50+ Conscious Brands Doing Business for Good

Now, more than ever, there is a great need for humanity to come together and solve some massive crises that affect us all. The degradation of our environment, devastating poverty, lack of access to basic resources or education, fellow humans or living beings needlessly suffering.

You get the picture. We need to step it up and do more. A lot more.

At the same time, those of us fortunate enough to live comfortably in the “developed” world are surrounded by a culture of consumerism, sensory delights, and fleeting thrills. We like shiny new things, fancy food, and anything that makes life easier or more fun.

This isn’t a bad thing, it’s just how we’re wired. We may think about helping others more, giving donations when we can, but there’s only so much we can care about, and we’re living in our own bubbles most of the time.

Nonprofits are great, amazing in fact, they do the hard work on the ground to actually help people, plant trees, build schools, clean up the oceans, find new homes for refugees, etc. But they can’t do it alone with meager funds, and addressing these issues after significant damage has been done is not nearly as effective as shifting the paradigm of how we co-exist on this planet in order to really solve some of these problems through awareness and action.

We need to live more holistically, bridge the gap, evolve.

It’s a massive challenge, one that businesses and creative entrepreneurs are in a unique position to address, and they’re already doing it...

With the power of CONSCIOUS CONSUMERISM.

By integrating the innovation, creativity, and influence of business with an intention of affecting real positive change, we are seeing an increasing number of hybrid business models that are thriving with profitability AND contributing to creating a better world. Hallelujah!

If you haven’t heard of the conscious consumerism movement, B-corps, Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR), and #businessforgood, then prepare to fall in love and regain hope in humanity.

I truly believe this is how most business will be done in the future, so let’s get on the bandwagon and support these efforts together.

If you’re a business owner, check out the companies below and let them inspire you with a new vision, an opportunity to not just make money, but make a positive impact.

If you’re an individual, choose to shop with brands like these as much as you can, because you vote with your money, and by supporting these businesses you are supporting something good and much larger than yourself.

Here are 50+ conscious brands doing good while making money

(I plan to keep this list ongoing, welcoming any suggestions for additions! Bookmark this bad boy for anytime you need gift ideas.)

Apparel

Toms – perhaps one of the most popular, they sell comfy shoes and other wearables, then help provide shoes, sight, water, safe birth, and bullying prevention services to people in need.

The Elephant Pants – makers of elephant-themed clothing and accessories for adults and kids. 10% of net profits is donated to the American Wildlife Foundation.

Tentree – manufacturers of ethical apparel, planting 10 trees for every purchase.

Darn Good Yarn - wholesaler and retailer of original recycled yarns, clothing and home goods, made in small batches by artisans in India.

Out of Print – they make t-shirts and other products with iconic book covers or themes. They also support literacy and book donations in underserved communities.

Toad & Co. – a sustainable clothing company, contributing to causes that improve the lives of adults with disabilities.

Eileen Fisher – quality apparel made with sustainability in mind, supporting conservation efforts and human rights.

Life is Good - optimism-inspired shirts and other apparel, with a Foundation that partners with leading childcare organizations to positively impact the quality of care delivered to the most vulnerable children. 

Oliberte - Fair Trade Certified boots, footwear, and other accessories supporting workers in sub-Saharan Africa and donating 1% for the planet. 

Gudrun Sjoden - eco-friendly clothes and houseware, with proceeds going towards sustainability and impacting environmental business policy.

Ethos Collection - Fair Trade clothing and accessories, with 3% of proceeds invested in Kiva micro-loans around the world. 

Bombas - super soft cotton socks, every purchase results in a pair donated to the homeless.

REI - outdoor gear, apparel, and related accessories, with a coop business model, run on renewable energy for operations, and partnering with countless nonprofits for environmental stewardship, education, and social good.

Devocean Co. - makers of hoodies, t-shirts, jewelry, hats, and towels. Focused on raising awareness about the growing fragility of marine habitats, currently donating 20% of profits for sea turtles.

Accessories

Feed project – makers of quality bags and accessories, and providers of school meals for children around the world.

Hopeshades - eco-friendly sunglasses, donating to a cause of your choice based on color, as well as to an emergency fund for any cause that needs immediate action.

Planet Love Life - recycled marine debris awareness accessories, hand crafted from salvaged fishing nets & ropes collected during beach cleanup projects, benefitting ocean conservation.

Ubuntu Amulet - jewelry with symbolism for religious and cultural unity, a portion of each sales goes to MasterPeace, an organization focused on peace-building around the world.

Rice Love – upcycled bags, 1 kilo of rice is donated in India and Nepal for every bag purchased.

Warby Parker – offering quality eyewear at an affordable price, Warby Parker donates a pair of glasses to someone in need with every purchase through their partner organization.

