Shop Small, Give Big: A 2024 Holiday Gift Guide 

Celebrate the season by supporting small, CDFI-funded businesses and advancing economic opportunity with OFN’s shopping guide.

Read time: 6 minutes

The holiday season is here! Before you fill your online cart with stocking stuffers and holiday treats, consider a different approach this year by shopping small. Supporting small and local businesses isn’t just about finding unique gifts — it’s about making an impact. By shopping small this holiday season, you contribute to economic growth, create jobs, and advance economic opportunity in communities across the U.S.  

Why Shop Small?

Shopping locally and supporting small businesses during the holiday season is a simple yet transformative way to give back. Here’s why your choices matter more than ever:  

• Small businesses fuel economic recovery.  
  • The economic challenges of recent years have highlighted the essential role of small businesses in driving economic development. They help stabilize local economies and spur innovation, creating opportunities for growth that benefit us all.  
• Small businesses create meaningful jobs.  
  • Small businesses employ nearly half of all workers in the U.S., playing a pivotal role in providing stable jobs and career opportunities. By supporting small businesses, you’re helping hardworking individuals build self-sufficiency and financial security.  
• CDFIs help break barriers for entrepreneurs.  
  • Community development financial institutions (CDFIs) provide capital and resources to entrepreneurs who have been excluded from traditional financial systems — particularly in low-income, Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color. CDFIs offer “capital plus,” funding, meaning it’s paired with business services like technical advice and financial planning to ensure long-term success.  

When you shop small, you’re not just buying a gift — you’re contributing to a movement for economic equity and opportunity.  

Make a Difference This Holiday Season

This year, OFN’s Small Business Shopping Guide showcases small businesses funded by a few of our member CDFIs.  

Here’s how you can get involved:  

• Shop small all season long. Use our guide to discover inspiring businesses and unique gifts.  

• Spread the word. Encourage friends and family to support small and local businesses.  

Let’s make this holiday season a celebration of opportunity, equity, and resilience.  

OFN’s Small Business Shopping Guide

Aimée Nicole Bridal | Houston, Texas  

Aimée Nicole Bridal is committed to ensuring that every woman feels beautiful and cherished, regardless of their shape or size. 

Funded by Momentus Capital 

Crystal Lake Alpaca Boutique | Frankfort, Michigan  

The Crystal Lake Alpaca Farm & Boutique was established in 2001 by David and Christine Nelson with a herd of six alpacas. The Crystal Lake Alpaca farm is home to many National Alpaca Show Championsand has received numerous national recognitions in the alpaca show industry. Wanting to share the love of these animals and their amazing fiber with people who visit Northern Michigan, the first boutique on the farm was opened in the spring of 2012. The boutique lies within a refurbished barn and features Northern Michigan rustic appeal using wood harvested from the property. Visitors are welcome to the farm during business hours to shop in the boutique, visit the animal park where they can pet and feed the alpacas, and enjoy all the wonders that Northern Michigan has to offer.  

Funded by Venture North 

Great Lakes Chocolate & Dessert Co. | Traverse City, Michigan  

Great Lakes Chocolate has several dessert and chocolate confections for grab-and-go options. You can take some of your favorites to-go or stop in to pick up gifts for friends, family, or co-workers with their exclusive products.

Funded by Venture North 

Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate | Empire, Michigan  

Mimi Wheeler, originally from Denmark, started Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate after making bonbons for her friends for holidays and events for many years. She was never satisfied with the chocolate she could purchase in the United States so, after a career as a social worker, she opened GDC in a small building just south of Empire. The name ‘Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate’ harkens back to Mimi’s youth, when her family owned the small grocery store in the rural village where she grew up. 

Funded by Venture North 

Here I Am | Long Beach, California 

Here I Am supports women through their curated boxes for a self-care experience. Their selection of sustainably made wellness and relaxation products include skincare, bath and body, aromatherapy candles, and essential oils, all U.S. made from women-owned small businesses.  

Funded by Momentus Capital 

Kritter Kribs | Lapeer, Michigan  

Kritter Kribs is a collection of homes for animals, such as coops and brooders for chickens, houses for cats, bat houses, beehives, and more. 

Funded by Northern Initiatives 

Miss Anne’s Maypop Herb Shop | New Orleans, Louisiana  

Maypop Community Herb Shop opened in 2011 by a collective of herbalists and is the first herb shop to open after Hurricane Katrina. For the last six years, the herb shop has been located in its second home on St. Claude Avenue in the Bywater neighborhood of Bvlbancha, the city of New Orleans. 

Funded by NDN Fund 

Native Botanicals | Porcupine, South Dakota  

Native Botanicals is a Lakota family-owned business specializing in handcrafted Indigenous remedies using sustainable practices. They use a part of their profits to replant medicines for future generations.  

Funded by NDN Fund 

Northern Elderberry | Traverse City, Michigan  

Northern Elderberry grew from a legacy of love and natural wellness. The power of herbs and knowledge of natural resources has created their signature elderberry syrup. 

Funded by Venture North

Olive Gift Co. | Crofton, Maryland  

Olive Gift Co. specializes in creating bespoke gift boxes that speak to the heart. Every box is thoughtfully curated to deliver a memorable gifting experience, whether you’re expressing gratitude, celebrating a milestone, or making a meaningful connection.  

Funded by NCRC CDFI 

Tocabe Indigenous Marketplace | Denver, Colorado  

Tocabe is simplifying the supply chain and making regional shopping local by giving access to Native and Indigenous ingredients online. 

Funded by NDN Fund 

Trini Pepper Sauce | Washington, D.C.  

Trini Pepper Sauce is made from a Trinidadian family recipe. They use hand-picked Scotch Bonnet Peppers and Scorpion Peppers, grown in Trinidad. Trini sauce is different than any sauce on the market today. The peppers are fresh and shipped to the U.S. directly from Trinidad. Unlike other sauces, they never use frozen peppers. While other sauces are hot, true Trinidad hot sauce has a sweet taste to it while still maintaining a lingering heat. 

Funded by Momentus Capital 

Looking for more gift ideas? Check out more CDFI holiday shopping guides and marketplaces: 

• Craft3 2024 Holiday Gift Guide 
• ECDI 2024 Small Business Gift Guide 
• Grow America Gift Guide
• LiftFund Client Marketplace 
• Spruce Root’s Native-Owned Gift Guide 
• Northern Initiatives 2024 Gift Guide 
• Synergies Market  
• Working Solutions Client Directory

Learn more about OFN’s 450+ members using our CDFI Locator.

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Tags: Community Development, OFN Membership, Small Business