Not to sound like an overly idealistic hippie, but there’s a way for you to double the power of your gifting this time of year. How? By buying items from brands that use the buy-one-give-one model of business that was popularized by TOMS Shoes. That is, for every pair of shoes you buy from them, TOMS will donate a pair to a shoeless kid in Africa. Or another place where children need shoes.
But businesses have gone way beyond sneakers these days. Many companies are now using the TOMS buy-one-give-one model to sell you everything from small items like toothbrushes and chewing gum (great stocking stuffers, by the way) to more expensive things like watches and sporting goods.
Check out RealClearLife‘s list below. For every item you buy from the following 16 companies, they’ll send the same item to a person in need somewhere in the world. Cool, right? Happy shopping … and giving.
One World Play Project
What They Sell: Indestructible soccer balls. Also: durable dog toys.
Comment: The musician Sting provided the initial funding for the project. Since 2008, they’ve distributed more than one million balls.
Bixbee
What They Sell: Backpacks, lunch boxes, and duffel bags. Mostly for kids.
Comment: They’ve got dozens of backpack styles, including animals, flyers, and zombie camo.
Bombas
What They Sell: Socks for men, women, and kids.
Comment: Their merino wool socks in marled charcoal (with honeycomb arch support) are a personal favorite.
Roma
What They Sell: Boots for women and children.
Comment: Want to try on your footwear before giving poverty the boot? Roma’s boots are sold at hundreds of retailers throughout the country.
Smile Squared
What They Sell: Toothbrushes, travel journals, and zippered pouches.
Comment: In addition to donating toothbrushes, they also help fund wish trips to children facing life-threatening medical conditions.
SoapBox
What They Sell: Bar soap, hand soap, body wash, and hair care products.
Comment: Started in 2010 by a college student, SoapBox has made more than one million donations.
Figs
What They Sell: Medical scrubs. But also casual clothing for men and women.
Comment: Their fleeces are quite handsome. And to date, they’ve donated nearly 100,000 sets of medical scrubs to developing countries.
BetterWorldBooks
What They Sell: New and used books.
Comment: They’ve raised more than $18 million for global literacy and local libraries. They’ve also diverted more than 73,000 tons of books from landfills.
State
What They Sell: Backpacks, tote bags, and accessories.
Comment: The backpacks are named after Brooklyn neighborhoods, so you know they’re hip.
Project 7
What They Sell: Chewing gum and gummies.
Comment: Sampler packs include 12 packs of gum, with flavors like red velvet cupcake, rainbow ice, and front porch lemonade. The added-up proceeds from the candy are used to fund a number of programs such as feeding the hungry and healing the sick.
Out of Print Clothing
What They Sell: Book-themed clothing, mugs, and tote bags.
Comment: Their hipster-friendly products would fit in just fine in Portland, Oregon. Slaughterhouse-Five T-shirt, anyone? (With the T’s proceeds, they fund literacy programs and book donations in underserved communities.)
Kutoa
What They Sell: Health bars.
Comment: Flavors include blueberry almond, chocolate banana, and peanut butter and jelly. Via their brand, the company spreads the gospel of healthy living and helps fund programs to feed children around the world.
WeWood
What They Sell: Wooden watches. And also glasses.
Comment: For every timepiece sold, they plant a tree. Since 2011, they’ve planted more than 420,000.
This Bar Saves Lives
What They Sell: Health bars.
Comment: The bars (in flavors like wild blueberry pistachio) are non-GMO, gluten-free, and fairly traded. Even bee-friendly. (Their mission is similar to Kutoa’s.)
Warby Parker
What They Sell: Eyeglasses and sunglasses.
Comment: They also have more than 40 brick-and-mortar stores around the country, which sell glasses, books, and other treats.
Twice As Warm
What They Sell: Hats, scarves, and gloves.
Comment: In addition to regular scarves, they also sell infinity scarves. Women seem to like those.
TOMS (a.k.a. the original)
What They Sell: Shoes, bags, sunglasses, apparel, and more.
Comment: TOMS Coffee sells insulated bottles that will keep your beverage warm for six hours. Also: cool T-shirts.
—Shawn Donnelly for RealClearLife
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