I know – any excuse for a bit of retail therapy – especially if I can salve my conscience by knowing the money went to a good cause! But seriously, there are now a number of awesome companies who donate a large portion or sometimes ALL of their 
profits to extremely important global causes. I was prompted to write this post because I got an email blast from EDUN saying the scarf I had wanted to buy last year, which was sold out – is not available. I think this scarf is so beautiful that I’m going to buy a couple of Holiday gifts before they run out – also because through the month of October – every single cent of profit will go to the help alleviate hunger in Africa.
Shopping can so often feel soul-less – especially when we kind of know, but choose to ignore the fact that our new bag or shirt was probably made overseas by someone who might not have been getting a fair wage for their effort – or at least the kind of wage that would make us feel good about making it. It’s a fact that many sweatshop workers can barely afford to feed their families. I’m the first to rush off and grab a couple of cheap t-shirts or a pair of jeans that my daughter is dying to own (from a chain that I know has unethical practices), – yes I’m guilty as charged! However, I do try to vote with my dollars for the kind of world I want to live in whenever I can.
Here are a few more companies that you might want to consider when purchasing holiday gifts. I find that the recipient is always thrilled when they realize that part of the gift was that my money went to a really great cause – good energy flowing all the way around. There are many reasons why a company might create good juju: maybe they are committed to manufacturing in America (no easy feat nowadays), maybe they use only organic cotton (very hard to do in a price-competitive marketplace), maybe they support struggling artisans – so there are many ways a clothing company can spread the love.
Edun: Created by Bono’s wife, Ali Hewson and supports mainly hunger causes.
Love Less Apparel: Cute t-shirts. A perfect teen gift.
Raw Earth Wild Sky: Committed to using organic cotton and manufacturing in the U.S. They’ve just come out with a gorgeous, easy-to-wear line, which is perfect for layering.
Sea Shepherd: I love Paul Watson and his show and have purchased my husband hats, t-shirts and bumper stickers to support the cause.
Patagonia: One of the few really great clothing companies that has entirely ethical practices.
Divine Chocolate: Truly the most divine chocolate in the world.
Chooze Shoes: Great kids shoes for a great cause.
Ten Thousand Villages: Supports struggling communities and artisans.
World Artisan Guild: Fair Trade Argan Oil
7 Hopes United: Gorgeous Fair-trade gifts.