MoneySaver: Using your holiday shopping to give to charity or those in need
When it comes to holiday shopping, you don't always have to give a cash donation to give to charity, you just have to know how to shop for items that give back.
"We like to say every item has a story," explained April Ravelli, Executive Director of One World Market in Durham.
"Each item in our store is supporting someone. It could be a homeless mother, it could be an entire family. This scarf I'm wearing, this is all mothers in Ethiopia making these."
One World Market is a fair trade market store, where items being sold are bought from artists under the fair trade standards -- ensuring they make a livable wage for their country.
"We're a non-profit, so the items are not marked up in an extreme amount," she said. "So, it's a very affordable place to shop as well."
And, for customers, it's about much more than just shopping.
"Not only are the things beautiful," said shopper Clare Matti. "But, I feel good about the fact that my purchases are helping to support peoples dreams elsewhere in the world."
"We work with artisan groups that are in 73 developing countries and what we do is we create a sustainable marketplace for those artisans to sell their handcrafts," said Ravelli. "We're a non-profit so the items are not marked up in an extreme amount so its a very affordable place to shop as well."
That business model is one spreading across dozens of corporations.
For example, for each pair of shoes sold by Toms, one is donated to someone in need. If you buy their sunglasses, the company also provides prescription eyewear, sight-saving surgery or medical treatment.
If you shop on Amazon, you can go to Amazon Smile-login with your account, choose your favorite charity and shop as you normally would and Amazon donates a portion for you.
Goodsearch and iGive work the same way -- all allowing you to give to your loved ones while giving back.
For more information on how you can shop and give back, click HERE.
