31
Aug
Aug
I really love to give shoutouts to organizations that benefit a certain cause or donate a portion of proceeds to an organization or charity. Nowadays, there is so much awareness about the different ailments that plague the citizens of the world and it’s important for all of us to come together and unite in an attempt to eliminate these issues. I was very involved in different organizations in high school that involved community service and giving back to the community and I have maintained my belief in the importance of giving back (or paying it forward) as being a necessary habit to benefit the well-being of the world. There are so many causes out there that it’s near impossible to not have one that you relate to or want to help out; in fact, if you are in need of figuring out what causes are out there, you may want to check out the website: dosomething.org. This website gives you a better idea of the causes that are out there as well as some affiliated organizations and different ways that you can help.
My mom is very into protecting the environment and her dedication has made an impact on our family, specifically my household (which consists of Brett and myself). She bought us canvas bags for Christmas, recycled glasses, and even labeled recycled bags to sort our items that we plan to recycle. She has even organized a Green Team at her office! I really respect all of the work that my mom has put into saving the environment and if that is the cause to which you stand by, there are so many little things that you can do everyday to help out (such as changing your regular bulbs to compact fluorescent).
If you have a particular cause, or if you just want to do a good thing, I have searched around to find some really great causes who have online stores that allow you to buy something to benefit the organization. While you don’t always have to donate money to help (you can donate time or raise awareness in other ways), I personally like to shop for a great cause and I feel that the items that you buy are not only aiding the cause, but they’re also raising awareness. With the holiday season coming up, I figured that this blog would be useful as you shop for a cause, give a nice gift to someone, and celebrate the spirit of giving in more ways than just one.
Shopping for a Cause
1 
The (RED) campaign is a very popular one because they have teamed up with some big name companies that are donating proceeds of their sales to the fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. To name a few of the companies…Apple, Gap Inc., American Express, Hallmark, Dell, Converse and Motorola; some of the products sold for the (RED) campaign come in a great shade of red. I think the best way to describe (RED) is by quoting from their Manifesto which states, “If you buy a (RED) product or sign up for a (RED) service, a (RED) company will give some of it’s profits to buy and distribute anti-retroviral medicine to our brothers and sisters dying of AIDS in Africa…(RED) is not a charity. It is simply a business model. You buy (RED) stuff, we get the money, buy the pills and distribute them.” My mom got me a (RED) iPod for my birthday and I love it; it is a dark cherry shade of red and I know that it’s benefiting someone else in need. Check out the (RED) website and get Inspi(RED): joinred.com.
The (RED) campaign is a very popular one because they have teamed up with some big name companies that are donating proceeds of their sales to the fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. To name a few of the companies…Apple, Gap Inc., American Express, Hallmark, Dell, Converse and Motorola; some of the products sold for the (RED) campaign come in a great shade of red. I think the best way to describe (RED) is by quoting from their Manifesto which states, “If you buy a (RED) product or sign up for a (RED) service, a (RED) company will give some of it’s profits to buy and distribute anti-retroviral medicine to our brothers and sisters dying of AIDS in Africa…(RED) is not a charity. It is simply a business model. You buy (RED) stuff, we get the money, buy the pills and distribute them.” My mom got me a (RED) iPod for my birthday and I love it; it is a dark cherry shade of red and I know that it’s benefiting someone else in need. Check out the (RED) website and get Inspi(RED): joinred.com.2 
The ONE organization is very popular because there are a lot of big name celebrities that have joined together to unite over it’s cause: to make poverty history. You can see the commercial featuring the celebrities on their website, but really…it isn’t all about having a bunch of celebs tell you what to do; it’s about a really great organization that is being empowered by people who unite over one goal. Taken from their About section, “We are a campaign of over 2.4 million people and growing from all 50 states and over 100 of America’s most well-known and respected non-profit, advocacy and humanitarian organizations.” They are now going to college campuses and mass attended events to spread the word about their organization. “As ONE, we are raising public awareness about the issues of global poverty, hunger, disease and efforts to fight such problems in the world’s poorest countries. As ONE, we are asking our leaders to do more to fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty. ONE believes that allocating more of the U.S. budget toward providing basic needs like health, education, clean water and food would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation in the world’s poorest countries.” Their online store features those “cause wristbands” [their color is white], and they also have some stylin’ shirts that feature the ONE logo and their website. Some of the shirts are a bit on the expensive side (around $40.00), but they also have some more basic ones for $18.00. Get more information on their website: one.org.
