A socially responsible company acts on the belief that we all have responsibilities to society that go above and beyond legal requirements. They refrain from doing things that create harm and to move forward things that make the world a better place for everyone.

The green, fair trade, and other socially responsible companies featured at Idealist Gifts accept that they may profit less by doing the right thing – and they do it anyway.

In the rush to increase profits, businesses often forget that consumers are first and foremost human beings. And human beings eventually take issue with putting profits over people – especially as those people get closer and closer to home.

The moment a person connects a company to a deeply held value of theirs – for better or worse – every previous impression can be instantly overturned.

In the 2006 Cone Millennial Cause Study, 89% of respondents said if price and quality were equal they’d likely switch to a brand associated with a good cause.

Of course, if the company’s mission is a cause, in itself, such as a green or fair trade company, it’s in even better shape.