Shop for Gifts With Impact This Holiday Season at the Daily Point of Light Marketplace

As the holiday season approaches, the joy of giving takes center stage, offering a unique opportunity to share gifts with impact. It’s a perfect time to use your

purchase power

to further social good. This year, transform your shopping into a meaningful journey, choosing gifts that not only delight your loved ones but also resonate with deeper values of sustainability, community support and positive change. Welcome to the Daily Point of Light Marketplace – a virtual venue that allows you to shop for products made by

Daily Point of Light

honorees. These social entrepreneurs offer unique products that ultimately better the world through their businesses. You can embrace the spirit of the season by selecting gifts that bring joy to your friends and family, and the world, creating ripples of positive impact that last all year long. See the full suite of products below and read inspiring stories of how these social impact leaders are driving real and sustained change in their communities. But first, find out what a social entrepreneur is and why this pathway is essential to civic engagement.

What Is a Social Entrepreneur?

Social entrepreneurs are innovative changemakers who establish businesses with the primary goal of addressing social, environmental, or cultural challenges. Unlike traditional entrepreneurs, their primary measure of success isn’t profit, but rather the positive impact they can make on society or the environment. Supporting social entrepreneurs is crucial because they often tackle issues that are overlooked or underserved by other sectors. By purchasing from or investing in their businesses, consumers and investors not only receive a product or service but also contribute to solutions for pressing global problems, promote sustainable development, and help foster a more equitable and just society. In essence, supporting social entrepreneurs means playing an active role in shaping a better world through mindful economic choices.


Learn more about Social Entrepreneurs in this free issue of Civic Life Today.


Gifts with Impact: The Daily Point of Light Marketplace

Shop ‘til you drop! These Daily Point of Light honorees are offering products through our marketplace that help you become a champion of social good with every purchase.


Alex Hart-Upendo

: At just 12, Alex founded

Build-A-Bow

, transforming adversity into a thriving business that offers custom bowties and champions community causes. Each purchase supports workshops and anti-bullying initiatives. Join Alex in making a difference—one bow at a time.


Gretchen Holt Witt

: Liam Witt’s childhood cancer diagnosis in 2007 propelled his parents, Gretchen and Larry, into action. They initiated a massive bake-a-thon, baking 96,000 cookies to fund research for better, less toxic pediatric cancer treatments. This effort evolved into

Cookies for Kids’ Cancer

, raising nearly $20 million through grassroots events. By purchasing these cookies, you can enjoy or give a sweet treat this season while joining a movement to change the future of pediatric cancer treatment.


Harry and Heath Bennett

: In response to a classmate’s cancer diagnosis, Harry and Heath crafted

Bennett Brothers Balm

, a natural, organic lip balm, dedicating 100% of profits to cancer research and patient care. Their homemade balm has contributed over $43,000 to the cause. By choosing their products, you’re joining the Bennett brothers in their heartfelt fight against cancer.


Mindy Atwood

: Join

Patches of Light

in their mission to bring relief and unity to families with critically and terminally ill children. Founded by Rodney and Mindy Atwood, who personally experienced the hardships of caring for sick children, Patches of Light offers essential support by covering living expenses and emergency needs. Support this cause by purchasing Mindy’s published books, with all proceeds directly aiding families across the United States and beyond.


Natalie Salvatierra

:

Do Not Worry, Little Donkey

is inspired by Natalie’s heartfelt mission to support those with OCD through her virtual letter-writing platform, Solely Sunshine. This book serves as a gentle, nurturing guide for young children facing common worries and anxieties. By purchasing this book, you not only offer solace to a child but also support a broader cause of spreading kindness and understanding mental health.


Peyton Daley

: Join Peyton’s mission to support the comfort and adoption of shelter animals with

Paw Prints Blankets

. For every cozy blanket you purchase, one is donated to a no-kill animal shelter in the San Francisco Bay Area, bringing warmth to furry friends at Pets in Need, North Valley Animal Disaster Group and Humane Society Silicon Valley. Embrace the cause and share the warmth.


Sir Darius Brown

: Overcoming his own challenges, Darius discovered a passion for making

bow ties for dogs

. His mission began when he realized these dapper accessories could help rescue dogs affected by natural disasters get noticed and adopted faster. By supporting Sir Darius and purchasing his handmade bow ties, you’re accessorizing your pet, while contributing to the mission to save shelter pets and provide them with essential “Wag Bags” filled with much-needed items.


