SAP Community Holiday Shopping Guide: Ideas to Excite, Inspire, and Make an Impact

It’s the thought that counts, not how much you spend on a gift — right? In 2021, consumers in the U.S. alone spent an average of $1,011 during the holiday season, with 226 million people making purchases. According to the National Retail Federation, collective spend amounted to $886.7 billion, up 14.1% from 2020.

What if making a small shift in your purchasing decisions this holiday season could collectively create billions of dollars in investment into solving for mounting issues of poverty, waste, and inequality? Would you make a change?

As consumers, we have a unique opportunity to make purchases that have real impact. By supporting social enterprises, local small businesses, and diverse business owners this season, the money you spend will have a direct, positive impact on your community and the people and ecosystems in need around the world. It’s a win-win: find the perfect gift you’re looking for and invest in causes that matter to you! Maybe you’re thinking, “That sounds nice, but where do I begin?” SAP and our global ecosystem of social impact partners have you covered!

This year, we worked with our social responsibility community, including many of the members of the Global Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship, to compile a comprehensive list of places to shop from around the world. These holiday shopping suggestions are sure to delight and inspire you and deliver impact as well.

Jeroo Billimoria, co-founder of Catalyst 2030, shared that the Catalyst Marketplace originally started out as a crazy idea, but turned into something wonderful: “Catalyst Market is a perfect example of hundreds of entrepreneurs coming together — in only one year — to create a new kind of marketplace that prioritizes people and planet in a regenerative model of commerce.”

Along with last year’s guide, this is a one-stop resource for all your shopping needs this holiday season, and all throughout the year. We thank the social enterprises, social impact communities, and SAP colleagues who have all contributed to make this a globally relevant gift guide, and are hopeful that our efforts will make it a little easier for you to find something magical and memorable to give the ones you love.

And if there are other incredible social enterprises or gift guides you love that are not listed here, share your suggestions on social media, tagging @SAP4Good on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. Let’s continue to build on this collective list of businesses that truly represent the meaning of the season.

Happy holidays!

2022 Holiday Gift Guide

Global

• Catalyst Market: A brand-new community-curated global marketplace, collaboratively run by purpose-driven enterprises. The Catalyst Market gift card allows consumers to shop across more than 100 global social enterprises.
• Gifts for Good: Products support the work of more than 40 nonprofits and social enterprises in 19 states and 65 countries around the globe.
• Good Market: An online marketplace and curated community platform for purpose driven businesses; free to set up a profile for your social enterprise.
• Powered by People: The wholesale marketplace for conscious buyers.
• UNICEF Market: An online store for people shopping for unusual and beautifully crafted items. Every purchase supports local artisans around the world and unlocks a donation to UNICEF. Learn more; note that shipping only available in the U.S.
• World Fair Trade Federation: A trade association of fair trade enterprises fully committed to equitable and sustainable trading partnerships.

Africa

Kenya

• Enda Sportswear: Aims to champion meaningful progress in people’s lives through high-quality shoes, gear, and goods that celebrate their Kenyan heritage (shipping available to U.S. customers).
• Tunga Tunga: A marketplace for high- quality, locally designed, and ethically produced African fashion, home decor, and crafts products.

Nigeria

• Durian Nigeria: Provides intensive training and employment opportunities for rural women in Imafon, Nigeria. These women learn to make beautiful crafts from waste materials, produce body butters, and other agricultural products, which are then sold and gives them a source of livelihood.

South Africa

• My Big Name: A children’s book by Amonge Elethu Sinxoto to inspire confidence and positive change around the world (ships internationally).

Uganda

• Kimuli Collections: Up-cycled fashion brand, training and employing persons with disabilities.
• Reform Africa: Sustainable, waterproof accessories made from plastic waste.
• RefuSHE Artisan Collective: Empowers refugee women in East Africa with the education and opportunities they need to become skilled, confident, economically independent entrepreneurs.

