press | December 13, 2024
More than 20 ways to advance social good this holiday season
The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) was founded on the idea that we all have an ability to make a difference – and every day, each of us have the opportunity to do good and make a difference in our communities. The holiday season is an important time where we can use our power as consumers to advance social good.
“As we look for gifts to give family and friends this season and throughout the year, we each have the opportunity to use our purchases to support ethical practices and organizations doing good,” said Maeve Curtin, senior community manager at CGI.
As the year ends and last-minute holiday shopping picks up, there are a wide range of mission-driven organizations and enterprises in the CGI community, where purchases can affect positive change in communities around the world.
Fashion
A wide range of CGI commitment-makers have merch stores that can help show your support for their efforts – from mental health advocates like MTV Staying Alive Foundation and Born this Way Foundation; to artists like AY powering concerts on clean energy. CGI Fellows with online shops include Amy Meek’s Kids Against Plastic and A Moment of Magic founded by Kylee McGrane-Zarnoch.
For those interested in accessories, CGI Greenhouse company Eden + Elie sells jewelry crafted by highly skilled artisans with autism; Jaggery is a commitment-maker upcycling materials into tote bags, backpacks, purses, and more. Movember is another commitment-maker whose shop features tote bags and other more traditional apparel.
Food and Beverage
CGI Greenhouse company Diaspora Spice Co. sells ethically sourced spices supporting local farmers in India; commitment-maker Yaupon Brothers American Tea Co. focuses on leveraging agriculture for economic recovery and sells individual tea products and gift sets.
Health and Beauty
Yeleen Beauty is a CGI commitment-maker developing a makerspace for black beauty entrepreneurs and they have their own product line of ethically sourced shea butter products in their online store.
Multiple CGI Greenhouse organizations also focus on women’s health and promoting menstrual equity. US-based Aunt Flow has a collection of menstrual products and merchandise; Kenyan CGI Greenhouse social enterprise EcoBana, co-founded by CGI Fellow Lennox Omondi, sells affordable sanitary products; Kosmotive is a Rwandan social enterprise focused on maternal and reproductive health with numerous products available for purchase, including reusable sanitary products and maternity and breastfeeding clothes.
Envision, another member of the 2024 CGI Greenhouse cohort, sells glasses for those with visual impairments as well as company merchandise where proceeds support the organization’s mission.
Home
CGI commitment-maker (RED) has multiple gift lines including apparel and home goods, as well as a new collaboration with Woom bikes. Other commitment-makers with gifts for your home include the following: Didomi, selling re-useable water bottles and making other sustainable products where proceeds are reinvested into the mission of providing water access for those in need; Solight, where people can buy solar lamps and or donate lamps as part of various disaster and humanitarian relief efforts; Ahimsa, who manufactures stainless steel dining sets for kids with school and home ranges. Buildher, a CGI Greenhouse social enterprise, also has a sustainable furniture shop that takes custom orders. Caribbean Craft, empowers Haitian artisans by repurposing materials into unique artisan crafts.
Some CGI commitment-makers have also produced extensive holiday gift guides to help shoppers identify fairtrade certified and social enterprise products. Browse Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship’s guide here and Fairtrade America’s here (or view the full Fairtrade International directory). The Fifteen Percent Pledge, led by Aurora James who spoke at the CGI Annual Meeting this year also has a gift guide.