LA2050 Blog
We’ve got access to the information that every Angeleno needs to make an impact. Our blog features the latest LA2050 news, announcements, features, happenings, grantee updates, and more.
2022 Social Impact Gift Guide — 55 gifts that make a difference!
PostedThis holiday season, shop local and give gifts that make a difference with our annual LA2050 social impact gift guide.
Not sure what to get the Angelenos on your list? Look no further! We've sourced 55 products and experiences from nonprofits, sustainable makers, cultural establishments, and BIPOC-owned businesses in Los Angeles. There are gifts for every person on your list, at a wide range of price points.
For the foodie... Flavors From Afar Gift Card / $15+
Flavors From Afar, named one of LA's best 101 restaurants by the L.A. Times, is a social enterprise that provides asylum seekers and refugees interested in culinary arts the platform to showcase their cuisines.
For the parent in search of activities... Alltruists Love Our Planet Activity Box Bundle / $75
Alltruists offers hands-on impact projects for children designed in partnership with nonprofits. The Love Our Planet bundle teaches about protecting our oceans, trees, and land and features three LA2050 grantees: City Plants, Heal the Bay, and the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust.
For the eco enthusiast... Sustain LA Handcrafted Felt Ornaments / $7.50
Sustain LA is a woman-owned small business and social enterprise with a mission to change human behavior of consumption through advancing zero-waste living.
For the runner with a sense of humor... CicLAvia P22 Running T-Shirt / $20
Show your CicLAvia pride all year long! All proceeds directly benefit CicLAvia's work, catalyzing vibrant public spaces, active transportation, and good health through car-free street events.
For the budding gardener... Theodore Payne Foundation Butterfly Seed Mix / $6+
The Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers & Native Plants inspires and educates Southern Californians about the beauty and ecological benefits of native plants.
For the mug collector... People's Pottery Project People's Mug / $28
People’s Pottery Project employs and empowers formerly incarcerated women, trans and nonbinary individuals through paid training, access to healing community, and meaningful employment in its collective non-profit ceramic business.
For the caffeine addict... Café Santo La Mixteca Coffee Beans / $20
Montebello's Café Santo collaborates with artisanal food makers from Oaxaca and LA to share their rich culture and unique flavors.
For the student eating on the go... Heal the Bay Bamboo Utensil Set / $15
Heal the Bay advocates for the health of the Santa Monica Bay, as well as protects the coastline, restores local waterways, and enacts clean water policy to protect public health.
For the pin collector... LACMA Chris Burden Urban Light Pin / $10
LACMA's mission is to serve the public through the collection, conservation, exhibition, and interpretation of significant works of art.
For the locavore... Gusto Bread Long Beach Local Honey / $9
Gusto Bread is a modern panadería located in Long Beach, specializing in sweets made with organic and heirloom ingredients, using ancient techniques.
For the friend that loves LA's food scene... Castlepillar Designs LA Foodie Postcard Pack / $25
Castlepillar, an artist and designer based in Los Angeles, created these postcards as a limited edition series for the LA Original collection.
For the poet... Eso Won Books Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman / $24.99
Eso Won Books, a Black-owned independent bookstore in Leimert Park, specializes in books about and written by African-American people.
For the animal lover... Aquarium of the Pacific Animal Adoption / $25+
The Aquarium of the Pacific is Southern California's largest Aquarium, home to 12,000 animals and more than 100 exhibits that celebrate the Pacific Ocean.
For the little learner... Tía Chucha's Centro Cultural & Bookstore Lil' Loteria by Lil' Libros / $21.99
Tia Chucha's Centro Cultural & Bookstore, located in Sylmar, is a social venture recognizing that communities must have access to books and knowledge that reflect their culture, histories, stories, and values.
For the one with all the puns... 826LA Time Travel Mart Holiday Dinosaur Card / $3
The Time Travel Mart is the only Los Angeles purveyor of quality goods from the past, present, and future. Proceeds from the Time Travel Mart go to 826LA, a nonprofit that supports LA students with creative writing.
For the plant mom or dad... Latinx With Plants Peperomia Hope / $20
Latinx With Plants is a Latinx-owned business in Boyle Heights that cultivates community through plantitas and learning about our ancestral connection to plants.
