Gifts That Keep On Giving: Brands with Buy One, Donate One Programs

Photo-Illustration: Ellen Digital Ventures; Photos: Retailers

This post is produced by our editorial team in partnership with TisBest.org

by FRANCESCA NUNEZ HOBSON

‘Tis better to give than to receive, as the saying goes. And ‘tis best when the gift you’re giving has the power to make an incredible, real-life impact on someone in need.

As you work on your holiday gift list this year, consider shopping with brands that you (and your recipient!) can feel good about. One of the simplest ways to add the giving spirit to your selections is to choose companies that pledge a percentage of their profits to philanthropic efforts or offer one-for-one “Buy One, Donate One” programs.

You’re probably already familiar with TOMS and Bombas. We’re happy to report that the list of brands making an effort to make a difference just keeps growing. Here are some of our favorite companies that you may not have heard of — yet.

Sackcloth & Ashes

Founder Bob Dalton was inspired to help the homeless population. When he called his local shelters to ask what they needed most, the answer was unanimous: blankets. Sackcloth & Ashes was created to help provide that simple necessity, and they donate a blanket to local homeless shelters for every blanket purchased.

Sackcloth & Ashes blankets are ethically made and produced in Oregon, using 100% recycled materials, like wool and cotton, making them super soft and super durable. We love the variety of colorways and patterns, from look-at-me bright to minimalist-demure.

Add some warmth to your cart and shop the entire collection at sackclothandashes.com

Love Your Melon

Share that warm and fuzzy feeling with your loved ones and shop at Love Your Melon, an apparel brand dedicated to giving a hat to every child battling cancer. 50% of Love Your Melon’s net profits are given to nonprofit organizations around the world to lead the fight against pediatric cancer — and they’ve contributed more than 8 million dollars to date!

Love Your Melon products include beanies, headbands, and yes, even face masks, all designed to be comfortable and fashionable for everyone, from the children they’re helping to the customers that are joining them in this important mission. The array of colors and patterns is beautiful, and even includes official partnerships with fan favorites like Paw Patrol, Disney, Spongebob, and Star Wars to delight the kids in your life.

Explore all the colors and collabs loveyourmelon.com

STATE Bags

STATE’s got everything you need for life on the go: totes, diaper bags, fanny packs, travel pouches, and even luggage. The totes and bags are incredibly chic and built to last, while the backpacks for kids with their vibrant colors are almost too cool for school. We’re loving this puffer-style nylon water bottle sling to help us stay hydrated while keeping our hands free.

When you purchase one of STATE’s beautifully-made bags, the company hand-delivers a backpack brimming with essentials to an American child in need. Their program has expanded to include larger-scale bag drop rallies and special projects with partner charities and schools.

Shop STATE’s gorgeous goods here at statebags.com

Yoobi

Yoobi’s colorful school supplies, storage containers, and craft materials are guaranteed to inspire the kid in your life — and your inner child too. (We want this stand-up panda pencil case for ourselves, tbh.) Who could resist such bright colors, playful patterns, and glorious amounts of glitter? Unicorns? Check. Marvel Universe? Double check.

Yoobi believes that all children deserve an equal shot at learning and exploring their creativity. The reality is that millions of kids across the nation are in schools without the adequate funding needed to provide essential supplies, and many teachers step in to help cover the costs for their students’ materials with their own money.

Yoobi’s mission is to lessen the burden on teachers and school districts: for every Yoobi item purchased, the brand donates a school supply item to a child in need, right here in the U.S. Even better, they’ve identified which items teachers are most likely to buy for their classrooms out of their own pockets, then developed a line of special Yoobi school supplies to create a Yoobi classroom pack, ready to donate and deliver to schools across the nation.

Shop Yoobi products at your local Kohl’s or Target, or take advantage of their online shop with free shipping at yoobi.com

Headbands of Hope

Headbands of Hope believes that colorful, comfortable, unique accessories, like hats, headbands, and scrunchies, are a great way to restore confidence in kids during hospital treatment. For every item sold, a headband or hat is donated to a child with an illness. Headbands of Hope also take regular nominations from their digital fans for childhood illness charities to be a beneficiary of “headBAND Together” weeks, when the company donates 10% of sales to their community’s chosen organization.

If you’re looking for a soft and stretchy headband for workouts, they’ve got you covered! Check out fashion-forward, traditional headbands fit for a duchess, and don’t skip over their colorful scrunchies, either. Brace yourself for cooler temps with cozy beanies (we’re obsessed with this metallic gold and black pom-pom style right here) and make any day feel like casual Friday when you toss on one of their cute baseball caps.

Shop all Headbands of Hope right here at headbandsofhope.com

Roma Boots

Roma’s mission is simple: let’s give poverty the boot! For every pair of rain boots purchased, a pair of rain boots are given to a child in need. Why rain boots, you ask?

Rain boots are critical in cold and wet climates, but this flexible footwear’s also suitable for dry climates too. When children go without proper footwear, their feet are exposed to more than just rough weather. A bare foot is vulnerable to cuts, insect bites, infections, and even parasites. Roma’s multipurpose rain boots provide important protection, keeping kids’ feet safe and dry so that they can walk (and run, and jump!) safely.

We love Roma’s incredible variety of boots, from colorful mid-calf styles to classic knee-high boots, and even trendy Chelsea-boot looks. Shop all of Roma’s quality boots for men, women, and kids at romaboots.com

Bold Dots

Bold Dots boasts on-trend, unisex sunglasses and optical frames that look like a million bucks but won’t actually break the bank. If you see something you like, don’t wait, act now! All Bold Dots designs are made in limited quantities and colorways to keep your find feeling unique.

Bold Dots is committed to helping elementary students and the elderly in small Indian villages with all aspects of vision treatment, from exams to corrective frames, supported by their one-for-one giveback program.

Look good, do good, feel good with Blue Dots at bold-dots.com

TisBest

Here’s the perfect gift for the person who already has everything: the ability to give something to someone who could use a little more. Check out TisBest.org where you can purchase charity gift cards that allow recipients to experience the power of giving by donating 100% of the card’s value to charities of their choice.

Recipients of TisBest charity gift cards can search from more than 1.5 million registered U.S. charities organized by category so the causes most important to them are easy to find, from Arts & Culture and Animals, to Education and the Environment and more. You can even customize each gift card with any image of your choice!