Looking for gifts that give back? Giving feels good – so good that we have devoted an entire holiday to it. But, as warm and fuzzy as it makes you feel when you find the perfect gift for everyone on your Christmas list, there is nothing quite as meaningful as finding a gift that gives back in an even bigger way.
So, we’ve put together a list of gifts that will not only be loved by whomever you are buying for, but will also provide vital resources, funding and help to those in need. Because, isn’t that what Christmas is all about?
1. Treat someone to a super goat
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Yep, you read that right. Oxfam Charity Gifts (opens in new tab) help fight poverty around the world by providing families with goats, pigs and chickens to help them get started. They also provide training to help people grow more crops, raise more animals and earn more income.
2. A life-saving ceramic whale
After the perfect gift for a foodie? Look no further than this adorable whale butter dish (opens in new tab). Bonus: any profits from products bought through the RNLI online shop (opens in new tab) go to the charity, and it has some supremely lovely homeware if you want to do some guilt-free Christmas shopping for yourself.
3. A very magical unicorn
Just another kid’s Christmas gift in the shape of a unicorn? No, we promise this one is different.
This crocheted unicorn (opens in new tab) is made by Pebble (opens in new tab), a company that strives to help women in India have a better life by offering them fairly paid, good quality and flexible employment.
4. A body lotion with a cause
This gorgeous smelling, super hydrating body lotion does wonders, and not just for your skin. With every purchase of Charity Pot (opens in new tab), Lush donates 100 per cent of the price to small, grassroots organisations so they continue with their awesome work.
Find more beauty gifts in our buying guide.
5. Shoes for shoes
The Toms (opens in new tab) ‘One for One’ scheme is probably as well known as its super stylish slip-ons. With every pair of shoes bought, the company not only donates a pair of shoes to a child in need, but helps provide water, eye care and safe birth services for communities all over the world.
6. A cruelty-free Christmas candle
Everyone loves a Christmas candle, and why not treat someone to a candle that also helps conserve all-important bees.
Beefayre (opens in new tab) is vegan friendly and Peta certified, plus it will donate three per cent of profits towards bee conservation and research, making it one of the best choices if you are after a cruelty-free candle.
7. An educational cuppa
Not only does it produce award-winning teas that taste fantastic, but Tea People (opens in new tab) is also a social enterprise that sends 50 per cent of its profits to education projects in tea-growing regions.
8. The soap that’s more than just a soap
Soap co. (opens in new tab) is a luxury skincare brand that is good and does good. All profits are reinvested into employing, training and supporting people with disabilities to build skills, confidence and independence.
One bottle of hand wash sold creates one hour of employment, with a bath or body oil creating two hours. Soap Co. currently employs more than 114 people across the country.
9. The coffee that’s helping the homeless
Change Please coffee (opens in new tab) doesn’t just taste great (it’s all ethically sourced using the highest quality beans to achieve the perfect flavour), but the company also reinvests all of its profits to help people out of homelessness.
Change Please also helps find jobs for homeless people by training them to be baristas.
10. A cook book that funds life-saving research
Looking for the perfect gift for a foodie? The Heartfelt healthy recipe book (opens in new tab) was written by Pippa Middleton in collaboration with The British Heart Foundation.
It includes hundreds of delicious recipe ideas for breakfasts, family meals, romantic dinners and parties as well as lots of advice for eating a more heart-friendly diet. Better still, 100 per cent of the profits go to the BHF to fund life-saving research.
11. A treat tin to help abandoned dogs
Buying a Christmas gift for a pet lover (opens in new tab)? This treat tin (opens in new tab) from the Dogs Trust doesn’t just look cute – by buying it you will be helping save the lives of thousands of stray and abandoned doggies.
12. A love giving T-shirt
Designed in collaboration with Katherine Hamnett (opens in new tab) (a super cool designer who is all about sustainable fashion) and the Help Refugees charity, these Choose Love T-shirts (opens in new tab) help raise funds and awareness for people caught up in the refugee crisis.
13. Gorgeous sustainable bedding
Not only is this bedding from Rise&Fall (opens in new tab) sustainable with no plastic packaging, but it will also donate £3 for every sale of a bedding set to Centrepoint, a charity that helps young homeless people.
And, on top of all that, its factory employees and their families have access to free education plus the factory runs on 100 per cent green energy. Get this on your Christmas list for a home lover in your life right now.
