father's day

The Best Gifts for Dad (That Do Good, Too)

Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers

You may have noticed some posts from our friends at the Strategist on the Cut. They’ll be dropping in every now and again, sharing their expertise on the basics you don’t have time to research and the weird and wonderful things you don’t yet know you need.

If you’re going to give your dad something for Father’s Day — which you should — why not make it a gift that gives back? We’ve found the best presents with a charitable component so you can do some good while celebrating the man who taught you important things, like how to flip a pancake, catch a fish, and look cool in a pair of New Balances. Rest assured that these are truly philanthropic: Many promise to donate their full proceeds to nonprofits, and several let you designate those funds to a charity of your choice.

Right now, all of these gifts are expected to arrive by Father’s Day — June 19 — but as the date gets closer, stock availability and shipping times will change, so if you see something you like, go ahead and add it to your cart right now.

For the art-collecting dad, turn to Summertime Gallery, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit that provides studio space, materials, and mentorship to neurodivergent artists. Paige Wery, director of Tierra del Sol Gallery in Los Angeles, highly recommends Summertime’s postcard subscription as “the perfect way to say hello to loved ones and learn about an artist you might not have known.” Every month, Dad will get a new postcard with proceeds benefiting both the artist and Summertime.

UNICEF Market showcases the work of artists in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, with proceeds contributed to the artisans themselves and the organization’s humanitarian aid work. The purchase of this toiletries bag, which was crafted in Peru, helps provide dehydration relief to children.

The National Network of Abortion Funds has an entire page dedicated to merch that directly benefits local abortion funds. We like this slightly sweary mug from the Texas Equal Access Fund, which gives emotional and financial support to low-income people seeking abortions across Texas.

The Clinic Access Support Network provides transportation and child-care assistance to those in need of abortion services in Houston — and it has its own merch, including this T-shirt featuring a space-agency-themed take on its logo.

Conscious Step partners with organizations like Habitat for Humanity and World Central Kitchen, offering products that benefit their respective causes. This hoodie, which has the tiniest embroidered sun on the left cuff, supports the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, a grassroots organization working to destigmatize mental-health issues.

$17

Outdoorsy dads know the importance of clean drinking water, so give yours a LifeStraw, a Sharpie-size device that filters bacteria and parasites out of water from any source. (Just dip in the end and drink.) For every one sold, LifeStraw will donate safe drinking water to a child in Kenya for an entire school year.

Socks aren’t the most inventive gift, but they are among the most useful. Former Strategist senior writer Karen Iorio Adelson raved about Bombas’s lightweight no-shows that actually stay up. And for every pair sold, the brand donates a pair to someone experiencing homelessness.

Ecoconscious kitchenware marketplace Boon Supply gives 40 percent of every purchase to a fundraiser of your choice at checkout, including the Children’s Diabetes Foundation and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy. For the tinned-fish fanatic, this highly giftable set includes lightly smoked and lemon-pepper sockeye salmon packed in extra-virgin olive oil.

For the dad who needs a reminder to hydrate, Fill It Forward just may do the trick: Every time you reuse it (you scan a sticker on the bottle to track refills on the organization’s app), the company contributes to projects providing clean drinking water to communities in such countries as Ethiopia and India. This bottle is a part of FIF’s Charity Collection, with $5 of each sale going directly to partners like WaterAid and Water First.

To make his routine a little more luxurious, we suggest this Caswell-Massey shaving cream blended with botanicals and dark spices. It’s part of a floral-themed collaboration between the 270-year-old soap-maker and the New York Botanical Garden, with a portion of all profits funding the garden’s plant conservation work.

$15

Your Faulkner-loving dad will probably approve of Missouri Williams’s debut novel, The Doloriad, which our colleagues at Vulture deemed one of the best books of 2022. If you buy it from Bookshop, you can choose to give the sale to a local bookstore or contribute to an earnings pool that’s distributed among independent bookstores.

All the proceeds from streetwear label Krost’s Basics capsule collection, which includes this vibrant cobalt pullover, will be donated to the Special Children’s Center, a nonprofit that provides respite care for families with children who have developmental disabilities.

Chef-approved apron-maker Hedley & Bennett teamed up with the ​Conservation Alliance, which works to protect wildlife across North America, on a collection inspired by national landmarks. The grillmaster dad can switch off with this colorful Grand Canyon–themed duo — which would pair perfectly with the Yosemite version that made an appearance on our list of Mother’s Day gifts that give back.

A more recent addition to National Geographic and Parks Project’s ongoing collaboration, this patch-emblazoned cap helps support the National Geographic Society’s efforts to fund the work of scientists and conservationists around the world.

The techie dad probably has one too many wires. Help him stay above 20 percent battery with this sleek, Qi-certified (the gold standard when it comes to wireless charging tech) station that powers up multiple devices at once. When you buy it from Olivela’s site, the charger provides essential supplies to a family in need through Save the Children.

If he never misses a Tiny Desk Concert, this mug helps make the show possible: Proceeds from every purchase at NPR’s store go toward public-radio programming. An NPR Coffee Club subscription could be a much-appreciated accompaniment too.

This serving bowl is designed by Material, also the maker of a Strategist-approved whisk and cutting board (that also gives back). The hand-finished ceramic is crafted from Korean soil, making each bowl one of a kind. Half the profits are donated to Star Route Farm, which provides free produce to food-insecure communities.

Flamingo Estate is donating 100 percent of the purchase price of this sunflower-seed oil (and matching the $35 donation) to the Sunflower of Peace Foundation, a nonprofit that provides necessities to Ukrainians affected by the ongoing Russian invasion. The oil was made in collaboration with La Tourangelle (which makes a delicious sesame oil, too) using sunflower seeds grown in Meridian, California.

Out of Print promises that every purchase funds literacy programs and book donations in underserved communities — which makes this banned-books-patterned drink sleeve even more meaningful.

Every purchase on Social Goods includes a donation to a nonprofit. This Big Apple–themed T-shirt is no exception — it benefits New York City–based WIN, short for Women in Need, which provides safe housing and other critical services to families experiencing homelessness.

Turn to the Smithsonian Store for the history-obsessed dad. All the revenue from the shop directly supports new exhibitions, public programs, and outreach initiatives across the institution’s museums. This throwback Boeing-logo duffel bag would work for the jet-setter (or aerophile) in your life.

As seen in our most recent “Don’t DillyDally” roundup, this cap is part of 3.1 Phillip Lim and Panda Express’s three-piece collection in honor of AAPI Heritage Month. All net proceeds from the limited-edition merch will go to six grassroots organizations focused on food insecurity in the AAPI community, including Heart of Dinner and Welcome to Chinatown.

The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.

The Best Gifts for Dad (That Do Good, Too)