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'Tis the season to give! Gift giving doesn’t stop in a challenging economic environment; it just becomes all the more important for gifts to be meaningful and to go further. Choose a gift that gives twice--once to your loved one, and again to a cause!
Below is a list of holiday gift giving opportunities based on social enterprises supported by Echoing Green.
 | Shokay: They source yak down from Tibetan herders on the Himalayan Plateau to make luxurious adult accessories, kids clothing, and home accessories comparable to cashmere. Purchasing their products supports sustainable development on the plateau and employment opportunities to women in rural areas. www.shokay.com $20 - $425. Enter EGREEN for 15 percent discount at checkout. |
 | WorldofGood.com is the world’s first online marketplace to convene thousands of People Positive and Eco Positive sellers and products all in one place, empowering you to shop in ways that align with your personal values. www.worldofgood.com
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 | The Appreciate Network is a design & gifting enterprise and sister organization of the Reciprocity Foundation. Appreciate creates socially responsible & sustainable designs for corporate gifts, events, conferences and weddings. One hundred percent of the profits from every purchase fund programs for homeless youth operated by the Reciprocity Foundation and the enterprise provides employment and design opportunities for homeless youth. www.appreciate.org |
 | Mercado Global is a nonprofit fair trade organization that links the world’s most rural and economically-disadvantaged cooperatives to the U.S. market through a model that provides both fair wages and investments in community’s long-term development. www.mercadoglobal.com |
 | Be Bold is a call to action for a new generation of social leaders. The book, Be Bold, is a handbook for current and aspiring nonprofit professionals. It tells the stories of twelve outstanding nonprofit leaders whose journeys were supported by Echoing Green. www.bebold.org |
 | UPDATED 12/2/2008 Your purchase of a Hot Bread Kitchen Holiday Gift Box helps to pay for job training and ESL for immigrant women. Each holiday gift box includes the essentials of healthy easting: A bag of My Mom’s Nutty Granola, a bag of our Organic Lavash, and a box of our sinful chocolate-covered sesame lavash. Each box includes information about Hot Bread Kitchen’s unique mission. For more information see HotBreadKitchen.org. |
 | UPDATED 12/4/2008 Global Fund for Children books explore themes of diversity and tolerance, encouraging children to become productive, caring members of a global society. As part of the media ventures program of The Global Fund for Children (GFC), a portion of the royalties from book sales helps fund the nonprofit’s grantmaking program, which works to advance the dignity of children and youth worldwide. www.globalfundforchildren.org |
UPDATED 12/9/2008 - Download our printable PDF guide!
Also, be sure to check out Jill Finlayson's Gift Guide on SocialEdge.org.
What are your best ideas for holiday giving? Let us know in the comments below!
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Comments
Additional green holiday gifts
Three green gifts ideas for consideration, please comment if you have any additional ones.
A - Reusable fabric gift bags offer a simple and sustainable alternative to disposable gift wrap. Use these gorgeous bags year round for all gift giving occasions.
B - LED Christmas Lights - LED Christmas lights use 80% less energy than regular lights and last ten years or more.
C - Recycled Glass Ornaments - made out of cut glass reclaimed from glass factories around the he city of Cuenca, Ecuador.
Recyclable toys
I saw in a shop near me an innovative concept in creative toys and furniture for children. They have a range of environmentally friendly, cheap and quality products made from recycled corrugated cardboard. To me this is a great idea, there are things like chairs to toy forts, dolls houses and play houses. Most children are easily pleased so I think this is a brilliant idea.
Gift Guide on Social Edge for Social Entrepreneurs
How can you help the social entrepreneur on your holiday shopping list have a successful new year? Check out the gift guide on Social Edge and add your tips there too. Just adding the Echoing Green guide now. Thanks!
http://www.socialedge.org/discussions/social-entrepreneurship/gift-guide...
Cheers,
Jill
here's a great way to ask
here's a great way to ask for a meaningful gift this year from your family and friends:
1Well, an international development non profit, allows you to send a wishlist eCard to friends and family supporting a "critical-need infrastructure project" for communities in needs.
choose a clean energy project, food security, water, or education project to support, check it out here:
www.1well.org/alliwant
Going Green For The Holiday's
Find all of your green holiday gifts at Green Planet Search.com from organic clothing, solar powered backpacks, Hemp Tee's to eco fashion items made from recycled materials.
recyclable gifts
I've found that eco artware dot com have always been great at supplying me with gift ideas for my eco enthusiast friends. The build quality of their products is excellent and they really do look good.
In a way, everything is recycled eventually, even us ;)
I found a great range of
I found a great range of fair trade and ethical gifts at www.thelittlefeetcompany.co.uk.
Its a new company based in the uk that sell products from vietnam, and they donate 30% of their profits to orphanages in Vietnam.
hhtp://www.thelittlefeetcompany.co.uk