As a Senior Investment Director at Kiva, getting to work with incredible entrepreneurs is one of my favorite parts of the job. Last year, while I was Christmas shopping, I realized I was buying so many gifts from Kiva borrowers that I basically had a gift guide on my hands. So I made one and had a lot of fun doing it. This year, I asked other Kivans to share their favorite discoveries too.
It’s been a tough year, and most of us could use a little more joy and a little less stress. This guide is for the person who wants great gifts without the headache. As a full-time working mom, I love the idea of shopping small and local, but I don’t exactly have time to wander through cute indie shops. Everything here is unique, useful, available online, budget-friendly, and supports hardworking entrepreneurs worldwide.
These companies are all Kiva borrowers we love. They are fantastic businesses that make exceptional products and have a real impact on their communities. This isn’t sponsored, and we didn’t receive any kickbacks. Here are a few of our favorites we’re adding to our carts. I hope they spark ideas for the people you love.
Quick gift finder
For the one who you’re truly stumped about: Diaspora Co. Aranya Black Pepper
For the crafty kid or crafty-wannabe: Threads Worldwide Bracelet Kit
For the homebody: Di Luna Lavender Agave Dream Candle
For the skincare lover: True Moringa Oil
For the sparkly-something friend: Origo Shop Dulce Inspiración Earrings
For the snack enthusiast: Burlap & Barrel Snack Attack Bundle
For the healthy-ish person: Kuli Kuli Superfood Blend
For the person who needs to chill: Yellow Leaf Hammock Signature Hammock
For the person who wants to do good: Kiva Gift Card
For the stylish shopper: The Super Tote by Gu Grocery
For you to wrap everything with: Black Paper Party Wrapping Paper
For the one you're truly stumped about: Aranya Black Pepper from Diaspora Co.
Why it’s a great gift: A fancy version of something most people use every day is always a great gift for someone hard to buy for. I love an affordable fancy basic that brings a bit of extra deliciousness. Tasty and practical? Can’t beat it.
Kiva staff pick: Recommended by our EVP of Investments, Kathy, who says: “Get that pepper! Throw it on a steak!”
Impact: Women-owned and founded company. Single-origin, directly sourced from farmers in India and Sri Lanka with no fillers, no pesticides, and harvest dates on every tin. Fair wages and a reimagined, equitable spice trade.
For the crafty kid or crafty-wannabe: Make-Your-Own Bracelet Kit by Threads Worldwide
Why it’s a great gift: It’s an easy craft with a beautiful end result, perfect for kids or anyone who loves a low-effort, high-payoff creative project. Ideal for people (like me) who aspire to be craftier than we actually are. Threads Worldwide also offers trips that look bucket-list-worthy!
Kiva staff pick: Recommended by Erinn, Strategic Partnership Senior Manager (and proud Denverite!), who discovered Threads Worldwide while searching for Kiva borrowers in her city.
Impact: Each bead is handmade by women artisans in Uganda, rolled from thin strips of paper, hand-painted, and assembled into beautiful jewelry pieces. The work provides meaningful income and economic opportunity for women across artisan cooperatives.
For the homebody: Lavender Agave Dream Candle from Di Luna Candles
Why it’s a great gift: It smells incredible, comes in a gorgeous pink glass, and instantly turns any room into a spa-smelling paradise. If lavender-agave isn’t your vibe, they have so many other amazing scents. I actually bought this one for my mom’s birthday (and picked up Citrus Peach for myself), and she loved it.
Kiva staff pick: Recommended by Channing, a Senior Associate on the Strategic Partnerships team and a native Tucsonan who moved away but still immediately and enthusiastically shouted “Di Luna Candles!” when asked for gift guide picks.
Impact: Di Luna Candles is a Latina-owned Tucson business founded by Maria, who turned a hobby into a full-time candle-making studio and community space. Every candle is hand-poured with 100% soy wax and natural fragrance oils, using eco-friendly practices from sourcing to packaging. Maria is dedicated to uplifting local, women-owned businesses, and her shop features a curated selection of artisan goods, workshops, and a weekly market that supports grassroots entrepreneurs across Tucson.
For the skincare lover: Moringa Oil by True Moringa
Why it’s a great gift: This is a true multi-purpose workhorse of a beauty product. You can use it as a face moisturizer, makeup remover, post-shave balm, hair detangler, or for scars and stretch marks; basically, anywhere you need a little lightweight moisture and glow. It’s the rare self-care gift that works for almost everyone in your life.
Kiva Staff Pick: Recommended by James, an Investment Manager based in Nairobi who first got a sample on a visit to Ghana. He said he now uses it every day on his face, and he looks like a smooth, glowing cherub, so I think it's a ringing endorsement!
Impact: True Moringa is a Black-owned company working directly with 5,000 small farming families in Ghana. They’ve planted over 3 million moringa trees and built the largest solar-powered irrigation system in West Africa, supporting farmers with fair wages, training, financial tools, and health benefits. Their ingredients are produced by a 98% Ghana-based team, and their finished products are made in the U.S. in partnership with Black- and women-owned small-batch manufacturers.
For the sparkly-something friend: Dulce Inspiración Earrings by Origo Shop
Why it’s a great gift: These earrings are elegant and timeless, but also unique enough to not be boring, and so affordable they are a no-brainer! They’re perfect for someone who deserves a little extra sparkle this year.
Kiva staff pick: Recommended by Kaylin, Operations Manager for Kiva U.S., who couldn’t choose between all of the great choices in Origo shop… so I chose for her.