The ONE organization is very popular because there are a lot of big name celebrities that have joined together to unite over it’s cause: to make poverty history. You can see the commercial featuring the celebrities on their website, but really…it isn’t all about having a bunch of celebs tell you what to do; it’s about a really great organization that is being empowered by people who unite over one goal. Taken from their About section, “We are a campaign of over 2.4 million people and growing from all 50 states and over 100 of America’s most well-known and respected non-profit, advocacy and humanitarian organizations.” They are now going to college campuses and mass attended events to spread the word about their organization. “As ONE, we are raising public awareness about the issues of global poverty, hunger, disease and efforts to fight such problems in the world’s poorest countries. As ONE, we are asking our leaders to do more to fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty. ONE believes that allocating more of the U.S. budget toward providing basic needs like health, education, clean water and food would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation in the world’s poorest countries.” Their online store features those “cause wristbands” [their color is white], and they also have some stylin’ shirts that feature the ONE logo and their website. Some of the shirts are a bit on the expensive side (around $40.00), but they also have some more basic ones for $18.00. Get more information on their website: one.org.3 
I have recently mentioned this organization in my 20 Unique Gifts for 20 Unique Lifestyles blog as being a great way to shop for an animal lover by adopting an animal in their name. This is just one of the many ways that you can shop for this great cause. You can also donate $50.00 to the fund and select a gift of a t-shirt, pajama pants, and a jute bag just to name a few. Shop around their “donation” area to see all of your options because there are a lot! To tell you a little bit about the fund, they’ve been around for over 45 years and are the largest multinational conservation organization in the world. They work in over 100 countries and have close to 5 million members globally. A lot of people think that WWF is solely affiliated with protecting animals, but this is not the case; they conserve nature as a whole. They specifically protect natural areas and wild populations of plants and animals (including endangered species), and they also promote more efficient use of our natural renewable resources as well as ways to cut down on pollution. They have done so much great conservation work and are working to do even greater things in the future; their goal is to conserve 19 of the world’s most important natural places and significantly change global markets to protect the future of nature by 2020. Get more information at their website: worldwildlife.org.
I have recently mentioned this organization in my 20 Unique Gifts for 20 Unique Lifestyles blog as being a great way to shop for an animal lover by adopting an animal in their name. This is just one of the many ways that you can shop for this great cause. You can also donate $50.00 to the fund and select a gift of a t-shirt, pajama pants, and a jute bag just to name a few. Shop around their “donation” area to see all of your options because there are a lot! To tell you a little bit about the fund, they’ve been around for over 45 years and are the largest multinational conservation organization in the world. They work in over 100 countries and have close to 5 million members globally. A lot of people think that WWF is solely affiliated with protecting animals, but this is not the case; they conserve nature as a whole. They specifically protect natural areas and wild populations of plants and animals (including endangered species), and they also promote more efficient use of our natural renewable resources as well as ways to cut down on pollution. They have done so much great conservation work and are working to do even greater things in the future; their goal is to conserve 19 of the world’s most important natural places and significantly change global markets to protect the future of nature by 2020. Get more information at their website: worldwildlife.org.4 
This organization isn’t as famous or well-known as the above three, but it’s a great cause and definitely should receive some awareness. I’m going to use the first paragraph of the mission statement to explain what they are all about: “Nest is a nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the lives of women in developing countries. The mission of Nest is to support women artists and artisans in the developing world by helping them create sustainable entrepreneurial businesses. To do this, Nest provides micro-credit loans to be used for the purchase of the supplies and materials necessary to begin and/or maintain art or craft-based businesses.” When you buy something from Nest, you are supporting a great organization and getting a beautiful item in return. You can shop clothing, jewelry, bags, home, paper, and global goods and you can find some fantastic stuff. I am sort of in love with these Turkish Pashminas by designer Sevinc Esen who has a very compelling story as a tailor in Turkey who lost her home and store to a 1999 earthquake and picked up the pieces in 2000 by opening up a new store and buying a new house. She received a loan from Nest for her business and I really admire this organization for helping these talented women. Get more information and shop around their site at: buildanest.com.
