From Keith Richards to Joan Jett, musicians donate their old guitar strings to wearyourmusic.org, which then turns them into bracelets. Good for any sex or age, the proceeds from the bracelets go to a charity the artist chooses.
From $50
These are two of several collections that Pact, a company that couples causes with designers, offers. The Winter Light Collection is part of the “Lighting Hope for Haiti” program, and the designs by Yves Behar are like a kaleidoscope. The organization that goes along with this particular line of undies is EarthSpark, which aims to end “energy poverty” by working with local businesses.
The green designs are for the Green Belt Movement in Africa, which was founded by environmentalist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Wangari Maathai in 1977. It was designed by renowned African architect David Adjaye.
From home goods to clothing to artwork, Nest, a nonprofit organization that supports female artists and artisans across the globe, is like a more affordable, do-good
Anthropologie. It has a prolific catalogue of beautiful things that are donated by artists to help raise money for the program.
Fernanda Franco, an artist who has worked for the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum, donated Leaves (right) and
Michelle Caplan, an American artist put up her print.
From $25
Made by Vietnamese artisans, these coasters are created out of recycled magazine paper, and then coated to maintain the shape. Mai Handicrafts, the company that produces and sells the coasters, was started by two social workers in an attempt to help single mothers and children in Ho Chi Minh City.
$13.50
These whistles are an unimposing, simple piece of jewelry. Available in a few colors, the proceeds go towards helping children in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Falling Whistles is a campaign that grew out of one man’s trip there in 2007. He met five boys who were kidnapped or stolen and forced into war. Once he left, Sean Carasso helped launch Falling Whistles. The whistle is for whistleblowers to remind people of the horrors taking place in war-torn Congo.
$34
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After years of creating their own felt designs, the American-based designers Lesley Hansard and
Rebecca Welsh were looking to have someone manufacture their products. When they received an email from a Nepali artisan offering their services, it seemed a good alternative to mass manufacturing, where workers’ conditions are unknown. The Nepali women who make the designs have access to health insurance and child care.
$48
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This all-purpose elixir is truly all-purpose. It’s good for the skin, for the hair—and you can even use it to make a delicious salad dressing. It comes from the Argan tree in Morocco, where Berber women, who are indigenous to North Africa, harvest it. These ladies have been making and using the magical oil for centuries and receive 25 percent of the proceeds.
From $36
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These discount trips may not offer the most luxurious accommodations, but all meals and housing are included in exchange for teaching street kids. But the trip isn’t restricted to the streets of Rajasthan. It’s located just east of the pink city Jaipur, with forts, deserts, and lakes on its other borders. A field trip to the Taj Mahal is thrown in too, not to mention Hindi lessons.
From $1,390
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Prakash Singh, AFP / Getty Images
These silk scarves are beautiful, affordable, and ultimately help women and children in eastern Cambodia.
Mekong Blue Scarves are made by the Stung Treng Women’s Development Center, which has enlisted women to weave scarves as a way to overcome poverty, and ultimately, literacy.
From $50
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Rich Kalonick
These headphones look good, sound good, and actually do good, too. Part of the proceeds goes to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS in Africa. It has functions for the iPod, iPad, and folds up for easy carrying.
$229
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These stem-less wine glasses are chic—and made from recycled car windows. They’re handmade in Colombia and each glass is one of a kind. There’s also a slight green hue from the car windows that makes them the most unique wine glasses around. Goblets and vases are also available.
$22
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Plenty of jewelers will tempt you with shiny caseloads of bracelets and rings this season—but few have a social consciousness to boot. One exception is Ashley Pittman jewelry, a new line of statement pieces handcrafted by local artisans in Kenya. The collection features thick cuffs and chain necklaces made out of indigenous materials like horn and gemstones. (For a hostess, there are horn napkin rings, too.) Pittman’s Foundation employs local artisans and donates 10 percent of all profits from the collection back to the Kenyan town of Kamboo, where it goes to support the Kathiani Primary School and the Kamboo Dispensary, a community health center.
From $190
This detailed beadwork comes from the hands of women in Cape Town, South Africa. Monkeybiz collective has been around for 10 years. Proceeds go back to community development programs and the employment opportunities directly help the families.
$50
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One of several tea sets, the Tea Forte includes black, green, and herbal teas—and they look nice, too. All profits go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,
$15
These stuffed robots come with a cause. You can choose from pink (breast cancer) to gray (homelessness) to yellow (autism), depending on the cause and color you desire and a portion of the proceeds go to help that particular plight.
$25
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Already pretty affordable as far as makeup goes, Smashbox's Eye Wish Palette will donate a portion of proceeds (up to $25,000) to the Children's Miracle Network, a nonprofit organization that helps fund medical research and education for children.
$45
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