This list was compiled in previous years by fifth graders as part of the Real Life simulation project. To put a more socially conscious spin on traditional holiday shopping, students discussed the meaning of social responsibility with their families and the class before doing research on companies, non-profits, and charitable organizations that fit their personal definitions. This list was then used to support a Real Life class project, though some students also chose to use the resources in their actual holiday shopping outside of school.
| Name |
Website |
Description |
| Air Packs |
www.airpacks.com |
Sells all sorts of briefcases and other carrying bags. |
| Andrew McMeel Publishing |
www.andrews
mcmeel.com |
A publishing company that publishes books such as Foxtrot. Uses 100% recycled paper. |
| Astro Power |
www.gepower.com |
Makes solar products, solar cells, modules, panels, systems and solar electricity |
| Avon |
www.avon.com |
A global beauty & beauty products company committed to diversity, environmental responsibility, & ethical business practices. |
| Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream |
www.benjerry.com |
Contributes earnings to organizations that work to eliminate injustices, and support children, families and the environment. |
| Brown Cow |
www.browncowfarm.com |
Donates 10% of their products to environmental causes and local family farms. Produce milk that is free of growth hormones & try to use environmentally-friendly packaging. |
| Clif Bar |
www.clifbar.com |
Produces energy bars with organic ingredients, uses “green bushiness” practices, and fights against global warming. |
| Community Shops |
www.cshops.org |
An internet storefront that allows grassroots companies to sell their goods online. |
| Day Star Technologies Inc. (DSTI) |
www.daystartech.com |
Making solar energy affordable without pollution |
| Defenders of Wildlife |
www.bapd.org |
Dedicated to the protection of wildlife and plants. |
| Gear that Gives |
www.gearthatgives.com |
Sells clothes and assorted gear and gives proceeds to a good cause. |
| Good that Give |
www.goodsthatgive.org |
Offers products from socially responsible companies. |
| Green Mtn. Coffee Roasters |
www.greenmountain
coffeeroaster.com |
Coffee company that pays the farmer $1.26 per pound instead of $.50. |
| Horizon Organic |
www.horizonorganic.com |
Donates 10% of its proceeds to charity. |
| Icebreaker |
www.icebreaker.com |
Sustainable production of clothing from renewable resources; animals treated respectfully. |
| Jewish Community Center of S.F. |
www.jccsf.org |
Provides programs for early childhood education and provides English language classes. |
| Kenneth Cole |
www.kennethcole.com |
15% of their profit goes to AIDS research, Help USA, etc. |
| KKSF |
www.kksf.com |
Radio station that sells advertisements and gives profits to AIDS research. |
| Lots to Learn |
www.lotstolearn.com |
Provides educational tools such as videos and books. |
| Newman’s Own |
www.newmansown.com |
Makes salad dressing, juice, food products, cookbooks, clothes and donates all proceeds to charities. |
| Niman Ranch |
www.nimanranch.com |
Produces organic meat in an environmentally-friendly way. |
| North Face |
www.northface.com |
Sells clothing/gear; Provides loans and job training for women in Pakistan |
| Paloweb |
www.paloweb.com |
Recommends socially responsible companies to invest in. |
| Patagonia |
www.patagonia.com |
Makes clothing and generously gives to charity for environmental reasons. |
| Peet’s Coffee |
www.peets.com |
A socially-responsible coffee company. For ex., on July 18th ’06, Peet’s did an AIDS walk in SF, Boston, Chicago and other cities. |
| Reusable Bags |
www.reusablebags.com |
Sells many different kinds of bags to use for shopping instead of paper or plastic. |
| Rocafella |
www.rocafella.com |
They make clothes and Cds of artists like Kanye West, JayZ and more |
| Southwest Airlines |
www.southwest.com |
Airline dedicated to the highest quality of customer service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, & company spirit. |
| Starbucks |
www.starbucks.com |
Pays coffee workers fair wages. |
| Steel Case |
www.steelcase.com |
Makes office furnishings in a responsible way. |
| Sundance |
www.sundance
catalog.com |
Donates 10% its profits on catalog sales to environmental projects and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. |
| Thanksgiving Coffee |
www.thanksgiving
coffee.com |
A socially responsible company with a political vision and a commitment to sustainability. |
| The Body Shop |
www.bodyshop.com |
Sells environmentally friendly cosmetic products. |
| The Breast Cancer Site |
www.thebreast
cancersite.com |
Buy items like jewelry and clothing; all profits go to people in need. |
| Tom’s of Maine |
www.tomsofmaine.com |
Health products, including toothpaste, made from all natural ingredients; not animal tested. |
| Twin Oaks Hammocks |
www.twinoaksstore.com |
