Purpose Picks

Charity Christmas Cards & Cards That Give Back

A card is the cheapest thing in any gift guide and the one most likely to be read out loud, which makes it a good place to put your money somewhere useful. The charity Christmas cards here come from three registered charities: ARTHOUSE Unlimited, whose cards carry artwork made by adults with complex neuro-diverse and physical support needs in its Godalming studios; Fine Cell Work, whose bauble cards fund needlework training in British prisons; and Ireland's National SPCA, whose shop funds animal rescue. The rest are unusual charity-minded cards from businesses that give back: Washed Up Cards are handmade by Flora Blathwayt from plastic collected on London river and coastal beach cleans, so the card itself is the story, and Black & Beech screen-prints in Cardiff and has donated over £25,000 to feminist causes.

Nothing here is a multipack of forgettable snowmen. Cards start at £1 for a Miss Macaroon greeting card and stop at £7, so a full set of Christmas cards from this page still costs less than one supermarket hamper. Stock is read from each brand's own shop and refreshed weekly, and the Christmas designs sell out earliest, so order those before December.

Browse the full gift guide →

Charity Christmas cards

Made and sold by registered charities, so the whole price works for the cause. Buy in October: these are small runs.

How To Have a Perfect Christmas, drawn in an inclusive studio session and funnier than the title suggests. ARTHOUSE Unlimited is registered charity 1177900.

Merry Strangemas, for the relative who would rather have a joke than a robin.

Christmas cards from Ireland's National SPCA, a registered charity whose shop funds rescue, veterinary care, and rehoming.

More Christmas cards that give back

Unusual Christmas cards from businesses built around a cause.

Santa Paws, handmade from plastic picked off the Thames foreshore, so the card starts the conversation for you.

A tree pun on a card made from rescued beach plastic, by a founder who also runs the beach cleans it comes from.

A £5 Christmas card from the brand that employs people with Down syndrome in design and fulfilment.

Birthday, new baby and thank-you cards

The everyday drawer stocked from social enterprises instead of a service station.

Happy Birthday Your Highness, from a studio that pays its artists a royalty on every product their work appears on.

A new baby card handmade from river plastic, and a neat contrast with the pile of plastic toys.

A thank-you card at £5, and an easy pairing with a pair of the same brand's socks.

A £1 card from the Birmingham social enterprise that employs people facing mental health challenges, learning disabilities, and criminal justice involvement.

Cards with something to say

For when the message matters more than the occasion.

You Have The Power, from artists whose studio exists to make their work public rather than therapeutic.

A £2 Rad Dad card from a Cardiff label that gives at least 10% of profits to frontline feminist work.

Mum Lion Heart, screen-printed in Cardiff by a brand founded by Stacey Grant-Canham.

In Spite of the Odds, which reads as well for a recovery as it does for a promotion.

Give by cause

Prefer to start from the impact? Each cause hub lists every brand we feature for that cause.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes these cards different?
Usually one of two things: what they are made from, or who made them. Washed Up Cards are handmade from plastic collected on river and beach cleans, which keeps the material out of the water. ARTHOUSE Unlimited cards carry artwork by adults with complex neuro-diverse and physical support needs and pay those artists a royalty. Black & Beech prints locally in Cardiff and donates at least 10% of profits to feminist causes.
How much do charity Christmas cards cost?
On this page, between £1 and £7 per card, with the Fine Cell Work baubles sold as a pack of five for £7 and the National SPCA cards at €3.50. That is more than a supermarket multipack and less than most single cards in a gift shop.
Can I order these cards in bulk for a business?
Several of these brands sell card packs and corporate orders directly, and the brand page on Purpose Picks links to each shop. Order early: these are small teams, and the Christmas designs are printed in limited runs.

More gift guides

  • Secret Santa gifts under £15 →

    Secret Santa and stocking-filler gifts under £15, every one from a brand that gives back, with an eco-friendly section for the reusables.

  • Gifts made by disabled makers →

    Chocolate, art-led homeware, socks, and tees from brands where disabled people hold the paid roles.

  • Chocolate and food gifts that give back →

    Chocolate boxes, celebration cakes, madeleines, coffee, and beer from kitchens that hire people the job market overlooks.

  • Halloween gifts →

    Trick-or-treat chocolate, Jack O' Lantern macarons, a witch hat, and toys for the dog, then candles for the evenings after.

  • Black Friday gifts →

    Gifts built to last, gifts that fund a job, and Giving Tuesday picks from brands that give away all their profits.

  • Christmas gifts →

    Curated top picks for 2026, then stocking fillers, chocolate, and hand-woven scarves for December.

  • Birthday gifts →

    Celebration cakes, birthday macarons, and keepsakes for the person who has enough stuff.

  • Leaving gifts →

    Farewell gifts a team can club together on, from keepsakes to letterbox brownies.

  • Teacher gifts →

    End-of-term thank-you gifts, including a section under £15 and gifts a whole class can club together on.