I married into a HUGE family, who loves to give Christmas presents. We buy for our 21 nieces and nephews and for more than 15 adults. It’s absolutely crazy, but in a good way. I love to shop, and I actually like to wrap too. The one thing I hate to do is ship. Since NONE of our family even lives in the same state as us, we ship everything. Unfortunately, standing in line at the Post Office seems to suck the holiday spirit right out of me!
So outside of my “Bah Humbug” attitude about shipping, I love checking gifts off my Christmas list. Especially when I can find something that is not only a great gift, but benefits a charity or non-profit too. What better way to get into the holiday spirit, than buying gifts that actually give something back too!
Here are some local and national options for gifts that give twice. If you know of any other great holiday gifts that give back, please share them via the comment section below.
Bright Endeavors is a Chicago non-profit social enterprise, manufacturing and marketing eco-friendly home and bath products, helping adolescent parents (aged 17-24) transition into economic stability. Bright Endeavors is part of New Moms Inc., an amazing organization truly changing the lives of young mothers here in Chicago.
Blackstone Bicycle Works is a bustling community bike shop, offering repairs and sales of refurbished bikes on the South Side of Chicago. It is also the only bike shop in Chicago that offers over 150 youth the opportunity to work in a retail setting, learn the art and science of bicycle mechanics, to learn about how a business works, to discover the satisfaction of a job well done, to be safe and free of the pressures of the streets, and to have fun.
Blue Sky Bakery & Cafe offers tasty treats perfect to bring as a hostess gift or to serve at your next holiday party. Not only are their baked goods delicious, but they are a non-profit. The Blue Sky Employment Program provides homeless and at-risk youth with employment at the bakery. Youth gain valuable experience in cooking, baking, customer service and cash-handling.
Ten Thousand Villages offers handmade gifts, jewelry, home decor, art and more. All are handmade from artisans in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. They are one of the world’s largest fair trade organizations. The company strives to improve the livelihood of tens of thousands of disadvantaged artisans in 38 countries. They have stores in Evanston, Oak Park and Glen Ellyn. I shop the Evanston store each year. They have great Christmas ornaments and jewelry.
Neighborhood Parents Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting Chicago families with the resources they need to navigate parenting in the city. I have been a member for almost four years, and on the board for close to a year. It’s a great organization, and membership to NPN makes a great gift for urban families or those expecting their first child.

Unicef’s Gifts that Give Back – From finger puppets to jewelry, they have a wide range of gifts to choose from. All money raised through UNICEF’s holiday “Gifts That Give Back” program will help in its mission of reducing the number of daily, preventable deaths of children under five from 21,000 to zero.

Toms Shoes operates on a one-for-one business model. For every pair of shoes purchased, founder Blake Mycoskie donates a pair to a child who would otherwise be barefoot. They even make adorable kids shoes now, including these glittery ones I saw recently at Nordstroms.
The Rainforest Site preserves at least 1,145 sq. ft. of rainforest land for each item you buy. Your purchases help great charities: The Nature Conservancy, Rainforest Conservation Fund, & World Land Trust-US. They offer a huge variety of gifts for everyone on your list. I especially love this adorable bumblebee hat and mittens.
World Wildlife Federation offers these great adoption buckets. For $50 you get a wooden bucket with a plush tiger, panda and polar bear, adoption certificate and information about the animals. Its a great gift, the proceeds go to saving those animals, and you can teach your children or nieces and nephews about conservation.
Our amazing museums here in Chicago also have wonderful gift shops. The proceeds from the gift shops help to support the museum and its programs. Plus, if you are a member, most of the stores give you a discount.
Museum Shop at the Art Institute of Chicago offers everything from Christmas ornaments and Christmas cards to jewelry and home decor.
Museum of Science and Industry has a great selection of gifts for the inquisitive ones on your list. From models to games, your sure to find something for science lovers of all ages.
Bring Sue home for the holidays at The Field Store . The Field Museum has a huge selection of dinosaur related and other out of the ordinary gifts.
Chicago Children’s Museum offers a nice selection of creative and educational toys. I especially like their dress-up selection. They offer more than the standard princess and policeman.