Sells hammocks made out of recycled fiber. |
| Whole Foods |
www.wholefoods.com |
Sells organic and natural foods. |
| Wild Oats Natural Marketplace |
www.wildoats.com |
Provides customers with natural foods and health care products. Supports the local economy by offering locally produced and manufactured products including organic and locally grown produce. |
| Working Assets |
www.workingassets.com |
Phone company that donates a percentage of profits to charities. |
| World Build |
www.worldbuild.com |
Provider of solutions for sustainable development. |
| AGI |
www.altgifts.org |
Collects money and distributes it to relief agencies (agencies that help needy populations). |
| ALS Association |
www.alsa.org |
Tries to raise money and find a cure for ALS. |
| AME Zion Church |
www.netministries.org |
Offers a weekly free lunch program and organizes a Clothes Closet for people in need in local area. |
| B.A.F.A. |
www.bafa.org |
Helps Bay Area community charities. Focuses on soup kitchens. |
| Charity America |
www.charityamerica.org |
Donate items and they will sell them to raise money. |
| Child Link |
www.child-link.com |
Helps orphans in Russia. |
| Child Relief and You |
www.cry.org |
Buy cards, books, jewelry, and more; all profits go to children in need around the world. |
| Compass Community Services |
www.compass-sf.org |
Helps the homeless people in S.F. |
| Crossroads |
www.crossroads.org |
Reaches out to homeless youth. Sells different items that raise money for their cause. |
| Doctors Without Borders |
www.doctorswithout
borders.org |
Offers medical care to ill and injured people in less developed countries from volunteer doctors. |
| Family Treatment Fund |
www.familytreatment
fund.ucsf.edu |
Provides effective, low cost medications to HIV positive Ugandans who would not otherwise receive treatment. |
| Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |
www.fao.org |
Tries to stop hunger worldwide. |
| Give |
www.give.org |
Offers aid support to Hurricane Katrina victims and hundreds of others in need. |
| Give Kids the World |
www.gktw.org |
A resort for children living with life-threatening illnesses. |
| GiveSpot |
www.givespot.com |
Receives and distributes donations of blood, computers, food, money, organs, surplus items, vehicles, etc. |
| Glide |
www.glide.org |
Glide Memorial United Methodist Church provides a wide range of health and human services to local San Franciscans. |
| Goodwill |
www.goodwill.org |
If you donate anything from toys to clothes, Goodwill will make sure your donations go to people in need. |
| Habitat for Humanity |
www.habitat.org |
Builds homes for people in need. |
| Hamilton Family Center |
www.hamilton
familycenter.org |
Charity that helps families find their way to permanent housing. |
| Hearts in San Francisco |
www.heartsinsf.com |
Art project benefiting SF General Hospital’s teaching and trauma programs. |
| Heifer International |
www.heifer.org |
Heifer International helps impoverished families worldwide become more self-reliant through the gift of livestock and training in the their care. |
| Jackson Hole Land Trust |
www.jhlandtrust.org |
Protects wildlife and land in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. |
| Just Give |
www.justgive.org |
Connects people with charities to donate or receive support. |
| Lance Armstrong Foundation |
www.livestrong.com |
Supports cancer research and education. |
| Livestrong Foundation |
www.laf.org |
Sells 1$ wristbands and gives all proceeds that helps support young cancer victims. |
| Make a Wish Foundation |
www.wish.org |
Grants wishes to kids with terminal illnesses. |
| March of Dimes |
www.modimes.org |
Works to prevent birth defects. |
| National Breast Cancer Foundation |
www.national
breastcancer.org |
Raises $ for breast cancer research. |
| NRDC |
www.nrdc.org |
Receives and distributes donations of money to good causes. |
| Oxfam |
www.oxfam.org |
Helps people in crisis situations (famine, natural disaster relief, etc.) become self-sufficient. |
| Pets Unlimited |
www.petsunlimited.org |
Helps homeless, hurt, and mistreated dogs and cats by offering vet care and adopting families. |
| Rafael House |
www.rafaelhouse.org |
Helps at-risk children and their families acquire financial independence. |
| Ronald McDonald House Charities |
www.rmhc.com |
Helps people in need of medical care and their families. |
| S.F. Food Bank |
www.sffoodbank.org |
Gives food to shelters and people in need in local area. |
| Save the Children |
www.savethechildren.org |
For less than a dollar a day, you can help kids have a better education. |
| Support for families with children with disabilities |
www.support
forfamilies.org |
A non-profit organization that supports and trains families with disabilities |
| Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation |
www.komen.org |
A foundation that raises money to fight breast cancer. |
| The Salvation Army |
www.salvationarmy
usa.org |
