Kimberly McDonald Sea Turtle bracelet, 100% of proceeds benefit Gulf spill relief

Kimberly McDonald has created a limited edition “Sea Turtle Macramé Bracelet” collection in support of the National Wildlife Federation’s efforts to clean up the Gulf oil spill. 100% of all proceeds benefit the National Wildlife Federation’s effort to respond to the wildlife crisis unfolding in the Gulf.

Each bracelet is made from 18K recycled gold, reclaimed diamonds and hand-woven silk. The bracelets retail for $2,000 – $2,500 and are available at Mitchells.

Connections Bracelet, $500

I volunteer for a wonderful non-profit here in NYC called Bottomless Closet. For 10 years, the organization has been helping New York women gain their economic independence and strengthen their self-confidence through their one-on-one interview counseling and evening career workshops. And of course, their huge “boutique” of clothing is perfectly suited to help these women land a  good job and keep it.

I’m on the Young Leadership Council and wanted to let everyone know of a beautiful new bracelet we are selling to raise money for our programs.

Bottomless Closet’s Young Leadership Council is thrilled to announce the Connections bracelet created by designer Catherine M Zadeh exclusively for Bottomless Closet! This stunning design, featuring an organic and stylish interpretation of the Bottomless Closet logo, is now available in sterling silver.

The cost of the bracelet is $100 for sterling silver or $500 for gold and 50% of the cost goes directly to the services and programming of Bottomless Closet.

Bracelets are available in the BC office or can be delivered for an additional charge of $15 shipping & handling fee.

Anna Wintour's 2nd annual fashion event to be help Sept 10, 2010

Fashion’s Night Out is back by popular demand. On September 10, 2010 plan on spending the evening with your friends shopping for good! Anna Wintour’s 2nd annual global event will have participating retailers (which practically means every single brand and boutique in NYC at least!) staying open late into the evening, hosting cocktail parties, product launches, special designer/celebrity appearances and more.

There will also be an epic public fashion show, involving over 200 models and 1,500 random ticket-holding guests (show will be held September 7 at New York Fashion Week’s new home, Lincoln Center). 40% of the ticket proceeds (as well as the FNO 2010 clothing line) will go to the New York City AIDS Fund.

Last year, I went to Bergdorf with my boyfriend and got to see Manolo Blahnik and Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen! It’s definitely a star-studded evening with lots of glitz. Dress up and find some great styles for Fall, support the retail industry in this economy and feel great that the money you spend goes to some great causes!

The best part of owning this timeless luxury? 10% of the proceeds are donated to UNICEF – United Nations International Emergency Children’s Fund – which is the world’s leading non-profit for children, with programs in over 190 countries.

The Signature for Good collection is just another example of the Swiss companies tradition of giving back.  They have also created a sterling silver pendant for Jewelers for Children and gold bangles for the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

Joan Horning Jewelry, 100% of profits support charities of the customer's choosing.

I don’t even know where to begin in explaining all that Joan Hornig the person and Joan Hornig the jewelry company is. To date, I have not come across (and mind you, I search a lot!) another company which is so aggressively philanthropic. Maybe that’s because Joan views her company as more than just a business, but an opportunity to leave a legacy of giving in the hearts of her customers and fans. Joan donates an unprecedented 100% of profits from all of her jewelry to charities of the purchaser’s choice. And by 100% of profits, this means after the cost of materials and production, not the cost of overhead for the business.

As you can see from the images, JHJ is beautiful, colorful and inspired by nature. But, JHJ  means more than just  hand-made exquisite pieces featuring shimmering stones and precious metals (and believe me, these pictures do not do her jewelry justice). The act of purchasing and wearing a Joan Hornig piece means rising to the challenge of giving back by choosing a charity to benefit from your action and telling your friends of the special meaning behind your jewelry. Joan wants her jewelry to inspire the purchaser to “use beauty and fashion in a new way.”

Joan also wants to instill the idea of paying it forward with her customers. The designer chooses to actively participate in charity auctions and fundraisers by donating pieces to the charities of her loyal customers.

Joan Hornig Jewelry is available online and at Bergdorf Goodman, Saks in New Orleans, Neimans in Palm Beach, The Philanthropist Boutique in San Francisco and many other high-end independent boutiques across America.