For the puzzler... Japanese American National Museum Ramen Noodle Puzzle / $24.95
The Japanese American National Museum is the largest museum in the United States dedicated to sharing the experience of Americans of Japanese ancestry.
For the seasoned home cook... Todo Verde La Familia Seasoning Trio / $36
Todo Verde is a woman of color-owned food business, based in LA, inspired by Latin American roots and flavors that provides healthy and delicious plant-based dishes.
For the self-care queen... Craft Contemporary Organic Blooms & Buds Floral Bath Tea / $18.50
Craft Contemporary presents dynamic exhibitions by established and emerging artists and designers who are often underrepresented in larger art institutions.
For the lifelong learner... Los Angeles Conservancy Walking Tour Gift Card / $15
The Los Angeles Conservancy is a nonprofit that works to preserve historic buildings and educate the community about Los Angeles County's array of historic resources.
For the old-school Angeleno... Metro RTD Throwback Shirt / $26.50
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority plans, operates, and coordinates funding for most of the transportation system in Los Angeles County.
For the one that lights up a room... Made by DWC Trailblazer Candle Set / $52
The Downtown Women’s Center is the first and only organization in Los Angeles focused on serving and empowering women experiencing homelessness and formerly homeless women. MADE by DWC is its social enterprise, launched to offer women the opportunity to earn income while gaining job skills and experience.
For the one with cold feet... Conscious Step x Trevor Project Socks That Save LGBTQ Lives / $44.95
Conscious Step produces ethical and sustainable socks that are sold in support of nonprofit organizations, like the Trevor Project.
For the jefe de cocina... South Central Farmers' Cooperative CSA Produce Box / $17+
The South Central Farmers’ Cooperative (SCFC), a collective comprised of some of the original farmers of the South Central Farm, is committed to engaging and empowering community members around attaining food sovereignty and access to high-quality organic produce.
For the sweet snacker... Valerie Confections x Edible Gardens LA Chocolate Bar With Bee Pollen / $10
Valerie Confections, located in Historic Filipinotown, is one of the nation’s most highly-acclaimed boutique chocolatiers.
For the bookworm... Bookshop.org Gift Card / $10+
Bookshop.org helps local and independent bookstores thrive in an era of commerce. (Make sure to shop an LA-based bookstore!)
For the homesick Angeleno... Library Foundation of Los Angeles LABC Print / $55
The Library Store is a non-profit gift shop operated by the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, located inside the historic Los Angeles Central Library in Downtown LA, offering an eclectic collection of books, tees, totes, greeting cards, keepsakes, and much more.
For the seasonal produce savant... Hedley & Bennet Farmers' Market Apron / $95
Hedley & Bennett was born in a restaurant kitchen in LA. The aprons are hand-crafted and battle-tested.
For the inspired writer... Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen WMWIF Notebook / $29.95
Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen is a BIPOC-owned, community-driven cafe with three locations around Los Angeles.
For the aspiring athlete... City of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation Group & Individual Classes / Price Varies
The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks stewards 16,000 acres of parkland and offers extensive recreational, social, and cultural programs at more than 550 park sites.
For the cookie monster... Homeboy Industries Kinship Gift Package / $59.95
Homeboy Industries provides hope, training, and support to formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated people.
For the happy hour host... Adams Wine Shop Monthly Wine Club / $50+
Located in West Adams, Adams Wine Shop specializes in wine produced by women and BIPOC from around the world.
For the outdoor adventurer... Parks Project National Parks Woodcuts 2023 Calendar / $20
Founded in Santa Monica, Parks Project works to preserve parklands for generations and helps fund projects in national parks around the United States.
For the emerging artist... POT x The Sill Plant Care & Planter 101 Workshop / $90
POT is the first community pottery studio for and by people of color. It offers fun classes, private parties, memberships, and more.
For the sustainable fashionist... Rewilder Recycled Airbag Backpack / $118
Based in Los Angeles, Rewilder is a sustainable design company on a mission to make upcycling scalable through the production of high-quality, handmade goods.
For the chocolate lover... Guelaguetza Oaxacan Chocolate / $27
Guelaguetza offers delicious Oaxacan cuisine at its Koreatown restaurant, founded in 1994 and known as one of the best Mexican establishments in LA.