Collects discarded items and gives them to those in need. |
| Tools for Responsible Living |
www.socially
responsible.org |
Provides food, beverages, and lots more to people in need. |
| Trees, Water, and People |
www.treeswater
people.org |
Buy a stove for a family in Central America, or other similar projects. |
| UCF (United Childrens Fund) |
www.unchildren.org |
Provides financial assistance, humanitarian, and volunteer support to people living in poor regions. |
| UNICEF |
www.unicef.org |
Provides school supplies, water, food, and many other support services for needy people worldwide. |
| United Animal Nations |
www.uan.org |
Protect the lives of animals. |
| World Vision |
www.worldvision.org |
Works to promote the well-being of all people-especially children. |
| World Vision International |
www.wvi.org |
Help children worldwide in need by providing gifts. |
| World Wildlife Fund |
www.worldwildlife.org |
Protects animals in need worldwide. |
| A.S.P.C.A. |
www.aspca.com |
Works to save and find homes for mistreated or hurt animals. |
| Africaid |
www.africaid.com |
Fights against HIV/AIDS and educates at-risk African people about the disease and its avoidance. |
| Alternative Gifts International |
www.alt.com |
This organization sends authentic life-giving gifts to people in need. |
| Alternative Gifts International |
www.altgifts.org |
AGI helps kids that need an education. |
| America’s Second Harvest |
www.secondharvest.org |
Helps to feed the hungry and supply food banks. |
| American Cancer Society |
www.cancer.org |
Works to make treatments to help combat cancer and to find a cure for the disease. |
| American Foundation for the Blind |
www.afb.org |
Strives to create equal opportunity and equal access to the blind. |
| Amnesty International |
www.amnesty.org |
Protects human rights worldwide. |
| Animal Rescue Site |
www.theanimal
rescuesite.com |
Helps raise money for animals that do not have food. |
| Bay Area women’s and children’s center |
www.bawcc.org |
In the tenderloin community, the BAWCC offers a variety of direct services. |
| Boys and Girls Club |
www.bgcsf.org |
After school and enrichment programs for kids. |
| California Childcare Resource and Referral Network |
www.rrnetwork.org |
Gives $ to families who can’t afford childcare. |
| Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids |
www.tobaccofreekids.org |
Helps protect children from tobacco & second-hand smoke. |
| Childhelp USA |
www.childhelpusa.org |
Tries to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of abused and neglected kids. |
| Coffee Kids |
www.coffeekids.org |
Dedicate money to coffee farmers and their families. |
| Computer Recycling Center |
www.crc.org |
Takes cadmium and lead out of recycled computers to prevent environmental pollution; reuses old computer parts. |
| Disabled American Veterans’ Charitable Service Trust |
www.dav.org |
Meets specific needs of war veterans. |
| Ethics in Action |
www.ethicsinaction.com |
Helps people living in poverty keep their property and their stake. |
| FINCA |
www.villagebanking.com |
FINCA is a non-profit organization that gives small loans to poor working women so they can start their own businesses to improve the lives of their children and themselves. |
| Friends of the Urban Forest |
www.fuf.net |
Plants trees throughout SF to make it greener. |
| Girl Scouts |
www.girlscouts.org |
Helps girls develop character and independence; sells gifts to raise money for programs. |
| Global Ban on Landmines |
www.icbl.org |
Tries to ban landmines. |
| Global Exchange |
www.globalexchange.org |
Global Exchange is an international human rights organization dedicated to promoting environmental, political and social justice. |
| Goodwill |
www.goodwill.org |
Collects clothes for the needy; sells used clothing. |
| Gorilla Fund |
www.gorillafund.com |
Saves the Mountain Gorilla in Rwanda/Congo. |
| Green Belt Alliance |
www.greenbelt.org |
Protects the SF Bay and open space. |
| Greenpeace |
www.greenpeace.org |
Protects the environment and preserves endangered species. |
| Guide Star |
www.guidestar.org |
Connects people and organizations with valuable information to improve the world around them. |
| Habitat for Humanity |
www.habitat.org |
Make a donation to help build houses for those in need, or go help build yourself. |
| Hamilton Family Center |
www.hamiltonfamily
center.org |
Helps local families with shelter, food, and child care. |
| Human Rights Watch |
www.hrw.org |
Defends human rights. |
| International Crane Foundation |
www.savingcranes.org |
ICF helps endangered species |
| Intl. Labor Organization |
www.ilo.org |
Committed to take action against child labor. |
| Jewish Community Center |
www.jcca.org |
Provides education, sports, and enrichment for community members. |
| Jewish Federation |
www.jewishfederation.org |
Community organization offering charity and assistance. |
| Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center |
www.wildflower.org |
