Gifts That Give Back
This festive season, make your dollar go further with our last-minute, ethical & sustainable gift guide.
Hey friends 👋
If you’re like us and still have some Christmas shopping to do (but want to make it ethical and sustainable), we’ve got you.
Our final newsletter for 2022 is about having a positive impact through the gifts we give, and the people and places that we purchase these from. Keep reading for last-minute ideas for the festive season, and a few gift giving tips for all year round. If you’re looking for extra inspo, head over to this list of 200 good gifts by The Guardian.
Thanks for opening up your inboxes to our lil newsletter this year – and to every single human who contributed their time, insights and stories to the community.
Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and see you in 2023,
— Humans For Good (Georgia, Todd & team) 💛
Last-minute gift inspo
🐅 Stand in solidarity with cacao farmers with this ethical chocolate Christmas bundle
🎈 Gift an experience, a cooking class, or a donation to a charity of choice
🛍 Pick a unique pre-loved item from your local op shop
🌱 Create a greener tomorrow with food you can grow at home
👩🚀 Inspire the next generation with this book about little people who had big dreams
💳 Look at heaaaps of gift card options out there including for second-hand designer clothes, or products made by migrant women or First Nations founders
🍓 DIY it by making a batch of cookies, or jam out of seasonal produce
🥤 Express order Frank Green reusables, or find these near you
🎁 Wrap your gifts in spare fabric (otherwise known as ‘furoshiki’)
💡 Find 200 other last-minute good gifts in The Guardian’s guide
4 things we need to know about ethical gift giving
Amy Crookes leads Environmental Social Governance at EY and recently created her own festive gift guide for partners and staff. Based on her research and experience, Amy has shared her thoughts around making gift giving more ethical, impactful and sustainable (at any time of the year):
There are a wide range of ways you can make your gifts and events more impactful. Think about venues, hampers, wrapping paper, stocking fillers, or Secret Santa gifts.
A great starting point is to search through databases that are run by certifying bodies like Supply Nation, Amotai, WEConnect International and Social Traders to identify good businesses. Not only do you receive a quality product that you would have purchased anyway, but you’re creating a ripple effect of economic, community, social and environmental change at the same time.
Dig a little deeper and make your research collaborative. Reach out for ideas on socials, get to know the people behind the businesses, and then share what you find so that others can learn better ways to give.
Listen to podcasts like Black Magic Woman with Mundanara Bayles. She has really broadened my First Nations knowledge and has guests that run incredible, purpose-driven businesses.
Food for thought
“Buy less, choose well, make it last.” Vivienne Westwood, Designer
“It isn’t enough looking for quality in the products we buy, we must ensure there is quality in the lives of the people who make them.” Orsola De Castro, Fashion Designer and Author
“If we want to move towards a low-polluting, sustainable society, we need to get consumers to think about their purchases.” David Suzuki, Academic
“If it can’t be reduced, reused, repaired, rebuilt, refurbished, refinished, resold, recycled, or composted, then it should be restricted, designed or removed from production.” Pete Seeger, Singer
Thanks for reading and sharing!
Humans For Good is a platform for anyone with an interest in social impact and innovation. We believe that a bit of good can go a long way, and hope to mobilise purpose-driven professionals, entrepreneurs, investors and students to action.
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See you soon,
— Georgia, Todd and the team from Humans For Good