Asia

India

• Bazic: India’s first crop-to-cookie brand crafts delicious, clean, super nutritious baked goods using ancient grains.
• Ekatra: A female-led social enterprise that produces hand-crafted stationery and engages women from marginalized communities to co-create the stationery, providing a new path to financial independence through the new trade of upcycling, recycling, and making (ships internationally).
• Hasthkala Curators: Handmade, hand painted, eco-friendly products for home decor and gifting, made by artisans who can earn consistent and dignified livelihood from their craft. Their products are made with fusion of more than one art form and are inspired by the rich heritage of India.
• I was a Sari: A social enterprise that takes waste-bound saris and up-cycles them into beautiful clothes and accessories. Along the way, it employs women who did not have the opportunity for an education and path to financial independence and security (ships internationally).
• Indian Yards: A social enterprise upskilling women from rural and indigenous communities of The Nilgiris into fine first-generation artisans. Indian Yards uses only natural fibers to handcraft a wide variety of products using craft forms such as macrame, crochet, quilting, needle work, embroidery, and more.
• Jaipur Rugs: Works directly with artisans, empowering them and their communities with a sustainable livelihood. Available in multiple countries outside of India.
• MeMeraki: A social enterprise that works with artists across more than 70 styles of traditional arts and crafts to create live online workshops, masterclasses, and DIY kits, and also retails beautiful art handmade by these master artists. Their work creates sustainable new livelihoods for traditional and folk artists and provides experiences and products to consumers.
• Resham Dor: A purpose-driven brand that focuses on revival of dying craft clusters across India with the aim to connect consumers and global businesses with the rare crafts of India. Resham Dor aims to empower the Indian artisans and create a sustainable life for them.
• Sirohi: A sustainable brand for home decor and gifting products. Backed by a large network of women artisans, Sirohi is on a mission to create income opportunities for women from marginalized populations in India with existing craft skills (ships internationally).
• Studio Coppre: A social enterprise dedicated to preserving heritage craftsmanship by adapting the heritage handcrafting process, artisanal skills, and know-how to create new products suited for contemporary homes and living.
• Sutrakaar Creations: Endeavors to give form to discarded paper through hand spinning, weaving, and handcrafting, amalgamating the traditional skills and knowledge with contemporary appeal (ships internationally).
• Tamul Plates: A social enterprise that produces biodegradable disposable dinnerware through community-owned micro-enterprises spread across Northeast India. The tableware provides quality, green alternatives while helping to generate sustainable livelihoods amongst rural women and youth, locally.
• Terracotta by Sachii: A designed and curated collection of contemporary terracotta crafts from heritage pottery clusters of India, with a vision to bring the indigenous pottery crafts into the main stream.
• Verth: A curated subscription or one-time purchase box filled with ecoconscious products. To Verth, it matters how these products are made and who they empower.

Indonesia

• Rubysh Jewelry: an emerging brand of eco-sustainable fashion that takes advantage of the abundance of waste materials. By doing so, Rubysh has successfully recovered hundreds of kilograms of waste to turn into pieces of jewelry.
• Wangsa Jelita: health and beauty products with zero chemicals and support to local rose farmers.

Malaysia

• Batik Boutique: Works with over 200 artisans to make gifts, apparel, and merchandise with hand-dyed textiles and eco-friendly materials (ships internationally).
• Earth Heir: Celebrating craftsmanship and advocating conscious consumption, Earth Heir serves traditional artisans in underserved communities by supporting them with market access and education in ethical business operations.
• Fugeelah: A women-led conscious jewelry brand that educates, employs, and empowers refugee children and youth, Fugeelah is deeply devoted to quality and dedicates itself to thoughtful sourcing, fair wages for the female artisans with whom they co-creates collections, as well as give-back initiatives that truly have an impact.

Nepal

• Manushi Arts: A social enterprise dedicated to preserving traditional Nepali arts and crafts while improving the economic conditions of disadvantaged and marginalized producers – primarily women – through sustainable development.

Philippines

• Messy Bessy: A pioneering UN-recognized Filipino social enterprise that produces a line of sustainable, green, biodegradable, and non-toxic home and personal care products.
• Project Lilly PH: A livelihood project-turned-social enterprise that specializes in making ecofriendly charcoal made from coconut waste, called the Eco-Uling. It aims to end poverty, save the environment, and empower people in their own little ways.

Thailand

• Dao Ethical Gifts: A social enterprise that offers customizable and unique products, handmade by marginalized women with locally sourced materials, as an alternative to traditional corporate gifts.

Australia & New Zealand

• Ākina: A social enterprise that offer a range of consulting and business development services to support businesses in creating positive impact.
• Ākina has created a list of 11 social enterprises to support this holiday season.
• Social Traders Gift Finder: Australia’s first national directory of Certified Social Enterprises. The linked list has been filtered down to social enterprises offering giftable items, but the filter can be removed to search for other services.

Europe

Austria

• Vollpension Backakademie: An online baking school and coffee shop concept for seniors baking cakes and teaching baking classes to earn additional money to supplement their minimum pension and avoid old-age isolation. In-studio, live online, and on-demand courses available.

France

• Vista Ballon: Fair and circular football brand.

