Gifts that Give

Today is Black Friday.  It's the greatest shopping day of the year...or something like that?  But, you will not find this mama waking up before the sun, or staying up past midnight to shop.  Not that there's anything wrong with that, I've done it before, but it just ain't my cup 'o tea.  Standing in line in my pajamas with eyes that are burning from lack of sleep only to save $10 on a dvd player that I don't really need just doesn't do it for me.  (Run-on sentence anyone?!)  I'd rather stay in bed with my $10 watching a movie that's skipping b/c my dvd player is clunking sounds a lot better to me!  (Wow, I sound like a party-pooper!  Motherhood has made me realize how precious sleep is!)  However, some people are shopping pros, and really do save a ton of $.  In fact, my sister-in-law goes every year, gets all of her holiday shopping done, and saves a bundle.  It sounds awesome in theory, but like I said, it just ain't my cup 'o tea!

So, as I sit at home on this Friday of Fridays, I've been thinking about what gifts to buy my loved ones.  And, ever since we re-focused our business, Sunnyside Arts, to be more charitable, I can't stop thinking about charitable gifts....or Gifts that Give.  For example (I've gotta promote the biz...) if you buy a tshirt from Sunnyside Arts, you will also be making a donation to a charity.  (More shirts will be added this week)  There must be other businesses out there that are doing the same thing, so I started looking (and I'll keep looking) but, here's what I've found so far.  Consider these charitable gifts this year...

Tide "Loads of Hope" T-shirt - $20
"$4 from the sale of each tee goes toward helping families affected by disaster" 

Obey is an awesome company that supports various causes.  "We launched OBEY AWARENESS to educate the posse and generate funding for causes that we are involved in. OBEY AWARENESS is unique in that it will constantly evolve to support emerging, important issues. All profits generated from the sale of the Obey product completely support these causes."  Their current causes include Breast Cancer, Japan Relief, & Feeding America.  Below are 2 of my fave items, although I would wear all of their apparel!  I LOVE it!  They also sell Obey clothing in Zumiez stores.

FEED is another great cause.  "FEED Projects' mission is to create good products that help FEED the world. We do this through the sale of FEED bags, bears, t-shirts, and other accessories by building a set donation into the cost of each product. Thus the impact of each product, signified by a stenciled number, is understandable, tangible, and meaningful."  Here are a couple cute things you can find in their online shop:

 


At Whatever It Takes, you can find bags, artwork, wristbands from celebrities such as Dave Grohl, Franz Ferdinand, Heidi Klum, & Stella McCartney to name a few.  Whatever It Takes is a "unique artwork campaign.  We are proud to introduce you to the Whatever It Takes collection, featuring ‘symbols of hope for the 21st Century’ drawn by leaders in the worlds of fashion, film, television, music and sport.
The signed artwork donated by each Leader is his or her original work, and has been donated for the exclusive use of the Whatever It Takes campaign which has so far raised over $4,000,000 for charitable projects worldwide.  Whatever It Takes supports 21st Century Leaders Foundation in its work for key global development causes including poverty alleviation, environmental conservation and the protection of children."  Visit their on-line store and start shopping!  These are going on my wishlist: 

Then, there's the ever popular, One campaign.  "ONE is a grassroots advocacy and campaigning organization that fights extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa, by raising public awareness and pressuring political leaders to support smart and effective policies and programs that are saving lives, helping to put kids in school and improving futures."  They also have some cool items for sale here:

And, another one you are probably familiar with is Red.  Their mission is "designed to help eliminate AIDS".  A couple of my fave products are this GAP tee and Converse shoes:

Of course, if you are looking for a unique gift, and want to help out the little guy, buy from local artists.  One of my more recent favorites is Things With Wings.  They are "a family of artists who live in Iowa City, Iowa. We love to laugh, create, and have good times together.  Our work is full of hope, humor and whimsy and celebrates faith and family.  Our goal is to give glory to God by using positive and encouraging messages that not only speak truth into our own lives but others' as well."  I met them at an art fair in Cedar Falls, IA this summer and fell in love with their work.  Here are a few examples:  

One of the best places, as I'm sure you know, to buy handmade items is Etsy.  They even posted shops that are having Black Friday Sales this year.  Also, if you want to buy from an artist AND donate to a charity (the best of both worlds, right?!), just go to Etsy and type in "charity", "donate", or the name of the specific organization in the search box and see what comes up!  

By doing that, I found:

 Leather Cuff Bracelet.  "10% of the proceeds from the sale of this cuff go towards SURFER'S HEALING which is an organization that introduces children with autism and their families to surfing"

GIVE Donation Necklace "10% of the proceeds from this necklace will be donated to Make a Wish Foundation."

At SannyuGoods shop you can "Buy jewelry and accessories and empower women of Uganda. Proceeds go directly to the women's groups of Uganda, and profit goes to Nalusse Primary School's 2011 lunch program."  Here are some items for sale:

 

Ok, that's enough for now.  So, I didn't spend the day shopping in stores, but I guess I did my fair share of internet shopping (or browsing) today.  Hope this helps with your holiday shopping (if you aren't broke after Black Friday!!)  If you know of any other Gifts that Give, please share them below...and I will do the same!