This organization isn’t as famous or well-known as the above three, but it’s a great cause and definitely should receive some awareness. I’m going to use the first paragraph of the mission statement to explain what they are all about: “Nest is a nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the lives of women in developing countries. The mission of Nest is to support women artists and artisans in the developing world by helping them create sustainable entrepreneurial businesses. To do this, Nest provides micro-credit loans to be used for the purchase of the supplies and materials necessary to begin and/or maintain art or craft-based businesses.” When you buy something from Nest, you are supporting a great organization and getting a beautiful item in return. You can shop clothing, jewelry, bags, home, paper, and global goods and you can find some fantastic stuff. I am sort of in love with these Turkish Pashminas by designer Sevinc Esen who has a very compelling story as a tailor in Turkey who lost her home and store to a 1999 earthquake and picked up the pieces in 2000 by opening up a new store and buying a new house. She received a loan from Nest for her business and I really admire this organization for helping these talented women. Get more information and shop around their site at: buildanest.com.5 
My favorite winner of Project Runway, Jay McCarroll, has teamed up with a great organization called Alex’s Lemonade Stand and designed some t-shirts to benefit the cause. Alex’s Lemonade Stand (ALS) is an organization that was founded by 4-year-old Alexandra Scott who put up a lemonade stand to raise money to cure childhood cancer. A cancer patient herself, she put her lemonade stand up every year and once the word got out about her effort there were lemonade stands and fundraisers all over the United States to benefit Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for childhood cancer. As of July 2008, ALS has raised over $20 million dollars for childhood cancer research. You can get more information about this foundation at: alexslemonade.org. Jay McCaroll was inspired by this foundation and designed a hand drawn graphic t-shirt to sell on his website; $5.00 from every sale will go to ALS. The foundation is awe-inspiring and definitely one worth looking into, not to mention supporting! You can get more information on the t-shirts at: jaymccarroll.com.
My favorite winner of Project Runway, Jay McCarroll, has teamed up with a great organization called Alex’s Lemonade Stand and designed some t-shirts to benefit the cause. Alex’s Lemonade Stand (ALS) is an organization that was founded by 4-year-old Alexandra Scott who put up a lemonade stand to raise money to cure childhood cancer. A cancer patient herself, she put her lemonade stand up every year and once the word got out about her effort there were lemonade stands and fundraisers all over the United States to benefit Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for childhood cancer. As of July 2008, ALS has raised over $20 million dollars for childhood cancer research. You can get more information about this foundation at: alexslemonade.org. Jay McCaroll was inspired by this foundation and designed a hand drawn graphic t-shirt to sell on his website; $5.00 from every sale will go to ALS. The foundation is awe-inspiring and definitely one worth looking into, not to mention supporting! You can get more information on the t-shirts at: jaymccarroll.com.6 
This is a great website to use if you’re trying to shop for a cause, but don’t know what organization to look into or what cause to support. The homepage of Charity USA provides links into different online stores such as The Hunger Site (will fund 25 cups of food for each sale), The Breast Cancer Site (1.0% of sales will go towards funding mammograms), The Child Health Site (each sale will fund health services to save or improve the lives of 4.5 children), The Literacy Site (will fund 1 children’s book), The Rainforest Site (will preserve 1,145 sq. ft. of rainforest), and The Animal Rescue Site (will fund 14 bowls of food for animals living in shelters). Each store on the website is complete with information on the cause, as well as a ton of merchandise to support it! I am using The Rainforest Site as my example, which features a really cute slogan of “Cultivate Peace”. This baseball shirt has that slogan on it, as well as The Hunger Site web address. The Rainforest Site will preserve 1,145.0 sq. ft. of land for each Grow Peace Baseball Tee purchased and the shirts are only $14.95!