Germany

• Beliya: With the first charity bag label in Germany, every purchase enables a vulnerable child in Africa to attend school for one year. The bags are created by two women from Hamburg from fine leather returns and surpluses from designer houses.
• Bridge & Tunnel: Standing for design that changes society, the label produces sustainably and fairly in Hamburg with socially disadvantaged people as well as with refugees who have only recently come to Germany. Both are united by their enormous craftsmanship beyond certificates and diplomas.
• Conflictfood: The founders of Conflictfood travel to the trouble spots of this world, looking for specialties typical of the country and deal with local farmers: honest, directly, and fair. They strengthen economic structures, fight the root causes of flight, and create peaceful perspectives. Enjoy culinary treasures from all over the world through Conflictfood.
• Kuchentratsch: A social startup from Munich where senior citizens bake delicious granny cakes. Its goal is to make life more worth living! Senior citizens pursue a meaningful activity and become part of a community, avoiding loneliness and isolation while pursuing their passion for baking.
• Nuru Coffee: Fair Ethiopian coffee with profits going directly to farmers and cutting the middleman (ships to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland).
• Ohana: Coffee and tea with social impact directly 100% transparent from the producers. Ohana builds a bridge between family-run coffee and tea farms and socially responsible companies. With purchase prices well above the world market and sustainable partnerships, the company supports farmers and at the same time ensure long-term high quality for customers. Ohana plants a tree for every kilogram of coffee or tea that binds CO2, contributing to biodiversity and creating jobs.
• Quartiermeister: A social beer brand from Berlin-Kreuzberg. Every bottle of Quartiermeister support the work of social and cultural projects in the neighbourhood. Every beer is a donation. The company distributes all of its profits where the beer is sold. Consumption becomes a good deed. Quartiermeister has been campaigning for a fair economy for the good of all since 2010.
• Soul Bottles: Glass bottles with beautiful designs to discourage plastic waste from bottled water consumption, with profits going to water charities.
• Stadtbienen: Founded in 2014, Stadtbienen e.V. takes care of a species-appropriate habitat for honey and wild bees in the city. Inspired by the natural approach of the Mellifera association, a bee house was developed that allows beekeeping even on your own balcony. Support the work with the eco-fair gift box.
• Sofaconcerts: In large concert halls and at festivals, there is often a certain distance between artist and audience. It is completely different with sofa concerts. With these, a completely new musical experience is created. Experience the music up close and real with friends in your own home – or zoom call.
• Theyo: Online chocolate shop focused on socialecological fairness, quality, and craftsmanship.
• Über den Tellerrand: Since 2013, Über den Tellerrand has contributed to the integration and social participation of refugees in society. The company creates spaces that enable encounter and exchange at eye level and promotes friendships between people with and without a refugee experience. In these diverse encounter activities, mutual prejudices are broken down, openness and respect are promoted, and language skills and cultural knowledge are passed on.

Greece

• Mimycri: High-quality bags and backpacks from broken refugee rubber boats (ships within Europe).

Ireland

• Thriftify: An online charity shop that ships internationally.

Netherlands

• Makers Unite: Clothes and other textile products made from secondhand textiles and created by newcomers to the Netherlands (ships internationally at additional cost).
• Social Impact Market by Social Enterprise NL: Buy Social Market is the simplest way to buy with impact; all products and services are offered by sustainable and inclusive companies. Check out its Christmas brochure for gift ideas.

Slovakia

• Sobi Eco: Laptop sleeves and slow fashion accessories, all made ethically and from upcycled materials (ships internationally).

U.K.

• eBay for Change: An initiative aimed at helping social enterprises thrive online, elevating the work of social enterprises that are supporting economic opportunities for marginalized communities.
• Khushi Kantha: A social enterprise that employs women, particularly mothers, from the Rohingya refugee community in India to create one-of-a-kind, multi-purpose baby blankets, which are hand-stitched from reclaimed and ethically-sourced cotton.
• Social Enterprise UK 2022 Gift Guide: The UK’s membership body for social enterprises leads the world’s largest network of businesses with a social purpose who together are helping to create a fairer economy and a more sustainable future for everyone.
• Social Supermarket Gifting Guide: Brings together businesses that are a force for good all under one virtual roof.

Middle East

Lebanon

• INAASH: An organization producing the finest quality handmade artisanal products and maximizing employment opportunities for female artisans (ships internationally).

Turkey

• TOYI: Unique eco-friendly creative building kit that enables children to transform everyday objects into unique toys (ships within the EU).

