20 Holiday Gifts That Give Back
Updated: Nov. 21, 2023
Make holiday shopping more meaningful this season with these Canadian gifts that give a portion or all of their proceeds to charities and communities in need.
Baba Tree’s Bicycle Baskets
Crafted in Ghana using locally sourced straw, Baba Tree’s fair-trade bicycle baskets are perfect for daily errands and leisurely picnics, offering both durability and artistry. A portion of the proceeds from each basket goes towards helping marginalized communities //WHERE?//.
$126, goodeeworld.com
Dispatch’s Coffee
Make your loved one’s daily cup of joe more meaningful with beans from Canadian craft coffee company Dispatch. It sources its products from small-scale farmers and women-driven businesses in 13 countries around the world and donates $0.01/LB of imported coffee to World Coffee Research, an organization dedicated to supporting the livelihoods of coffee growers.
Prices vary based on coffee order, dispatchcoffee.ca
Medicines to Help Us by Christi Belcourt
Based on Métis artist Christi Belcourt’s painting “Medicines to Help Us,” this book honours the centuries-old healing traditions of Métis women through twenty-seven gallery-quality prints. Each image fuses Belcourt’s artwork with Indigenous Traditional Knowledge and Western Science //WHAT DOES THIS MEAN (HARD TO PICTURE) AND WHY IS IT CAPITALIZED?// and all of the profits will be donated to The Native Women’s Resource Centre of Toronto.
Cuddle + Kind Baby Animals
These soft, squishy, adorable dolls are made using 100 percent cotton yarn and are ethically handcrafted in Peru and Nepal. Plus, with every sale, five meals are provided to kids in need.
$44, cuddleandkind.com
Purdys Chocolatier’s Dear Santa Bar
This decadent milk chocolate bar is sprinkled with crunchy, salted butter toffee bits. Adding to its sweetness: $2 from every bar sold is donated to a partnering Children’s Hospital Foundation. Purdys has contributed over $700,000 to seven Canadian children’s hospital partners since 2019.
$5, purdys.com
LOHN Together Candle
We love this candle’s notes of pink grapefruit, palmarosa, cedarwood, patchouli, and basil, but what makes it even more enticing to give? Fifty percent of the proceeds go toward supporting Rethink Breast Cancer.
$46, shoplohn.com
A Salt and Seasoning Set From Kanel
This set of seasonings features five versatile flavours: Porcini Umami Rub, Organic Sunday Roast, Hawaiian Ono Poké, Stockholm Lemon & Dill, and Organic Taquería Blend. Five dollars from each purchase of this set is donated to La Tablée des Chefs, an organization dedicated to fighting food insecurity and providing culinary education to young people.
$55, kanel.com
Sahajan Lip Karma
Sahajan’s Lip Karma is makeup bag must-have. It’s made with a nourishing blend of castor, grapeseed and argan oils that deeply hydrate lips and give them a beautiful shine. Plus, each sale of Lip Karma supports Plan International’s Because I Am A Girl initiative.
$22, sahajan.com
Fable Base Dinner Set
Elevate their dining experience with Fable, a Canadian company that produces beautiful, sustainable serveware. The Fable Base Dinnerware Set is available in nine colours and features a collection of 16 dishwasher-safe pieces, including dinner plates, salad plates, pasta bowls, and breakfast bowls. For every bundle sold in North America, Fable donates a meal to a youth in need through MealShare.
$299, fable.com
Ten and Co Swedish Dish Cloths
If you’re looking for a sustainable and practical gift for your loved ones, a Swedish sponge cloth from Canadian brand Ten and Co is a thoughtful choice. One sponge cloth replaces over 40 rolls of traditional paper towels and lasts from six to twelve months. Three dollars from each purchase of the Full Circle Sponge Cloth goes towards the Black Creek Community Farm’s mission to educate and empower diverse communities through sustainable food practices.
$7, tenandco.ca
WWF Wildlife Sock Bundle
Featuring a choice of three charming nature-inspired designs, these socks will be a particularly great gift for the animal lover on your list. Bonus: all proceeds go toward the preservation and protection of animals and their habitats.
$45, shop.wwf.ca
Milk Jar Diffuser
Give the gift of a spa-like ambiance at home with a diffuser with notes of vanilla, tobacco, cedar, and sea salt. One dollar from every purchase goes towards non-profits creating inclusive spaces and safe workplaces across Canada.
$41, milkjar.ca
Comeback Snack Popcorn
Hamilton-based Comeback Snacks makes craveable flavoured popcorn while also supporting ex-convicts seeking a fresh start. Aside from hiring people with criminal records, Comeback Snacks also partners with like-minded organizations through fundraisers and popcorn donations. Some of their partners include the Yonge St. Mission, the Elizabeth Fry Society, and the SPCA.
The Canadian Courage Projects Tote Bag
This reusable bag doesn’t just look good, it does good. The Canadian Courage Project partnered with local designers to create cute, locally-made bags perfect for eco-friendly grocery hauls. For every bag purchased, they provide a tote filled with essentials to youth (and their pets) experiencing homelessness.
Mala the Brand Mistletoe Scented Candle
Based in Vancouver, B.C., Mala the Brand plants a tree for every single candle bought, no matter the scent. We suggest the holiday-themed Mistletoe, with notes of pine, berries, cinnamon and cloves, which is sure to get you (or whomever you’re gifting to) into the holiday spirit.
$30, malathebrand.com
Good For Sunday Save The Ocean Bamboo Crewneck
Made from sustainable bamboo, this cozy crewneck sweater from Canadian company Good for Sunday is screen printed with a conservation missive. Five dollars from every purchase of a Save The Ocean product is donated to Sea Shepherd, an organization that protects and conserves the world’s oceans and marine ecosystems.
$84, goodforsunday.com
Fancy Face “Give Love” Lipstick
This red lipstick from Canadian cosmetics brand Fancy Face is the perfect shade (a blue-red) and boasts a velvety matte finish that won’t smudge. Plus, for every “Give Love” lipstick sold, Fancy Face will donate one bag full of everyday essentials for a woman in need, through the charity Hope Totes.
$38, fancy faceshop.ca
24 Good Deeds Charity Advent Calendar
This stylish advent calendar represents donations to 24 Canadian charities. Some of the charities this year include Alzheimer Society of Alberta and NWT, Anishnawbe Health Foundation and Women In Need Society (WINS). For a more waste-conscious gift, opt for its virtual version.
$24 or more, 24gooddeeds.ca
Tentree Sasquatch Hat
Made with Tencel, an eco-friendly plant fibre, this cute Canadian-designed cap is the perfect gift for the tree-lover in your life. Tentree plants 10 trees for every purchase made.
$45, tentree.ca
Obakki Scarves
These stylish scarves from Vancouver-based company Obakki come in a variety of colours and patterns, and 100 percent of the net proceeds go towards drilling wells in Africa, providing clean water to communities in need.
$89, obakki.com
Newsletter Unit