This is a great website to use if you’re trying to shop for a cause, but don’t know what organization to look into or what cause to support. The homepage of Charity USA provides links into different online stores such as The Hunger Site (will fund 25 cups of food for each sale), The Breast Cancer Site (1.0% of sales will go towards funding mammograms), The Child Health Site (each sale will fund health services to save or improve the lives of 4.5 children), The Literacy Site (will fund 1 children’s book), The Rainforest Site (will preserve 1,145 sq. ft. of rainforest), and The Animal Rescue Site (will fund 14 bowls of food for animals living in shelters). Each store on the website is complete with information on the cause, as well as a ton of merchandise to support it! I am using The Rainforest Site as my example, which features a really cute slogan of “Cultivate Peace”. This baseball shirt has that slogan on it, as well as The Hunger Site web address. The Rainforest Site will preserve 1,145.0 sq. ft. of land for each Grow Peace Baseball Tee purchased and the shirts are only $14.95!7 
This is another great website to use if you want to shop for a cause, but don’t have a particular one in mind. You can shop for Gifts for Him or Her, Baby, and different Occasions among different other options; they also have a featured charity on their homepage that you can shop for if you need a recommendation. Their mission: “At giftback.com our mission is to connect individuals with the non-profits of the world by providing them with innovative tools to incorporate giving into everyday activities like shopping and interacting online.” The beauty of this website is that 10% of your purchase goes back to the charity of your choice, and if you include a gift card with your gift it will have your special message and a little blurb at the bottom that says a percentage of the proceeds for that gift has gone to [X] charity. The majority of the gifts on the site are gift baskets, flowers, or household items and some are on the pricey side, but they go to a good cause and they have some innovative design concepts. So take a look at their website: giftback.com.
This is another great website to use if you want to shop for a cause, but don’t have a particular one in mind. You can shop for Gifts for Him or Her, Baby, and different Occasions among different other options; they also have a featured charity on their homepage that you can shop for if you need a recommendation. Their mission: “At giftback.com our mission is to connect individuals with the non-profits of the world by providing them with innovative tools to incorporate giving into everyday activities like shopping and interacting online.” The beauty of this website is that 10% of your purchase goes back to the charity of your choice, and if you include a gift card with your gift it will have your special message and a little blurb at the bottom that says a percentage of the proceeds for that gift has gone to [X] charity. The majority of the gifts on the site are gift baskets, flowers, or household items and some are on the pricey side, but they go to a good cause and they have some innovative design concepts. So take a look at their website: giftback.com.8 
This is a pretty popular organization right now, especially with the upcoming election and a lot of people probably don’t think that it deserves to be on a list with such other great causes, but you can think about it this way: voting for the politician who has your goals in mind can ultimately have an impact on the important issues that we are dealing with now and in the future. You can vote for the candidate that you feel will address these particular issues and maybe even provide government funding for some of the organizations; that is why I feel that it is very important to vote and to get the word out about it. Rock the Vote’s mission: “…to engage and build the political power of young people in order to achieve progressive change in our country. Rock the Vote uses music, popular culture and new technologies to engage and incite young people to register and vote in every election.” They have a lot of different designs that you can select from and a wide variety of merchandise from tees to buttons and even dog tees! While you are on the website, check out the Take Issue section that gives some stats that may inspire you to register to vote if you haven’t done so already: rockthevote.com.