Impact: Origo Shop was founded by Yaosca, an immigrant woman from Nicaragua who discovered her passion for handcrafted jewelry while living in Colombia. After moving to the U.S. with her family, she turned that passion into a small business that celebrates culture, craftsmanship, and women’s empowerment. Each piece is handmade with intention, helping her build a better future for her family while uplifting the stories behind every design.
For the snack enthusiast: Snack Attack Gift Bundle by Burlap and Barrel
Why it’s a great gift: Everyone loves snacks. Whether they’re a popcorn person, a chips-and-salsa die hard, or someone who can’t turn down a dip, this bundle turns everyday snacks into something seriously tasty. I have to stop myself from putting the sumac on literally everything I can find. It’s fun, flavorful, and an exciting little treat for your tastebuds.
Kiva staff pick: Recommended by Michelle, Senior Grant Project Manager, who loves a good late-night popcorn moment and swears this bundle takes every salty snack to the next level.
Impact: Burlap & Barrel works directly with smallholder farmers around the world to source single-origin spices that support sustainable agriculture and pay farmers premium prices. Their transparent, equitable sourcing model helps preserve traditional farming practices while bringing rare, high-quality flavors to home cooks everywhere.
For the healthy-ish person: Green Power Superfood Blend by Kuli Kuli
Why it’s a great gift: I love a gift that actually supports people’s goals, and this one makes being a little healthier incredibly easy. It’s tasty, versatile, and perfect for smoothie lovers, oatmeal people, busy parents… anyone who wants to feel a bit more put-together without trying too hard.
Kiva staff pick: Recommended by Catalina, Investment Director for Social Enterprises and a dedicated smoothie maker (she even packs a blender in her suitcase on work trips).
Impact: Kuli Kuli is a woman-founded social enterprise sourcing climate-smart superfoods like moringa and baobab directly from women farmers and small cooperatives. Their regenerative agriculture model has planted 33 million trees, generated $7 million in farmer income, and supported over 4,000 livelihoods across Africa and Asia.
For the person who needs to chill: The Classic Hammock by Yellow Leaf Hammocks
Why it’s a great gift: This is the gift for someone who seriously needs to chill. These hammocks are unbelievably comfortable, weather-resistant, and best of all tree-optional thanks to their easy hanging straps. It's the kind of gift that transforms a yard, balcony, or even a living room corner into a tiny slice of vacation.
Kiva staff pick: Recommended by Kendra, Investment Director for Europe & Asia, who bribed a friend to hand-carry one to her in home in Bogotá, Colombia. Her review: “I got the signature hammock in vineyard haven and the hanging straps and I’m in love. I’ve been using it almost every day”.
Impact: Yellow Leaf Hammocks partners with artisan cooperatives in rural Thailand, creating stable, well-paid jobs for women who weave each hammock by hand. Their work helps families break cycles of generational poverty, build savings, and improve economic resilience, all through beautifully crafted hammocks that truly last.
For the person who wants to do good: Kiva Gift Card
Why it’s a great gift: A lot of us have wanted to “do something” to give back to our communities or planet but haven’t known exactly where to start. A Kiva Gift Card is the perfect gentle shove. It lets your recipient support a real entrepreneur and feel like they’ve made a small but powerful difference, without any stress or homework involved. Kiva staff pick: Recommended by Sophie McAulay, Director of Storytelling & Content, who finds it inspiring when others share something they love — lending on Kiva — with their loved ones. Impact: A Kiva Gift Card helps fund life-changing loans for hardworking entrepreneurs around the world, supporting small businesses, students, farmers, refugees, and more. And when the loan is repaid, they can lend again — so the impact keeps going.
Find other Kiva gifts that give back here.
For the stylish shopper: The Super Tote by Gu Grocery
Why it’s a great gift: This everyday canvas tote is fun, incredibly functional, and built to last. Whether you’re running errands or grocery shopping, it makes carrying it all feel easy. And the design — featuring the character 菇 (“mushroom”) gives it instant cool, in-the-know energy. 菇姑 = “Gu Gu,” which translates to Mushroom Aunty, also known as full Aunty Energy. It’s practical, playful, and totally unique.
Kiva staff pick: Recommended by Maddie Cashel, U.S. Operations Associate, who can never have too many tote bags, especially one with zippable pockets!
Impact: Founded by Jess, the daughter of a diasporic Chinese family in LA, Gu Grocery is rooted in the nourishing, medicinal traditions of Chinese food. Opening soon in Chinatown, it will offer culturally relevant groceries, Taiwanese and Chinese lunchboxes, and handmade pastries, all accessible with SNAP/CalFresh. In a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood with limited food options, Gu Grocery aims to be a welcoming, community-centered spot for nourishment and connection.
For you to wrap everything with: Holiday Gift Wrap by Black Paper Party
Why it’s a great gift (to yourself): You’re done shopping, feeling great about finding cool, unique gifts that go way beyond clicking through Amazon best sellers and now you need something equally special to wrap them in. Enter Black Paper Party. Their wrapping paper is next-level cool; vibrant, beautifully designed, and authentically reflective of diverse communities. It instantly levels up any gift.
Kiva staff pick: Recommended by Reteisha, Kiva U.S. Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Associate, who says their designs are her go-to every holiday season.
Impact: Black Paper Party is a Black women–owned company creating holiday decorations and wrapping paper that represent and celebrate diverse families and identities. Their work fills a long-overdue gap in the holiday aisle while supporting creative entrepreneurship and representation in retail.
Happy gifting!
From all of us at Kiva, we wish you a happy gifting season! May your shopping be joyful, your wrapping be stress-free, and your gifts be absolute hits. Thank you for supporting entrepreneurs who are building brighter futures for their families and communities along the way.
