I have mixed feelings about Christmas. I love the lights, trees, decorations and the warm, festive atmosphere—but I’m troubled by the rampant consumerism that often overshadows the season’s true meaning.
Celebrating Christ’s birth by overspending on gifts for people who already have everything feels hollow to me. To reconcile the tradition of gift-giving with the season’s spirit, I try to buy items that actually help someone in need.
I’ll still eat the cookies and enjoy the parties, but when I spend on gifts, I prefer purchases that support charitable programs. If your holiday purchases can also meet real needs, the exchange feels more like generosity and less like obligation.
Below I’ve collected companies and organizations that channel a significant portion of sales into charitable work. If you’re planning gifts this year, consider choosing items that give back—your purchases can make a meaningful difference.
Finding Christmas Gifts That Give
Toms – Known for their one-for-one model, Toms donates shoes with many purchases. They also support maternal and newborn health initiatives, so buying a bag or accessory can help provide safer births for mothers and babies in need.
The Mercy House – A smaller nonprofit that sells handmade jewelry, bags and accessories produced by women around the world. Purchases support artisans and fund programs that empower vulnerable women and families.
Love Your Melon – Each hat sold is donated to a child battling cancer. A simple, cozy accessory becomes a tangible way to offer comfort and encouragement to families facing a difficult season.
Overflow Bottles – Durable bottles that fund clean water projects. Each purchase contributes to providing long-term access to safe water, making these small gifts high-impact stocking stuffers.
GoodSpread – More than tasty peanut butter, GoodSpread donates therapeutic food packets (RUTF) for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition. A few servings of RUTF can restore health in weeks, so every jar purchased has a measurable lifesaving impact.
Roma Boots – For every pair sold, Roma donates a new pair to a child in need. Practical and meaningful, children’s shoes are a basic necessity that can make a big difference in health and mobility.
Panda – Bamboo-framed sunglasses that support eye care. Each purchase helps fund eye exams and prescription glasses for people who otherwise lack access to vision services.
Baby Teresa – Offers organic baby clothing and accessories. For each outfit sold, another is donated to a child in need; accessory sales help fund formula donations to babies in orphanages across multiple countries.
Twice As Warm – Each purchase provides a new clothing item to someone in need. With colder months approaching, donating warm clothing is a direct and practical way to help vulnerable people stay safe and healthy.
Hand in Hand – By tying charitable donations to everyday purchases, Hand in Hand donates a bar of soap and provides a month of clean water for each bar sold, offering a sustainable way to improve hygiene and health in vulnerable communities.
Out of Print Clothing – Ideal for book lovers, this brand turns classic and out-of-print book covers into apparel. For every item sold, they donate a book to a community in need through Books For Africa.
The Company Store – Many bedding and home companies now tie sales to charitable programs; for example, some brands donate a comforter to a homeless child in the U.S. with each comforter purchased. Choosing such options helps provide warmth and dignity to families in need.
This list is a starting point—there are many businesses and nonprofits that turn ordinary purchases into acts of charity. When you shop this season, consider gifts that support causes aligned with your values. Small changes in where you spend can make your holidays more meaningful and help others experience the joy of the season.