Protects the ecological heritage of Texas by conserving its rare and endangered plant life. |
| Learning Differences |
www.learning
differences.com |
A center for alternative learners and learning education. |
| Marine Mammal Center |
www.marinemammal
center.org |
Raises money and awareness to protect marine mammals. |
| Nat. Association of Resale & Thrift Stores |
www.narts.org |
Non-profit thrift store organizers. |
| National Audubon Society |
www.audubon.org |
Works to restore and conserve natural ecosystems. |
| National Organization for Rare Disorders |
www.rarediseases.org |
Provides info on rare diseases, peer networking, community resources and referrals. |
| Pachamama |
www.pachamama.org |
Pachamama works to preserve the Earth's tropical rainforests and to contribute to the creation of a new global vision of equity and sustainability for all. |
| Pacific Business Group on Health |
www.pbgh.org |
Helps to make healthcare affordable and effective. |
| Partners in School Innovation |
www.partnersinschools.org |
PSI’s mission is to enable public schools in high-poverty Bay Area communities to achieve educational equity through school-based reform. |
| PCRM |
www.pcrm.org |
Conducts medical research while avoiding cruel and unnecessary experiments on animals. |
| PETA |
www.peta.org |
PETA tries to educate people about the harm in using animal-based products. |
| Pets Life Line |
www.petslifeline.org |
A non-profit that gives pets homes. It is also a lost and found program. It provides food, shelter, medical attention and love and care. |
| Prevent AIDS |
www.preventaids.com |
Helps prevent AIDS, and educates others about the HIV virus. Raises money for AIDS research. |
| Ray of Light Theater |
www.roltheater.org |
A theater company that brings musical to life in the Bay Area. |
| Red Cross |
www.redcross.org |
Responds to almost 67,000 disasters annually and provides victims a place to live, food, and medical care. |
| Reef Relief |
www.reefrelief.org |
Raises $ to help protect dying coral reefs. |
| Room to read |
www.roomtoread.org |
An organization that builds schools in third world countries. |
| Salvation Army |
www.salvationarmy.org |
Donates clothes and money to help people get off drugs; employs people who are rehabilitating themselves. |
| San Francisco Day School |
www.sfds.net |
K-8 independent education |
| San Francisco Food Bank |
www.sffoodbank.org |
Provides food for people who need it. |
| San Francisco General Hospital Foundation |
www.sfghf.net |
Dedicated to raising private funds to enhance patient comfort and care. S.F.G.H. provides medical care for the homeless and helps save lives everyday. Also, a level one trauma center. (JONATHAN) |
| Save the Bay |
www.savethebay.org |
Works to protect S.F. Bay. |
| SEVA |
www.seva.org |
Builds partnerships to respond to local problems with culturally sustainable solutions worldwide. |
| Sierra Club |
www.sierraclub.org |
Promotes outdoor activism and environmental awareness. |
| Snoop Dogg Football League |
www.snoopyyouth
football.com |
Brings football to underprivileged kids |
| SPCA |
www.spca.com |
A company that takes in stray, badly treated or not wanted animals and sells them and uses that money to keep the organization running. |
| St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital |
www.stjude.org |
Treatment and research facility for children with cancer and other serious illnesses; children accepted despite ability to pay. |
| Stand Up for Kids |
www.standupforkids.org |
Helps homeless or at-risk street kids. |
| Surfrider Foundation |
www.surfrider.com |
An environmental organization working to preserve our oceans, waves, & beaches. |
| Teen Voices Magazine |
www.teenvoices.com |
A mag. written by and for girls ages 13-19. Worldwide submissions. |
| Tenderloin Neighborhood Development |
www.thdc.org |
Houses low income people in the Tenderloin neighborhood of S.F. |
| The Nature Conservancy |
www.nature.org |
Works to help save the rainforest and other at-risk natural areas. |
| The Sierra Club |
www.sierraclub.org |
Protects the environment and promotes outdoor activities. |
| The Vaccine Fund |
www.vaccinefund.org |
Helps babies without access to vaccination by giving them vaccinations. |
| Trees for the Future |
www.treeoftf.org |
Plants trees around the world to make sure we have stable forests. |
| Trees for the Holy Land |
www.treesforholyland.com |
Gathers $ to plant trees in Israel as it is such a barren area. |
| VH1 Save the Music |
www.vh1.com/partners/
save_the_music |
Dedicated to restoring under-funded schools’ music programs across the country. Organizes concerts, auctions, fundraisers, etc. |
| Volunteer Match |
www.volunteermatch.com |
Supports long-term education for low-income, minority youth. |
| Wood River Land Trust |
www.woodriverlandtrust.org |
Takes time to preserve wildlife in Idaho. |
| YMCA |
www.ymcasf.org |
Community organization with enrichment programs for kids. |