Trades of Hope - ethically produced accessories and home decor following Fair Trade practices, empowering artisan women around the world and donating to organizations that also support women in challenging social situations. 

Sprout Watches - eco-friendly watches made from sustainable materials, donating 1% of profits to environmental efforts.

Love Your Melon - makers of hats and beanies, donating hats to kids with cancer and supporting nonprofits dedicated to research in pediatric cancer.

Edibles

Alter Eco – they produce healthy and tasty foods like quinoa and chocolate with an environmentally responsible and socially just model that preserves the land and helps communities of farmers flourish.

Dean’s Beans – purveyors of great tasting, organic, and Fair Trade coffee, Dean’s Beans also funds a variety of initiatives including reforestation projects, micro-loans, and community health development.

Four Sigmatic – creators of healthy mushroom products, Four Sigmatic partners with a cancer organization and sends high value mushroom kits to patients in need of wellness and cheering.

Snack Nation – a healthy snack delivery services for offices, donating 10 meals for every snack box shipped via Feeding America.

Andean Naturals – a quinoa importer and champion of quinoa growers with a sustainability program that includes environmental, social, and financial initiatives focused on their farming communities.

Numi Tea – makers of organic and Fair Trade certified teas, with a philanthropic mission that supports the environment, K-12 education, and wellness initiatives.

Natural Vitality - makers of wellness supplements and sponsors of organizations and initiatives that focus on personal, social, and environmental health.

New Chapter - non-GMO certified organic supplements with a philanthropic mission that includes human health, environmentalism, and traditional herbal medicine.

Whole Earth & Sea - vegan raw food vitamins using organic, non-gmo ingredients, with $2 of every bottle sold going to support seewhatgrows.org.

Body & Home 

Soapbox – makers of natural bar and liquid soap products, donating soap, fresh water, or vitamins to children in need.

Sack Cloth & Ashes - makers of tribal-inspired wool blend blankets made in the U.S.A. For every blanked purchased, one is donated to a homeless shelter.

Prosperity Candle – makers of natural soy candles, with proceeds benefitting refugee women.

W.S. Badger Company – makers of certified organic body care products, supporting organic farms and promoting holistic, chemical-free initiatives for the wellbeing of people and the planet.

Smile Squared – makers of bamboo toothbrushes, donating one toothbrush for every purchase to children in need.

Klean Kanteen – makers of durable stainless steel cups, bottles, and food containers, donating 1% of profits to plastic cleanup efforts, conservation, and environmental stewardship.

Mad Hippie – natural skin care line, donating $1 of every web sale to wildlife conservation.

Young Living – makers of quality essential oils, with their own Foundation that provides wellness and education opportunities to underserved communities around the world.

Give Something Back – office supply company, donating 73% of after-tax profits to charitable causes fighting hunger, helping the environment, or supporting youth and families.

Kids & Pets

Wapikka – a teddy bear company not only making cute toys, but also feeding a child in Malawi for a year with every bear sold.

Everything Happy – makers of children’s clothes, blankets, and pillows, for every purchase a donation is made to orphanages, children’s hospitals, or poverty-stricken communities.

Baby Teresa – an organic clothing company for babies, donations are made via products to babies around the world, or charitable giving for formula or helping mothers in need.

Bogo Bowl – pet food company, donating food to animal shelters.

Travel/Experiences

The Institute for Integrative Nutrition - a comprehensive online Health Coach Training Program, regularly supporting nonprofits that focus on holistic wellness and sustainability.  

Animal Experience International – providers of volunteer adventure experiences where people interact with and protect wildlife at sanctuaries, conservatories, and rehab centers. Experiences are structured around actual needs of placement partners, and proceeds go towards supporting those wildlife organizations.

Miscellaneous

Kiva store - Kiva is a nonprofit organization providing small loans directly to people all around the world, and now they have a shop so you can buy from independent artisans online.

Ten Thousand Villages - a non-profit social enterprise that partners with independent small-scale artisan groups, co-ops, and workshops to bring a variety of handmade wares to the global community. Fair trade standards that help communities thrive.

There’s even a pub in Portland that donates profits to a variety of charitable causes. Their hashtag is #aletruism. How genius is that?!

The above are examples of consumer-friendly brands with products we can all use, but there are many more conscious organizations that offer a range of services in nearly anything you can imagine, such as web development, financial investment, consulting, pharmaceuticals, and more.

Below are some additional resources you can explore if you’re interested in business for good. Not all of these have donation partnerships necessarily, but they all conduct business in a way that is positive, enriching, and/or sustainable.

2015’s best of the world from B-corp

Global brands with impressive CSR programs

And if you’re a business owner who’s interested in integrating sales with charitable contribution, then check out 1% for the planet, or Buy1Give1.

Because we all share this beautiful world and we’re all we’ve got. Let’s work together and solve these big challenges with good ol’ fashioned commerce!