Rhiannon Menn

:

Lasagna Love’s

founder had a goal to positively impact communities by connecting neighbors with neighbors through homemade meal delivery. Check out the culinary collection, featuring baking dishes, knives and much more. Each purchase is a step toward combating hunger and food insecurity in communities across the U.S. Embrace the spirit of giving back while creating delicious meals in the kitchen and carving paths towards a brighter future.


William Cabaniss

: At just 14, William founded

Vanilla Feeds Tomorrow

, driven by a passion to fight hunger. This unique venture, where all work is volunteer based, donates 100% of profits to Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, translating to 601,215 meals so far. By purchasing William’s homemade pure vanilla extract, you’re not just adding flavor to your food; you’re directly contributing to a nourished community.  


 

Shop Now to Let Your Light Shine

The Points of Light online store is now open! Shop for tees, hats, mugs, phone cases and more. Your light is already shining, now’s your chance to show the world just how bright it is.

9 Gifts That Keep on Giving This Holiday Season

The

Points of Light Civic Circle

®

offers nine different ways to get involved and build a more civically engaged life. From

donating

goods and money to

voting

in local and national elections to

volunteering

your time and talent, there are plenty of ways you can give gifts that don’t cost you anything but kindness and a little time. 

This holiday season, we’re offering ideas for nine “gifts” that keep on giving in your community and around the globe, based on the elements of the Civic Circle. Pick one or two, and watch as your contributions start a ripple effect of change.

Donate: 

Donate to a cause close to your heart. You can start by looking for organizations that are already doing good work in your community. Or choose an organization like

Points of Light

that makes a global impact with a mission centered on mobilizing social good by working with a

Global Network

of affiliates from around the world.

Listen & Learn: The Young Activist’s Dictionary of Social Justice

No one is too young to start learning about social justice. Inspire the pint-sized activists in your life by giving them this valuable resource to learn about social justice movements and define commonly used terms. The book features a variety of young advocates across movements – from Ruby Bridges to Malala Yousafzai.

Purchase Power: Small Business Gifts & Gift Cards

Supporting small businesses is a fantastic way to make a difference in your community while giving thoughtful gifts. Make a list of several small, local stores in your region and browse their shops to find items for your loved ones. Not sure what to purchase? You can still use your dollar to support small business owners and leave the choosing up to the recipient – purchase a gift card instead.

Service: Send Holidays Cards Military Service Members

Choosing to live a life of service comes with sacrifice, which can often mean being separated from family for long periods. You show your gratitude by sending personalized cards and letters to military heroes who serve in the U.S. and abroad. The Holiday Card Challenge and #cards2connect programs let them know that they are not alone during the winter holiday season and throughout the year.

Social Entrepreneur: 4Ocean Goods 

When 4Ocean was founded, they started by making bracelets out of plastic collected from the ocean. Today, the organization has pulled 26,335,566 pounds of trash from the world’s oceans, rivers and coastlines, offering bracelets of all varieties plus footwear, water bottles and other apparel. Make an impact by choosing sustainable fashion that is simultaneously solving a global issue.

Vote: Rock the Vote Goods & Apparel 

For the passionate participant in every election – encourage voting with trendy tees, mugs, bags and more from Rock the Vote. This nonprofit organization has registered and turned out millions of young voters on campuses, in communities and online for 25 years. Their online store has a variety of gifts made for everyone from babies to seniors.

Voice: Raise Awareness and End Stereotypes

Use your voice to erase racism, hunger, homelessness or climate change. Be a part of ending harmful stereotypes and raising awareness for these causes by having authentic conversations with friends and family or posting on social media. For example, the United Nations makes it easy to leverage their

social media tools

to reach your social network and #FightRacism. Start your own conversation and be the change you want to see in the world.

Volunteer: A Volunteering Event or Day of Service

What better way to get the whole family or group of friends involved than to encourage volunteering through a day of service? Make a list of some local nonprofit organizations and call around to find out what their needs are, or check out

Points of Light Engage

to find local or virtual volunteer opportunities. From coat drives to toy drives to food drives, many nonprofits are in need of volunteers around the holiday season.

Work: Benefits for Your Employees

If you own a business or manage a team of employees, you have a unique opportunity to provide them with beneficial gifts this holiday season. While you’ll need to keep in mind what you can legally gift your employees, you might consider giving them a holiday bonus, throwing in an extra day off or starting an

employee engagement program

with volunteer time off in 2023. Look at your team’s needs and your business’ budget to determine the best course of action, then extend your gratitude to your hard-working team. They’ll appreciate the recognition.

Are you inspired to give gifts that keep on giving? Once you decide on a gift or two to give this holiday season,

tag us on social media

to share your experience with us. We can’t wait to see all the good you do this year.