This is a pretty popular organization right now, especially with the upcoming election and a lot of people probably don’t think that it deserves to be on a list with such other great causes, but you can think about it this way: voting for the politician who has your goals in mind can ultimately have an impact on the important issues that we are dealing with now and in the future. You can vote for the candidate that you feel will address these particular issues and maybe even provide government funding for some of the organizations; that is why I feel that it is very important to vote and to get the word out about it. Rock the Vote’s mission: “…to engage and build the political power of young people in order to achieve progressive change in our country. Rock the Vote uses music, popular culture and new technologies to engage and incite young people to register and vote in every election.” They have a lot of different designs that you can select from and a wide variety of merchandise from tees to buttons and even dog tees! While you are on the website, check out the Take Issue section that gives some stats that may inspire you to register to vote if you haven’t done so already: rockthevote.com.9 
The main goal of this organization is to save the lives of children around the world and do everything in their power to protect children around the world. UNICEF has been around for more than 60 years and has saved more children’s lives than any other organization; you may be familiar with this organization having seen children trick-or-treat with UNICEF boxes for donations. This organization does some incredible stuff around the world such as providing families with clean water and sanitation, providing vaccines against childhood illness, and help to protect children against malaria. They also provide nourishment to fight malnutrition, and care for children affected by AIDS. They also protect children from abuse and give them an education. Every aspect of their organization is wonderful and benefits the lives of children around the world. UNICEF has many different options for shopping for the cause; you can buy inspired gifts, like vaccines, to be shipped directly to one of over 150 countries where UNICEF is saving lives. Or, you can browse their online store for cards and gifts; I particularly enjoy their holiday cards which are really cute and have the UNICEF logo on them so you can spread the word about this organization while wishing your loved ones happy holidays! Get more information at their website: unicef.org.
The main goal of this organization is to save the lives of children around the world and do everything in their power to protect children around the world. UNICEF has been around for more than 60 years and has saved more children’s lives than any other organization; you may be familiar with this organization having seen children trick-or-treat with UNICEF boxes for donations. This organization does some incredible stuff around the world such as providing families with clean water and sanitation, providing vaccines against childhood illness, and help to protect children against malaria. They also provide nourishment to fight malnutrition, and care for children affected by AIDS. They also protect children from abuse and give them an education. Every aspect of their organization is wonderful and benefits the lives of children around the world. UNICEF has many different options for shopping for the cause; you can buy inspired gifts, like vaccines, to be shipped directly to one of over 150 countries where UNICEF is saving lives. Or, you can browse their online store for cards and gifts; I particularly enjoy their holiday cards which are really cute and have the UNICEF logo on them so you can spread the word about this organization while wishing your loved ones happy holidays! Get more information at their website: unicef.org.10 
Speaking of greeting cards, I have to mention Drawbridge which is located in California and operates in seven different counties within the state. The mission of the organization: “…to provide art programs for homeless and other vulnerable children in an environment that fosters their sense of joy, creativity and exuberance. Beyond that, we strive to promote the well-being and stability of family by creating a supportive community in which children help other children, establishing a lifetime of giving.” You can donate money to the organization, or you can shop in their online store which features adorable merchandise showcasing the artwork of homeless children. They have shirts, posters, totes, and as I’ve mentioned… greeting cards! They have different cards for special occasions and all of the proceeds benefit the organization. You can get more information at their website: drawbridge.org.
