Shopping for a Cause: 18 Goods for Your Family That Give Back

Buy these clothes, toys, snacks and other products for yourself and your family, and help another child or family in need.

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April 21, 2016

By: Shannon Phillips

Related To:

Shop This Look

Photo By: Cuddle + Kind

Photo By: Krochet Kids intl.

Photo By: Sydney Paige

Photo By: Emma Burcusel and Roma Boots

Photo By: Yoobi

Photo By: Hand in Hand Soap

Photo By: The Company Store

Photo By: Smile Squared

Photo By: MiiR

Photo By: Bombas

Photo By: 31 Bits

Photo By: Bitsy's Brainfood

Photo By: TOMS

Photo By: Baby Teresa

Photo By: Simon Burstall

Photo By: Better World Books

Photo By: BOGO Bowl

Cuddle + Kind: Dolls and Prints

With a goal of providing 1 million meals per year, Cuddle + Kind donates 10 meals to children in need for each hand-knit doll sold. Made with soft, premium cotton, every doll is handcrafted by women artisans in Peru, providing them with a sustainable, fair trade income. Looking for stylish nursery or kids’ room decor? You can also buy prints featuring each doll’s favorite inspirational quote, and each print sold provides five meals.

Krochet Kids: Hats and Accessories

Founded by three longtime friends from Washington State, Krochet Kids empowers women in Northern Uganda and Peru by teaching a simple skill: crochet. By providing a job, education and mentorship, the company seeks to break the cycle of poverty. Look to them for warm, colorful headwear and accessories for the whole family.

Sydney Paige: Backpacks and Accessories

Buy a backpack from Sydney Paige, and they’ll donate a backpack stuffed with school supplies to a child in need. The company also sells lunch bags, pencil cases, books and other accessories and donates a matching item for each one sold. Their stylish, high-quality products are made from 100% cotton canvas, recycled 600D polyester and/or natural leather.

Roma Boots: Rain Boots

Giving poverty the boot: That’s the mission of Roma Boots, who donates a pair of rain boots to a child in need — particularly those living in cold or wet climates — for every pair sold. Plus, 10% of all sales proceeds goes to the Roma for All Foundation, which helps educate children in impoverished communities. Roma’s boots for kids and adults are made of natural rubber and feature a quick-dry cotton lining and a three-layer insole for comfort.

Yoobi: School Supplies

Many children in the U.S. don’t have access to basic school supplies unless teachers provide them — and each teacher spends about $485 of his or her own money for classroom supplies each year. For every item you purchase from Yoobi, they’ll donate an item to a classroom in need. The company’s colorful products include pens, pencils, notebooks, staplers, scissors and much more.

Hand in Hand: Soaps, Scrubs and More

Every year, millions of deaths caused by poor water quality and hygiene could be prevented by handwashing and clean water. That’s why Hand in Hand donates a bar of soap and provides a month of clean water to children in need for every product purchased. The company also prides itself on using natural ingredients grown and harvested in a sustainable, eco-friendly way.

The Company Store: Home Decor

You can buy everything from bedding to furniture to apparel from The Company Store — and you can feel good that your purchase is making a positive impact. Throughout the year, the company supports a variety of organizations that help families and children in need. In the past, they’ve donated thousands of comforters to homeless children through their Buy One, Give One program, and they’ve provided pajamas, blankets, sheets and more to both the South Florida and New York chapters of Ronald McDonald House.

Smile Squared: Toothbrushes

While hosting dental clinics at orphanages and community centers in Guatemala, Smile Squared’s founders realized that many of the children had preventable dental issues, and some didn’t even have access to a toothbrush. For every toothbrush sold, the company now donates a toothbrush (made of sustainable, biodegradable bamboo) to a child in need. Smile Squared has donated toothbrushes to children in all 50 states, as well as 24 other countries.

MiiR: Water Bottles

Every hydration product MiiR sells — from bottles to tumblers to pint cups — empowers one person through clean water for an entire year. Made from medical-grade stainless steel, their bottles are BPA free, feature a perfect-seal lid to prevent leaks and come in lots of fun colors — perfect for the kiddos.

MiiR: Bikes

On a trip to Liberia in 2011, MiiR’s founder noticed a lack of practical and affordable transportation in the country. In response, the company created a bicycle line to help give bikes to those in need, and has since provided bicycle access to more than 3,000 people around the world. MiiR sells several bike styles for adults, plus one for growing tykes that features an adjustable stem and seatpost.

Bombas: High-Performance Socks

Socks are the number one most-requested item in homeless shelters, which is why Bombas donates a pair for every pair purchased. The company makes premium performance and comfort socks for men, women and kids, but the socks they donate offer something extra special. They’re specifically designed for people who don't have the luxury of a clean pair of socks every day, featuring an anti-microbial treatment to prevent the growth of fungus and reinforced seams for greater durability and a longer lifespan.

31 Bits: Jewelry

On a trip to Uganda, one of 31 Bits’ founders discovered that the women in the country were making incredible jewelry out of old paper, but they lacked a way to sell it. That inspired her to team up with four friends to sell the handcrafted jewelry back home, and in turn provide the women with an income. 31 Bits also cares for its artisans holistically through counseling, health education, finance training and business mentorships. Shop their colorful Bitsies collection for the little ones, or their wide selection of statement necklaces and stylish bracelets for yourself.

Bitsy’s Brainfood: Healthy Snacks

Making healthy fun: That’s the motto of Bitsy’s Brainfood, whose tasty crackers, cookies and other snacks are packed with organic fruits and veggies and are an excellent source of several vitamins. Through the Give a Bitsy Back program, the company donates cases of its products to communities lacking access to healthy snacks. Plus, a portion of the proceeds from Bitsy’s new Smart Crackers (available at Target as part of the Made to Matter collection) goes toward organizations that help keep kids happy and active.

TOMS: Shoes and More

Perhaps the best known “One for One” company, TOMS got its start by donating a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair sold. Since then, the company has expanded to apparel, bags and sunglasses. Each eyewear purchase provides an eye exam and treatment for a person in need, while each bag sold provides a safe birth in a clean environment for a mother and baby.

Baby Teresa: Organic Cotton Baby Clothes

For each 100% fair trade organic cotton romper Baby Teresa sells, another is donated to a baby in need. Or buy a blanket, bib or hat, and part of the proceeds will go toward purchasing formula for orphanages. Founded by two moms from Australia, the company also donates 25% of its profits to charities that empower women during pregnancy, birth and parenthood.

State Bags: Backpacks and Totes

STATE Bags’ founders — a husband-and-wife duo who also created the Country Roads Foundation to support kids in New York City — noticed that countless children in the city were carrying their possessions around in trash bags. They formed STATE to address the issue by donating a backpack filled with schools supplies for every bag sold. The biggest impact happens at the company’s Bag Drop events: motivational rallies where children leave with both a new backpack and a renewed belief in themselves.

Better World Books: New and Used Books

More than 1 million books end up in landfills each year, while hundreds of millions of people who want books don’t have them. By collecting discarded used books and selling them online, Better World Books has converted more than 30 million books into over $8 million in funding for education and literacy programs worldwide.

BOGO Bowl: Premium Pet Food

Don’t forget about your furry family members. Buy a bag of premium dog or cat food from BOGO Bowl, and they’ll donate a bag to an animal shelter, rescue group or pet pantry. The company’s high-quality food features protein as the first ingredient, and no byproducts or artificial flavors.