On a side note, Joan Hornig, the person, is the inspiration behind this website and the inspiration behind my desire to use brand philanthropy as a means to change the world.

Joan Hornig, the designer

Actress Katherine Heigl wearing Joan's Freshwater Pearl Necklace

As we all know, the tragic earthquake in Haiti is still causing great suffering; it will take years to re-build the state’s economy and infrastructure. One of the most important matters to prioritize in the re-building is their health care system for women and children, which is exactly what this year’s Fashion for Relief aims to do through raising money for CARE.

CARE is a non-profit specializing in fighting global poverty as it affects women. Their focus is on women because women have the power to “assist their families and communities in escaping poverty.” CARE works to “improve basic education, prevent the spread of HIV, increase access to clean water and sanitation, expand economic opportunity and protect natural resources.” The organization also provides aid to victims of conflict and natural disasters.

This year’s show, with host Sarah Ferguson (Duchess of York), will be Friday, February 12th in the tents at Bryant Park during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

The event is open to the public with tickets starting around $100. You can purchase tickets online through Ticketmaster. 100% of ticket sales will be donated to CARE. The donated garments will be auctioned online through NET-A-PORTER starting February 15th.

The first Fashion for Relief event took place in 2005 to benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina; it raised over $1M. Way to go!

MAC VIVA GLAM, $14 - total cost goes to MAC AIDS Fund

MAC Cosmetics has really been making a statement, and I’m not referring to their signature funky and bold make-up style.

With Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas promoting a small line of lipsticks and lipgloss called VIVA GLAM, MAC has generated $135,000,000 for the MAC AIDS Fund since 1994. Every single cent of the $14 selling price of the lipstick or lipgloss is donated to the fund. There’s a total of 8 shades to choose from (6 lipstick colors and 2 lipgloss colors).

The MAC AIDS Fund supports men, women and children affected by AIDS worldwide. The company also encourages its employees to volunteer in AIDS charities.

Baby llama throw, $249 - all proceeds benefit Pro Mujer

What do baby llamas, a small Latin American country and blankets have in common? Well, in this particular case, the empowerment of women!

The online store Peruvian Connection sells all sorts of artisanal apparel and home decor made by Andean craftsmen using fibers native to the region. What struck me the most was this beautiful diamond-weave throw measuring 60″ x 70″. This throw is quite special not only because it is made from the first clip of the baby llama, but also because 100% of the proceeds supports the ’pro women’ (Pro Mujer) charity in Peru

Pro Mujer Peru was launched in 1999 after the successes of Pro Mujer in Bolivia and Nicaragua. The non-profit provides women in need with small loans, career training and access to health care through alliances with third-party providers. The organization also provides counseling for women dealing with domestic violence.

Why buy a snuggie when you can buy a gorgeous throw that supports a good cause?!

Also, here’s a pic of a baby llama if you’re not completely sold. So cute!

baby llama which may or may not be from Peru

I’ve been looking for a new pair of jeans lately and was desperately searching for the Rock the Cure pair from Rock & Republic. I was about to give up on finding a pair that supported a charity until I came across a small, high-end denim label called Pierce Jeans. YES- Finally!

Pierce jeans are made from organic cotton and are known for their excellent fit and washes. But what really sets this label apart from other designer denim brands is the fact that Pierce donates a ‘significant’ portion of their profits to children’s charities around the world including World Vision and Kids of Kilimanjaro.

Even better, Pierce actually hand-stitches a symbol on the back pockets that signifies to which continent/country/charity the profit from the sale of that particular jean is supporting.

Founded in 2006, Pierce already has a small celebrity following including A-listers such as Eva Longoria, Teri Hatcher, Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez (ok so what if some of those names are B-listers).

Peace-Keeper nail polish, $8 - 100% of profits support human rights and women's charities.

Ever wonder why Manhattanites get their nails done on a weekly basis? It’s cheap and adds an instant touch of luxe. Although now we can also justify this ritual to our ‘HABs’ (husbands and boyfriends) by adding that it’s supporting a good cause!

Peace-Keeper ‘Cause-Metics’ sells this great, environmentally-friendly nail polish partly and donates 100% of after tax profits to human rights and women’s charities. According to their website, they have given a total of $55k+ to charities in cash and donated around $30k  in-kind to support charity events and auctions.