black-owned coffee brand to be distributed nationally. The company donates 5% of its profits to nonprofit organizations that support at-risk youth.

This super-hip puzzle company makes the perfect pandemic-era gifts, and when you buy this ” two-martini lunch”-themed puzzle, Piecework will donate 10% of profits to the National Women’s Law Center (which fights for gender justice) for the rest of 2020.

Image courtesy of Piecework Puzzles

Nonprofit Sing for Hope partners with thousands of community-based organizations and artists to “bring hope, healing, and connection to millions of people in hospitals, care facilities, schools, refugee camps, transit hubs, and community spaces worldwide.” For the first time ever, they’ve created a holiday gift catalog that includes virtual experiences with your favorite artists, from makeup lesson with a Kinky Boots drag queen, personalized singing grams from a Broadway or opera star, a private Zoom with Tituss Burgess or Renée Fleming, or a dance class with a pro from Tina! The Tina Turner Musical.

Image courtesy of Sing for Hope