5 Inspiring Organizations Giving Back During Times of Crisis and Beyond

When times are at their worst, people are often at their best, and good deeds can spread as quickly as wildfire. Though tasked with the need to rapidly adjust to changing governmental restrictions and supply chain challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies still found time to support the people in their communities who needed it most. Here are five that quickly stepped up to lend a helping hand over the last year and who continue to give back to this day.  

1. Muse Health

As SARS-CoV-2 began making its way across the U.S., one of the first items to vanish from retail shelves was hand sanitizer. Muse Health, a California-based company that produces a dual action hand sanitizer that kills germs instantly while hydrating skin, quickly stepped in to get their product to people in need. Since April of 2020, the company has donated more than 45,000 bottles of the cruelty-free, vegan hand sanitizer to organizations around the country including The Rewritten Story Foundation in North Carolina and Burnell’s Lower 9th Ward Market in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

But Muse Health didn’t stop there. Embracing the mission to empower and support, they launched a buy-one-give-one initiative and continue to donate one bottle of hand sanitizer for every bottle purchased. “A hand sanitizer can’t change the world,” the company says on its website, “but it can be part of the solution. Over time and ongoing, we believe our formula is one small step on the path to instilling the confidence people need to tackle life’s greatest challenges and simplest pleasures. And with your support, we can do that, one bottle at a time.” 

Mimi Anderson of Muse Health further explains, “We believe that everyone across the country should have the confidence that comes from feeling safe and protected.  There are so many hardworking, thoughtful and selfless people in our community and we see it as our responsibility to ensure they can continue to make a difference in their lives, the lives of others, and in the world knowing their hands are protected and nourished.”

2. Allbirds

Healthcare workers have been hard at work since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and Allbirds, a San Francisco-based sustainable footwear company, has been right there to support them. In five days in March of 2020, they donated $500,000 worth of their best-selling Tuke Matcha Wool Runners to members of the medical community holding the front line in the war against SARs-CoV-2.  

Giving back has actually been an integral part of Allbird’s mission since it was founded. A certified B Corp, the company has always done business differently and has strived to treat the environment with as much care as its own bottom line. In addition to initiatives to lower their carbon footprint and use renewable materials—including energy—Allbirds has partnered with Soles4Souls to donate lightly used shoes to help lift others out of poverty in communities around the globe. 

3. Thinx

Known for their line of underwear that absorbs period flow, the New York-based company launched a NYC Covid-19 Response and Recovery Fund during the pandemic to support area communities and nonprofits throughout the crisis. No stranger to fighting for those in need, Thinx has been devoted to pushing back against discriminatory policies, promoting inclusivity, and advocating for menstrual equity since the company’s inception. 

Thinx’s EveryBody medically accurate education program partners with schools, after-school programs, and youth-serving nonprofits to teach young people about their changing bodies. The company also works with partners like Girls Inc., Safe Horizon, and the Alliance of Border Collaboratives to expand access to basic hygiene products, reproductive healthcare, and mentoring to women everywhere. 

4. Everlane

Recognizing the burden that the COVID-19 pandemic had placed on American families and the growing number of people facing hunger as a result, the San Francisco-based clothing company partnered with Feeding America in November of 2020 to help provide meals to people in need. Not only did Everlane donate $100 thousand to start, but the company also donated an additional $10 for every donation its customers made to the cause as well as $1 for every Everlane order placed. They were able to more than meet their fundraising goal and provided 2.1 million meals. 

Everlane created their 100% Human Collection to promote human rights for everyone regardless of gender. For International Women’s Day, the company launched the Human Together campaign, encouraging their customers to post photos on Instagram tagged #HumanTogether. For every photo posted, Everlane donated $1 to Equality Now, raising a total of $14,710. 

5. Bombas

The New York City-based sock company’s mission since day one has been to help people experiencing homelessness. With the first pair of socks sold—and every pair since—Bombas has donated another pair of socks to shelters, nonprofits, and other organizations that are also dedicated to helping homeless, in-need, and at-risk communities. To date, the company has donated more than 49 million pairs of socks and has more than 3,500 Giving Partners across the country. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bombas team spent 340 hours volunteering virtually and in person, donated more than 15 million pairs of socks to support social worker outreach and meal service efforts, and ordered more than 180 pizzas for a local family shelter. They also donated more than $250,000 to organizations that work to combat the root causes of systemic inequality in the Black community. 

“We’re encouraged by the engagement we’re seeing,” the company writes on their website, “and we’re inspired to create even more opportunities to maintain the conversation around homelessness.”