There’s no doubt that tween girls can make a major impact on the world. There are many innovative tweens who have created their own companies and even launched full-blown charitable organizations – even as young as age four. Not everyone has conceptualized and launched their own charity, but that doesn’t mean you can’t give back.
The following 40 companies, organizations and foundations, listed in no particular order, are in some way supporting charitable causes. Some were founded by kids and tweens, others are tween-focused companies that benefit women-focused charities. Others are innovative companies that provide career opportunities to adolescent youth and young women in impoverished areas – creating beautiful, hand-crafted products, accessories and apparel that tweens love.
Whatever the business model utilized, these 40 companies are making worthy contributions to a wide variety of charitable causes. There’s a way, among these companies, for every tween girl and parent to get involved and make a difference – whether that means shopping for cool products that you’d buy anyway or taking a more active role.
1. Cell Phones for Soldiers
@CPFSOfficial
Cell Phones for Soldiers was founded by Robbie and Brittany Bergquist of Norwell, MA, who were merely 12 and 13 years old at the time – in 2004. This nonprofit organization makes use of old cell phones no longer in use, sending them to U.S. troops overseas to help them stay in contact with loved ones during deployment. The group has also provided troops with more than 2.5 million prepaid calling cards, equating to 181 million minutes of free talk time for U.S. troops overseas.
2. Alex’s Lemonade Stand
@AlexsLemonade
Alex’s Lemonade Stand has become widely known since its inception in 2000 by Alexandra Scott, a four-year-old girl who set up a lemonade stand to earn a few dollars to help doctors fight childhood cancer – a devastating disease that Alex herself was afflicted with. While Alex lost her battle with neuroblastoma in 2004, her parents continued her legacy and pushed forth with her dream, raising more than $60 million to date.
3. Willa
@MyWilla
Willa is a natural skincare product line just for girls. These natural products are formulated specifically to avoid harsh chemicals that cause skin damage, based on research from dermatologists that shows that 80 percent of skin damage occurs before the age of 18. The products include natural ingredients like green tea extract, grape seed oil and aloe leaf juice, designed to teach young girls proper skincare at an early age to avoid skin cancer and other complications resulting from harsh chemicals and sun damage.
4. Spellbinders Paper Arts
@Spellbinders
Spellbinders Paper Arts develops products for scrapbooking and mixed-media art. Spellbinders supports five different charities and holds an annual awards program in which the winner can choose to have award money donated to one of the charities the company supports, such as the Autism Research Foundation and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, First Books and Inner-City Arts.
5. Yum! Brands
@yumbrands
Yum! Brands consists of restaurant brands Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut. The company runs a few different charitable campaigns and other programs that make the world a better place, such as the Pizza Hut Book It! program which encourages literacy and the value of reading for young children. The company also supports initiatives to end world hunger and other corporate responsibility programs.
6. Neutrogena
@NeutrogenaSun
Neutrogena, a member of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies, makes a line of skin cleansing and skin care products popular with the tween girl demographic. The company’s annual Wave for Change™ program aims to raise up to $250,000 to benefit charitable causes such as disaster relief, education and environmental causes.
7. GivBag
@GivBag
GivBag is a charitable organization that donates a backpack or bag to a student in need for every bag purchased by a customer. Focused on helping children in poverty-stricken areas, GivBag believes that something as simple as a backpack often allows children to become more excited about school and enthusiastic about learning. GivBag was founded in 2010 by a high school student who now attends the University of California Berkeley.
8. Donate My Dress
@DonateMyDress
Donate My Dress is a national network of dress drive organizations facilitating the donation of used prom and formal gowns to tween and teen girls who can’t afford to purchase a new dress. Part of the Hearst Teen Network, DonateMyDress.org features inspirational donation stories, a directory of local chapters and resources for those who want to start a local dress drive.
9. 31 Bits
@31bits
31 Bits Designs is based in Northern Uganda, enabling local designers to tap into their creative abilities to generate opportunities for sustainable livelihoods. Dozens of creative Northern Ugandia-based women showcase and sell their impressive creations at 31 Bits to earn money to support their families. 31 Bits draws attention not only to Northern Uganda as an impoverished region, but to the many talents and skills women possess that can be turned into profitable livelihoods when provided with the right tools.
10. Sevenly
@sevenly
Sevenly chooses a different charity each week, donating $7 for each item purchased to the specified charitable organization. Sevenly features trendy fashions and accessories that appeal to girls everywhere, allowing them to put their money to good use by purchasing fashionable products that give back.