North America

Canada

• Aurora Heat: Indigenous owned business committed to nature and values the interdependency between all living things. Aurora Heat designs and hand creates sustainable, new-to-market products made from natural fur (ships within Canada and the U.S.)
• Red Rebel Armour: Indigenous artists share stories of resilience through authentic art, culture, and fashion to empower the next generation (ships internationally).
• Totem Design House: Indigenous owned, eco-friendly collections of women’s wear and home decor textiles (ships internationally).

U.S.

• 734 Coffee: Coffee grown in Ethiopia, with all proceeds going back to scholarships and education programs for refugees of Sudan in the region the coffee is grown.
• Blue Dot: Corporate gifting that is engaging, measurable, and meaningful.
• Buy Social USA Gift Guide 2022
• Chicago French Press: Offers 15 flavors of fair-trade, non-GMO whole and ground coffee beans with specialty and seasonal flavors through a delivery and subscription service (ships to the U.S. and Canada).
• Eco-Bags: A social enterprise offering ethically and sustainably sourced, durable, reusable bags that inspire people to reduce, reuse, recycle and re-imagine the world we live in (ships internationally).
• Fancy Free Hair and Skin: Personal care products that are fancy and free of harsh chemicals.
• Grant Blvd: Philadelphia-based manufacturing startup on a mission to construct stylish, sustainably sourced fashion. They aspire to support women from disenfranchised groups, especially those who are formerly incarcerated, in leading self-sufficient lives by creating fair wage employment opportunities.
• HeARTwares: A place to shop for meaningful gifts, jewelry, and housewares. All of the merchandise was created by participants in Art with a Heart’s workforce development program, and by committed volunteers. Sale proceeds are shared between Art with a Heart and the artist or community partner.
• Inspire by Tyler: Stunning 3D portrait art made with synthetic hair you can feel and 2D reproductions and accessories from the mind of critically acclaimed visual artist Tyler Clark.
• Kazi: Remarkable and handmade wall statements for a thoughtful home, Kazi alleviates poverty in Africa through job creation.
• LIKHA: Empowering artisan families in the Phillipines to overcome poverty by reimagining time-honored local craft for the global marketplace.
• Oyin Handmade: Artisanal manufacturer of moisture-rich personal care products, especially formulated for highly textured hair and dry skin (ships internationally).
• PHS Dessert Bar: An online baking shop that ships nationwide, products include custom cakes, cake jars, and celebration boxes.
• Rebel Nell: A mission-driven jewelry company that puts people and products at its forefront as a social enterprise. Rebel Nell use profits to support programs that promote mental well-being, financial training, career education, and other wrap-around programs.
• Rochelle Porter Design: A lifestyle brand specializing in thoughtfully made goods, Rochelle Porter combines passion for patterns with a commitment to responsible manufacturing.
• Sugarless Keto: A low-carb baking mix company that offers sugar free and gluten free dessert baking mixes. The range of products consist of sugar and gluten free cake mixes, frosting mixes, and sprinkles.
• TPMOCS: With moccasins for children, TPMOCS gives back to Native American communities through employment opportunities and resources.
• True Moringa: Empowering small farming families in Ghana to bring 100% pure cold-pressed moringa oil to conscious consumers worldwide.
• Vega Coffee: Supporting the financial security of women coffee farmers (ships internationally).
• World for Good: Partners with NGOs around the world that employ women from disadvantaged communities and pay them fair wages to create beautiful and unique cloth bags from fabric scraps.
• Yellow Leaf Hammocks: Each Yellow Leaf hammock is handwoven by the expert craftswomen of the Mlabri Tribe in the hills of Northern Thailand. Across three weaving communities, Yellow Leaf Hammocks works to create jobs for mothers and build a foundation for positive community transformation (ships internationally).

South & Central America

Guatemala

• mi eelo: A social impact business located in the community surrounding the Guatemala City garbage dump, mi eelo is a 100% women-run team, utilizing honest, handmade processes, and recycled materials to create high-quality products (ships to the U.S. and Canada).
• naturalART: Home decor that explores synergies between designers and artisans, and empowers rural communities to rescue their cultural techniques, mitigate migration and preserve culture (ships internationally).
• Tiera y Lava: Conscious skincare with Mayan wisdom, that is both kind to your skin and the earth (ships internationally).
• Trama Textiles: A cooperative of female Mayan backstrap loom weavers across Guatemala, Trama Textiles works directly with 100 women from 17 weaving communities across five regions to offer textile products as well as weaving classes at the Trama office in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala (ships internationally).

Mexico

• Someone Somewhere: Contributes to artisans’ wellbeing, the development of small businesses, and preservation of traditional crafting techniques through fair trade by providing secure incomes and community.

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