Five Gifts That Give Back

Nov. 23, 2014

1. COFFEES FOR CHANGE

Loved ones can enjoy a second cup of morning Joe guilt-free with Higher Grounds Trading Company’s Coffees for Change program. A portion of the proceeds from each one or five-pound bag in this specialty line of hand-crafted coffees benefits a mission-based nonprofit. Flavors – and partnering nonprofits – include Water Carrier’s Blend (Chiapas Water Project/On the Ground), Safe Passage Blend (Safe Passage), Cafe Zapatista (Schools for Chiapas/On the Ground), Fishtown Blend (Fishtown Preservation Society) and Michigan BOLD, STRONG, BRIGHT and SMOOTH blends (Michigan Coffees for Change). As a bonus, the coffee is delicious: 100 percent organic, fair trade and sustainably grown. (www.highergroundstrading.com)

2. TOMS SHOES

Perfect for the hipster or fashionista in your life, the TOMS line of colorful, comfortable footwear makes a statement both on the street and across the globe: for every pair of shoes purchased, the company donates a pair to a child in need. TOMS has expanded its inventory dramatically since launching in 2006; while the classic slip-ons are still a best-seller and now come in a wide array of colors and styles, the company also offers boots, wedges, ballet flats, sandals and slippers. (Women’s, men’s and children’s styles all available at several local stores or at toms.com)

3. LOCAL ARTS MEMBERSHIPS

For a gift that literally keeps on giving, look no further than an annual membership to a community arts or theater organization. At the State Theatre and Bijou By the Bay in Traverse City, memberships range from $50 for a basic membership to $400 for an all-access membership. (Memberships for the Traverse City Film Festival are also available starting at $80; www.traversecityfi lmfestival.org.) A $50 Friend of the National Writers Series (www.nationalwritersseries.org) membership lets the book-lover in your life purchase tickets to national author events at the Traverse City Opera House a week before the public, while a $35 membership to Petoskey’s Crooked Tree Arts Center (www.crookedtree. org) provides year-round special pricing on concerts and events.

4. SPIRITS OF GIVING

A bottle of wine or a nice spirit can make a great gift for friends or family as well as the inevitable line of hosts at your parade of holiday parties. For wine, try stocking up on local bottles at the Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula’s Day of Giving on Saturday, December 13 (www.wineriesofoldmission.com). Each winery has selected a nonprofit group in the community with which to partner, and will donate 15 percent of gross sales for the day to that organization. In more of a cocktail mood? Try a bottle of Belvedere Vodka’s special RED edition (available in stores and at www.belvederevodka. com; average price $35). The company donates 50 percent of the profits from every sale to the Global Fund, which works to eliminate AIDS in Africa.

5. NEST ARTISAN GOODS

The products featured in the online storefront on Nest (buildanest.com) aren’t just chic, well-made gifts with a touch of international fl air (though they are all of those things). They’re also a lifeline for women in developing countries. The profits from the pure pashmina shawls, leather clutches, hammered gold jewelry and handspun Kenyan throws sold on the site – produced by carefully selected up-and-coming designers – support Nest’s micro-loan program, which provides capital to female entrepreneurs in poor communities. Recipients can either repay their loans in cash or by selling goods on Nest. With a 98 percent repayment rate, the company is making good on its promise to help women flourish by establishing a new class of self-sustaining female artists.