11. K.I.D.S. (Kids in Distressed Situations)
@kidsdonations
K.I.D.S. is a Toy Industry Foundation program providing new clothes, shoes, toys, baby items and books to millions of kids in need. With a nationwide network that taps into existing efforts and organizations to ensure that every item donated is put to good use, K.I.D.S. has served more than 1,000 communities to date.
12. Thirty-One
@ThirtyOne
Thirty-One Gifts is a direct sales program providing career opportunities to women young and old and a supporter of MyGirlTalk. The company makes tote bags, accessory bags, makeup bags, purses, backpacks and more – popular items with the tween girl demographic and a way for girls to purchase products they love while supporting other worthy organizations.
13. Stella & Dot Foundation
@stelladot
The Stella & Dot Foundation supports the girl-focused group Girls, Inc. as well as a number of other partner charities. With a product line of fashion accessories and other items appealing to tween girls, Stella & Dot donates 100 percent of all Foundation products to its partner charities. Check out the special collection of products designed just for girls.
14. Lilly Endowment
Lilly Endowment is a private philanthropic organization that has donated millions of dollars to charitable causes. Recently, Lilly Endowment awarded $2.9 million to 21 campus ministry organizations. Created in 1937 by three members of the Lilly family through gifts of stock in the family’s pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. The Endowment supports education and religious charities and causes as a separate entity from Eli Lilly and Company, maintained by a separate Board of Directors.
15. Dove
@Dove
Dove is a global company creating health and beauty products. Dove’s efforts are aimed at helping women realize their natural beauty and partners with organizations like the Boys & Girls Club, Girl Scouts and Girls Inc. to make “girls unstoppable.”
16. 3 Strands Global
@3StrandsGlobal
3 Strands Global is committed to stopping sex trafficking and promoting freedom, love and empowerment among young girls and women across the globe. 3 Strands Global provides employment opportunities for victims of sex trafficking, allowing them to regain freedom and independence and re-build self-esteem and self-worth. Girls can support 3 Strands Global by purchasing beautifully and carefully hand-crafted bracelets designed and created by these young women. Fifty percent of all profits help rescue, restore and bring hope to victims of human trafficking crimes.
17. Altar’d State
@Altard_State
Altar’d State is an uber-trendy fashion boutique selling clothing and accessories that appeal to today’s tween demographic. Girls shopping at Altar’d State will find unique fashions and products that support charitable causes. Products include well-known charitable merchandise such as Tom’s Shoes, which donates a pair of shoes to a person in need for every pair purchased. Altar’d State also supports its employees in their own charitable endeavors by funding employee volunteer hours for a variety of charitable causes. On Mission Mondays, 10 percent of all net proceeds goes directly to a local charity.
18. Vera Bradley
@verabradley
Vera Bradley handbags and accessories are a hot item among the tween demographic today. The company supports breast cancer research with the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer. Since 1998, the Vera Bradley Foundation has donated more than $15 million to support cutting-edge breast cancer research in honor of the founders’ friend, Mary Sloan. Girls purchasing Vera Bradley handbags, school bags and accessories are helping to support this mission.
19. GelaSkins
@GelaSkins
GelaSkins is a collection of smartphone and laptop cases, stretched canvas art and similar products based on unique and custom artwork. Purchase products from the “Good Karma” category and a portion of the purchase price goes toward a related charity, such as world hunger relief, providing clean and safe drinking water to impoverished regions and other causes. GelaSkins is an excellent place for tween girls to purchase a trendy smartphone or laptop case while giving back at the same time.
20. Seltzer
Seltzer supports the environmental resource advocacy group Earth Justice, and a portion of proceeds from product sales goes to support these efforts. Seltzer also offers the Seven Year Pen, designed to last seven years to reduce waste. The Seven Year Pen is available in several fun, quirky designs that tween girls love. Other products include magnets and stickers, tote bags, friendship pins, notebooks and other supplies that will keep your tween girl in style.
21. One World Futbol Project
For every purchase of a One World Futbol – a soccer ball that never goes flat – the company donates one to an organization working with youth in disadvantaged communities worldwide. If you want to make a straight-up contribution, you can also purchase balls for direct donation to the One World Futbol network of organizations. Chevrolet is the One World Futbol Project Founding Sponsor, and other companies such as Project Active (“Diffusing World Tensions Through Sport”) also support the efforts. One World Futbol also has partnerships with the YMCA, Save the Children, Coaches Across Continents and other relevant organizations. The goal is to encourage the use of sport to encourage youth to utilize positive outlets for stress and develop constructive recreational activities.
