The holidays are a time of giving – show your appreciation, show your love and give gifts.
Why not give a gift that gives back this year?
Really, it's a simple, yet powerful change: spending your gift money consciously on items that are not only amazing, but also handmade, fair trade, and have a bigger impact.
My sister recently sent me a link to Mayan Hands and asked me what I wanted for Christmas on the site, and that sparked inspiration for this.
I loved that idea!
Not only do they have beautiful handcrafted products, but they are also made for a great cause.
I haven't always prioritized gift-giving in terms of impact… and yes, I've done a lot of last-minute shopping on Amazon, but now I'm motivated to be more conscious about my gift-giving and to thoroughly research and study my options…
I'm excited to share what I've learned with you all!
Giving ethical and sustainable gifts
Many of these nonprofits and cooperatives have also been significantly affected by the pandemic situation.
Now is the perfect time to step up and show your support, even if it's just a small thing like buying a gift that gives back to society.
My inspiration to curate a conscious gift guide started with Mayan Hands, so let's start there.
Mayan Hands is a small nonprofit organization focused on providing economic and educational opportunities to Mayan women and girls, empowering them to build a sustainable future for themselves, their families, and their communities.
They partner with over 200 women artisans in the Guatemalan highlands to source fair trade and handmade products to sell online and in a number of retail stores, and to support community programs, education, scholarship programs, and more.
Mayan Hands sells woven pine needle baskets, scarves, gorgeous bags, felt wool animals, colorful table linens, friendship bracelets, adorable ornaments, and more.
I love their products and everything they sell is really affordable! I've put one of their beautiful makeup pouches on my wishlist.
Adopting an Indigenous Elder
Adopt-A-Native-Elder is a wonderful organization that supports Diné (Navajo) elders with food, firewood, and other services.
This wonderful non-profit organization is a great way to help Navajo seniors in some small way.
As one Diné elder put it, “You bring me food so I can have another day of life.”
Another important way we can help is by supporting Elder Navajo weavers and artisans through purchasing their work.
Adopt-A-Native-Elder has a wonderful little shop that sells Navajo rugs, authentic Navajo jewelry, and handmade crafts.
Orenda Tribe is an Indigenous-owned lifestyle brand that creates and shares unique upcycled textiles, sustainably reimagined fashion, and art, crafts, and jewelry by Diné (Navajo) artists.
The Navajo Nation has been greatly affected by the coronavirus pandemic, and many purchases from the Orenda Tribe collection will see 100% of profits donated to Dineta's critical relief efforts to support the Navajo people.
Doing your holiday shopping here is a small but authentic way to donate money to the Navajo Nation, plus the Orenda Tribe has a fantastic selection of beautiful and unique gifts, jewelry, clothing, and more.
Keshi is a traditional greeting from the Zuni Pueblo people of Western New Mexico. Keshi Connection is a cooperative where Zuni and Pueblo people can sell arts and crafts at fair and honest prices.
Like many Native American tribes, the Zuni have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, and doing your holiday shopping here is a small but real way to funnel funds towards supporting the Zuni Pueblo.
Plus, Zuni crafts are amazing and make great gifts.
The Silent Hippocampus by Terry Wilson and Dine Zuni
The Women's Peace Collection is a social enterprise focused on empowering women artisans around the world to connect with more people and become independent entrepreneurs.
The Women's Peace Collection sells fair trade and ethically sourced, handmade jewelry, accessories, and gifts made by women in 12 countries.
There are also special collections, such as the Freedom Collection, made by women who are victims of human trafficking and domestic violence, so your purchase supports their recovery and entrepreneurial dreams.
Ubuntu Life is a Kenyan brand that produces products such as shoes, bags and bracelets.
They focus on providing sustainable employment opportunities for mothers of children with special needs, who they affectionately call “Maker Moms.” Ubuntu Life provides Maker Moms with sustainable employment opportunities with above-market wages and benefits.
Additionally, proceeds from Ubuntu Life will support the Ubuntu Life Foundation, which focuses on supporting children and families with special educational and physical needs across Kenya.
Krochet Kids is a lifestyle brand and handmade hat company focused on providing fair trade and sustainable employment and empowerment opportunities to hundreds of people in Peru and Uganda. Their mission is to help people escape poverty so they can provide for their families and plan for their future.
Krochet Kids sells handcrafted beanies, scarves, mittens, and even super cute crocheted animals, all handcrafted at fair wages from sustainable materials.
GlobeIn is a purpose-driven subscription box featuring a curated selection of fair-trade, sustainable products from artisan partners around the world.
GlobeIn's focus is to enrich the lives of individual artisans, their families and communities by connecting conscious consumers with compelling products.
Multiple boxes are curated each month for you to choose your favorites from.
Box subscriptions are available in 3-month, 6-month or monthly annual increments, or you can purchase a single box.
Happy Holiday Shopping!
This is by no means an exhaustive list of conscious and ethical gifts, but shopping small businesses, shopping local, purchasing fair trade and sustainable products, and buying directly from artisans are always great options too.
But if you are planning to shop online this year, I hope this article has given you some good ideas and impactful options to consider.
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