7 Gifts that Give Back

While walking from booth to booth at NY NOW, one thing was clear: Gifts with a charitable element remain an important category for consumers and manufacturers. For us, these gifts were easy to spot, with excellent signage, calling out the groups they benefit. These seven gifts will leave the consumer and retailer feel like they are making a difference.

1. Chavez for Charity

Colorful, beaded bracelets are easy for retailers to love. They make great add-on gifts, and often consumers will buy several at once to stack or collect a variety of colors for different looks. Chavez for Charity bracelets are even easier to love, as a portion of the proceeds go to charitable organizations, including The Hunger Project, The Matthew Shepard Foundation, International Rescue Committee and more.

2. Denik

In recent years, stationery products have almost become a new medium of self-expression. Cards, planners and notebooks often feature designs or phrases than demand to be picked up. Notebooks from Denik are as attractive as they are charitable, as a portion of every product goes to building schools worldwide and supporting artists.

3. Duke Cannon

The unapologetically masculine bath and body company Duke Cannon is well known for supporting veteran causes. They currently donate a portion of their proceeds to organizations, including Honor Flight Network, Military Working Dog Team Support Association, K9s for Warriors and the Wounded Warrior Amputee Football Team.

4. GooseWaddle

Cozy baby blankets are an easy gift for baby showers or meeting the new arrival. Luxury-quality, baby-blanket company GooseWaddle believes that all babies, regardless of income, deserve to be welcomed in comfort, which is why for every blanket purchased, one blanket is given to a baby in need.

5. Kikkerland

Kikkerland’s booth is always a delight to visit. They showcase so many fun gadgets that are bound to make you smile. Consumers are sure to smile, too, when they see that several of their products donate to a good cause. Two percent of sales of this large gorilla eraser, for example, goes to helping endangered species through the center for biological diversity.

6. MudLOVE

Fashion jewelry and coffee mugs are an easy seller in a gift store, and combined with charitable efforts, they are a no-brainer for retailers. MudLOVE, which started in 2009, is committed to supporting clean water projects in Africa. Through their partnership with Water for Good, every purchased product provides one week of clean water to someone in need.

7. Wanderer Bracelets

What started as one man’s adventure in Bali turned into a charitable gift company that employs a village of artisan carvers. Wanderer Bracelets created a reliable source of income for a Balinese community, giving them the means for much-needed healthcare, education and nutrition for their families.