22. Roma Boots
@roma_boots
Roma Boots is “giving poverty the boot” by donating a pair of boots to a child in need for every pair purchased. Founded in 2010 by Romanian-born Samuel Bistrian, Roma Boots aims to help children in Bistrian’s native Romania by combining Bistrian’s love of fashion and philanthropy. Roma Boots also donates 10 percent of all sales proceeds to the Roma For All Foundation. Girls who purchase a trendy pair of rain boots from Roma Boots are also giving a precious gift to a Romanian child stricken by poverty. Definitely a purchase you can feel good about!
23. The Sydney & Alexandria Cohen Foundation Inc.
The Sydney & Alexandria Cohen Foundation supports preemies through nail polish sales. The Foundation was founded by Jennifer and Brian Cohen, parents of twins Sydney and Alexandria, who were born prematurely at 30 weeks gestation. The Foundation sells a set of nail polish in a heart-shaped box, a perfect gift for tween girls that helps to support a great cause. The Cohens are aiming to raise $60,000 to cover the cost of two GE Omnibed Giraffe incubators – the most sophisticated and developmentally superior incubator available today. Sydney and Alexandria Cohen are now healthy 7-year-old girls, thanks in part to the GE Omnibed Giraffe incubator.
24. The Ladybug Foundation
@LadybugFoundati
The Ladybug Foundation was founded by Hannah Taylor at the tender age of 8 years old. Her vision was sparked by seeing a homeless man seek food from a trash can when she was 5 years old. Hannah has spoken to more than 175 schools, organizations and events to support her mission to fight homelessness and hunger. The Ladybug Foundation has raised more than $2 million to provide food, shelter, and safety for homeless people in Canada and across the world. You can support The Ladybug Foundation by donating or purchasing ladybug scarves and accessories.
25. The Girl Effect
@girleffect
The Girl Effect is an organization that supports the 250 million adolescent girls worldwide who are living in poverty. It’s a movement that aims to make girls visible, tapping into their intelligence and drive to make a difference in the world. The organization was created by the Nike Foundation in collaboration with the NoVo Foundation, the United Nations Foundation and Coalition for Adolescent Girls. Toolkits, videos and documents are available to help other organizations and individuals join the movement and start making a difference from their local communities.
26. Plan International
Plan International promotes child rights to end child poverty. The group works in 50 developing countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas, serving more than 84 million children in 2012. Founded more than 75 years ago, Plan International is one of the oldest child development organizations in the world and provides aid and resources to children in areas affected by natural disasters as well as underdeveloped regions.
27. Clean & Clear
@CleanClearLK
Clean & Clear is a part of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies, supporting a variety of girl and women-focused charities and organizations, such as Girl Up, to provide opportunities to girls in developing countries and help them realize their full potential by uncovering the opportunities they already hold inside. Believing that “there is beauty in confidence,” Clean & Clear aims to help girls realize their inner beauty and develop confidence and self-worth.
28. Fashion & Compassion
@Fashion2Empower
Fashion & Compassion connects women in impoverished regions with hope and with the Western world, where they can use their talents to sell hand-crafted products to earn income and gain self-sufficiency. In addition to educating consumers about the injustices facing women around the world, Fashion & Compassion “connects caring consumers with vulnerable women artisans to bring dignity through economic opportunity.” Purchasing jewelry, accessories and beautiful hand-crafted products for the home directly supports struggling and vulnerable women artisans.
29. Glamour Gone Good
@GlamourGoneGood
Glamour Gone Good supports a number of charities to help girls and women in need by training salon, spa and fashion and beauty professionals to develop charitable fundraising campaigns. Founder Shikha Vasaiwala launched actress Fran Drescher’s cancer charity, Cancer Schmancer, which helps to support efforts to identify women’s cancers in the early stages to increase the odds of survival. Glamour Gone Good supports a number of women’s charities through grants and other efforts.
30. Yagolicious Cosmetics
@Yagolicious
Yago Jones founded Yagolicious Cosmetics in 2007 after serving as spokesmodel for Estee Lauder’s Night Spa Tour. Yagolicious supports charities including Free Arts for Abused Children and Divabetic, an organization inspired by Luther Vandross. Divabetic encourages “living and coping with diabetes in the ‘girls’ night out atmosphere.” Girls purchasing Yagolicious products are supporting Yago’s philanthropic efforts.