Speaking of greeting cards, I have to mention Drawbridge which is located in California and operates in seven different counties within the state. The mission of the organization: “…to provide art programs for homeless and other vulnerable children in an environment that fosters their sense of joy, creativity and exuberance. Beyond that, we strive to promote the well-being and stability of family by creating a supportive community in which children help other children, establishing a lifetime of giving.” You can donate money to the organization, or you can shop in their online store which features adorable merchandise showcasing the artwork of homeless children. They have shirts, posters, totes, and as I’ve mentioned… greeting cards! They have different cards for special occasions and all of the proceeds benefit the organization. You can get more information at their website: drawbridge.org.11 
This is organization that seems to do a little bit of everything and does a damn good job of it. It is so easy to get involved with Amnesty International and they have so many different issues that you can get involved in helping with some being Saving Darfur, Violence Against Women, and providing aid to natural disasters. Their slogan is, “Action for Human Rights. Hope for Humanity“. They have over 2.2 million supporters, activists, and volunteers in over 150 countries and work to protect human rights worldwide. An excerpt from their mission, “Our purpose is to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied. We investigate and expose abuses, educate and mobilize the public, and help transform societies to create a safer, more just world“. One thing about their online shop that I love is that the clothing is ethical, fairly traded, and sweatshop free, which just shows their commitment to human rights. Their online store features music (artists recently released a CD titles ‘Instant Karma: Save Darfur’ which features 23 John Lennon songs covered by modern artists), clothing, books, posters, jewelry, and many other gifts. Check out their website to get all of the information and also shop around: amnestyusa.org.
This is organization that seems to do a little bit of everything and does a damn good job of it. It is so easy to get involved with Amnesty International and they have so many different issues that you can get involved in helping with some being Saving Darfur, Violence Against Women, and providing aid to natural disasters. Their slogan is, “Action for Human Rights. Hope for Humanity“. They have over 2.2 million supporters, activists, and volunteers in over 150 countries and work to protect human rights worldwide. An excerpt from their mission, “Our purpose is to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied. We investigate and expose abuses, educate and mobilize the public, and help transform societies to create a safer, more just world“. One thing about their online shop that I love is that the clothing is ethical, fairly traded, and sweatshop free, which just shows their commitment to human rights. Their online store features music (artists recently released a CD titles ‘Instant Karma: Save Darfur’ which features 23 John Lennon songs covered by modern artists), clothing, books, posters, jewelry, and many other gifts. Check out their website to get all of the information and also shop around: amnestyusa.org.12 
I had to dedicate a spot on my list to an organization that protects the rights of animals and is attempting to put a stop to animal cruelty…especially for my boyfriend’s parents who do some really great work with fostering pets until they get adopted into new homes. ASPCA, The American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, was founded in 1866 and was formed to prevent animal cruelty now and is still fighting the battle today. “Whether it’s saving a pet who has been accidentally poisoned, fighting to pass humane laws, rescuing animals from abuse or sharing resources with shelters across the country, we work toward the day in which no animal will live in pain or fear.” Their website is filled with a lot of information on how you can help, and of course it has an online store with great merchandise for both humans and animals alike! Check out their website for more information: aspca.org.
I had to dedicate a spot on my list to an organization that protects the rights of animals and is attempting to put a stop to animal cruelty…especially for my boyfriend’s parents who do some really great work with fostering pets until they get adopted into new homes. ASPCA, The American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, was founded in 1866 and was formed to prevent animal cruelty now and is still fighting the battle today. “Whether it’s saving a pet who has been accidentally poisoned, fighting to pass humane laws, rescuing animals from abuse or sharing resources with shelters across the country, we work toward the day in which no animal will live in pain or fear.” Their website is filled with a lot of information on how you can help, and of course it has an online store with great merchandise for both humans and animals alike! Check out their website for more information: aspca.org.These are just a few of the many great organizations, causes, and charities out there that do amazing work to better our world and the people living in it. I hope that you take the time to check out some of these websites and maybe even share some that I didn’t mention on here! You don’t have to buy something to support a cause, raising awareness and spreading the word goes a very long way. But, if you are shopping for a special occasion or would like to wear your causes, these websites should start your journey of shopping for a cause.
Here’s to happy shopping to save and improve lives, protect our planet and wildlife, and helping out where it is needed!
-M.
I don’t know how you put together such great content on nearly a daily basis. I was also happy to see you included an organization to help our furry friends. Outstanding!