For the 'use a coaster' bro... Would Works Bebidas Coaster Set With Bottle Opener / $60
Would Works is an LA-based social enterprise that trains and employs people experiencing homelessness in the craft of woodworking.
For the South Central native... South LA Cafe South Central T-Shirt / $25
South LA Cafe is a Black-owned, family-owned business that serves coffee with a cause.
For the crafting cutie... KaGOcraft Woven Holiday Star Ornament Craft Kit / $16.99
Located in San Pedro, kaGOcraft is a sustainable Japanese paper craft company.
For the Blue Crew member... Library Foundation of Los Angeles Dodger Stadium Candle / $40
The Library Store is a non-profit gift shop operated by the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, located inside the historic Los Angeles Central Library in Downtown LA, offering an eclectic collection of books, tees, totes, greeting cards, keepsakes, and much more.
For the tote trendsetter... Thank You Coffee Chinatown Illustration Tote Bag / $35
Thank You Coffee is an Asian-owned coffee shop with two locations, including one in Chinatown, Los Angeles.
For the bookish urban dweller... Chevalier's Books Read Me, Los Angeles! by Katie Orphan / $35
Chevalier's Books is LA's oldest independent bookstore, established 1940.
For the motivational bestie... Hija De Tu Madre Échale Ganas Enamel Mug / $24
Hija De Tu Madre is a lifestyle brand for Latinas, based in Los Angeles.
For the tea connoisseur... The Huntington x Art of Tea Huntington Blend Black Tea / $15.95
The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens is a research and cultural center in San Marino with 120 acres of botanical gardens, an art museum, a library of rare books and manuscripts, and much more.
For the one that always orders in... Now Serving NIGHT + MARKET Cookbook / $35
Now Serving is a POC-owned small business in historic Chinatown, and LA's only dedicated cookbook and culinary shop.
For the one with a big heart... LA Plaza Tienda Art de Karla "Bougainvillea" Print / $9
All purchases from LA Plaza Tienda help support local artists and small businesses, while also supporting the mission of LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes honoring the past, inspiring the future, and recognizing the enduring cultural influence of Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and all Latinxs in LA.
For the one that needs some r & r... P.F. Candle Co. Golden Hour Hand & Body Wash / $18
P.F. Candle Co. is a Los Angeles-based home fragrance company committed to environmental sustainability and giving back.
For the urban explorer... Museum of Neon Art Neon Cruise Gift Certificate / $65
The Museum of Neon Art (MONA), located in Downtown Glendale, is dedicated to sparking curiosity and keeping history aglow.
For the flower child... TreePeople SoCal Native Flowers Sweatshirt / $50
TreePeople is an environmental nonprofit, centered around taking action for our environment by planting and caring for trees.
For the 90s fashion devotee... L.A. Taco Bucket Hat / $25
Founded in 2006, L.A. TACO is an independent news platform covering food, culture, and community in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
For the wild child... Los Angeles Zoo Membership / $60+
The Los Angeles Zoo saves wildlife and connects Angelenos to the natural world by providing animal care, learning opportunities, and unforgettable experiences.
For the 'glass half empty' friend... Poketo Gratitude Journal / $28
Founded in 2003, Poketo has carefully curated and created a collection of design-conscious goods meant to cultivate a creative lifestyle.
For the sea lover... River Garza "Breath Of The Ocean" Print / $150
River Garza is an artist from Los Angeles of Tongva heritage, whose work draws on traditional Indigenous aesthetics, Southern California Indigenous maritime culture, skateboarding, Graffiti, Mexican culture, and low ride culture.
For the uplifting adorner... The Giving Keys Pendant Necklace / $22
The Giving Keys is a pay-it-forward company that hand stamps products with inspirational words. It donates a portion of its profits to the nonprofit Chrysalis, which provides employment resources and support for those transitioning out of homelessness.
For the 'check out this article' friend... L.A. Times Read The Paper Hoodie / $68
The L.A. Times is a leading source of breaking news, entertainment, sports, politics, and more for Southern California and the world.
For the sophisticated snacker...Prosperity Market's Snack Gift Set / $50
Prosperity Market is a mobile farmers market in LA featuring Black-owned businesses and farms.