31. Stop Traffick Fashion
@stoptrffkfash
Stop Traffick Fashion sells products made by survivors of modern-day slavery and human trafficking, a horrific crime that’s still prevalent in many parts of the world. Founded in 2009, Stop Traffick Fashion offers a number of fashionable products, including hand bags, t-shirts and other apparel and accessories that appeal to young girls everywhere. A handbag purchase creates 12 hours of labor, a necklace contributes 14 hours and a t-shirt 6 hours of labor – all of which are provided by survivors of sex trafficking and similar crimes and directly supports the livelihood of these strong women.
32. NoVo Foundation
The NoVo Foundation supports change and encourages the development of a fair and equal society where all people, regardless of race, religion, gender, and other differences, have equal opportunity. Empowering adolescent girls and ending violence against girls and women are two of the organization’s primary goals.
33. Kudu Klips
@kuduklip
Purchases of Kudu Klips support Build on Hope, a nonprofit organization that supports “animal conservation, the elderly and foster programs that teach African, Haitian and other Third World communities to be self-sufficient.” Kudu Klips provide a livelihood for people in impoverished regions and fosters a sense of hope and self-reliance. Kudu Klips, beautifully crafted hair clips that securely hold long hair in place for sports and other activities, are worn by women around the world.
34. Jessica Cosmetics
@Jessica_Int
Jessica Cosmetics is a well-known company that attracts celebrities and other affluent women who want to capitalize on their natural beauty. Jessica Cosmetics is primarily a nail-care company, offering products to help bring out the natural beauty of a woman’s nails based on her individual nail type. All proceeds from the sale of the Fearlessly Pink Collection Box, which includes two beautiful pink shades, Survivor and Compassionate Heart, go directly to support BreastCancer.org, the world’s leading breast health and breast cancer resource that reaches 10 million people globally through its efforts.
35. Out of Print Clothing
@OutofPrintTees
Out of Print Clothing celebrates the world’s stories through clothing. Selling trendy, iconic book-cover t-shirts, apparel and accessories, Out of Print Clothing donates books to Africa for every item sold. Girls purchasing fun tote bags, shirts and other items won’t just look fashionable – they’ll be proudly supporting literacy in an underprivileged community in Africa.
36. Bel Kazan
@gadogadoapparel
Bel Kazan by Gado Gado is a clothing line featuring the latest trends and fashions for girls and women. Proceeds from necklace sales provide uniforms for Balinese children. When your tween is shopping for the latest styles at Bel Kazan, throw a droplet necklace into the mix to help support this charitable effort.
37. The Open Arms Shop
@theopenarmsshop
Open Arms helps the thousands of refugees that flee from oppression in other countries and settle in the U.S. each year. Employing refugees at a livable wage, Open Arms repurposes old t-shirts into new, unique and trendy products that tween girls love, such as fashionable skirts and scarves. Not only is the effort sustainable and earth-friendly, but it provides a valuable livelihood for refugees who may otherwise live in poverty.
38. Krochet Kids
@krochetkids
Krochet Kids empowers people to rise above poverty by providing quality, handmade products created by women in Northern Uganda and Peru. The model creates employment opportunities for women living in impoverished regions and fosters self-reliance and independence, as well as a viable career for providing for their families. Beautiful, hand-crafted apparel, headbands, handbags, hats and scarves – the trendy products and accessories today’s tweens adore – are created by women artisans and sold at Krochet Kids to support these efforts.
39. Threads by The Shine Project
@TheShineProject
Threads aims to change the future for at-risk youth, instilling the values of self-reliance and hard work. Youth are paid fair wages to make bracelets, the proceeds from which they use to pay for their education. Many Threads employees are first-generation college students with dreams of professional careers but little means to pay for their education – every purchase of a top, bracelet, necklace, and other accessories directly impacts a student. Every tween girl will find a product here she loves, including inspirational accessories and clothing with messages like “Be the Change” and “Let the World See You Shine.”
40. The Yellow Bird Project
@YBP
The Yellow Bird Project gets indie rock musicians to design t-shirts for charity. The result? Super-trendy and hip designs girls love, with proceeds supporting various charities. Nothing’s better than buying the hottest fashions while giving back. Musician designers choose the charity they wish the proceeds to benefit, and girls can choose based on the designs they love or the charities they want to support. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement, garnering exposure for indie artists while offering support for a variety of charitable organizations – and helping tween girls, youth and adults everywhere get a little more hip.
