Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Gifts That Really Give, Part II

Last time I told you about a few unsual gift sites where I am sure you found some really cool stuff. This time I'm focusing on sites where a portion or all of the proceeds from your purchases go to charitable organizations. You get nice gifts, along with the added gift of giving to others while you're at it!

LUSH
I like their style. Breezy, fun site with quality, eco-friendly cosmetic products. Soaps, scents and lotions that are 100% natural, never tested on animals, minimal packaging, and fresh-made by hand. Cool, huh? Plus, if you buy the Charity Pot Body Lotion, 100% of the proceeds go to charity (and they list the charities they give to on the site).

What's Your Bag?
At whatsurbag they sell flashy, flexible, fun shopping bags so you can avoid the old "paper or plastic" dilemma. They come in a candy-store array of colors and patterns. They are not just fashionable; they're made by Hurricane Katrina survivors in a rebuilt factory in New Orleans and 5% of the profits go to a New Orleans charity.

Museum Shop
The Greater Good Network operates a host of "click to give" sites, where your clicks are funded by sponsors who donate to the organizations, such as The Rainforest Site, The Literacy Site, and The Animal Rescue Site. Now they also opeate Museum Shop, a neat outlet for great goods. You get a nice selection of pretty gifts, and each order feeds a family of four and also garners a donated book to the literacy campaign. Plus, shipping is only 1 penny.

The Smithsonian Store
I love the Smithsonian. It's one of our true treasure troves, the ultimate repository of art, artifacts, history and culture, and the largest museum in the world. The 19 museums and National Zoo that comprise the Institution were established for "the increase and diffusion of knowledge".

The gifts in the store reflect the vast variety of the collections in the museums...rare finds, unique and inspired gifts. And 100% of the profits go right back to the Smithsonian, making it a wonderful spot to shop.

Global Exchange Store
A Fair Trade online outlet where you can purchase coffees, teas, chocolates, jewelry, and more...and where the artisans who make them get a fair and decent profit from their labors while engaging in environmentally sustainable practices. You get nice things, while knowing you're not exploiting sweat-shop laborers in a far-away land to get them. Original Good is a similar store with cute housewares.

Shopping on sites like these help put the "merry" in Merry Christmas, and just let you feel good about your purchases.

2 comments:

Karen said...

I love LUSH! These are all such great suggestions.

Valerie said...

Hi KC - They have great stuff, I agree. Glad you like the list.

I should add that I do not receive any kind of commission or kick-backs for these listings. They're just sites and gifts that I personally like.