Knowing that socks are the most requested item in shelters, e-tailer Bombas has long donated them and other garments to the unhoused with each customer purchase. During the pandemic, Bombas leveraged relationships with other like-minded companies to spearhead donations of 300 sheets, 430,000 bars of soap, and 10,000 individually wrapped snacks. It also donated 50,000 pairs of supportive socks to doctors and nurses at nearly 200 hospitals nationwide and volunteered critically needed items, including over 113,500 pairs of socks and T-shirts, to the Food Bank of New York City, the Doctors Without Borders mobile shower program, the Department of Homeless Services, NYC’s Jacob Javits Center, and the USNS Comfort. This year, the company also made five $50,000 donations to organizations working to combat racial injustice.

Bombas is an e-commerce apparel company, focused on making the most comfortable socks in the history of feet while helping those in need. After discovering socks are the #1 most requested clothing item in homeless shelters, Bombas established the brand’s mission to donate a pair of socks for every pair sold. To date Bombas has donated more than five million pairs across the US. Each Bombas sock is constructed using the company’s proprietary Sock Tech, comprised of several substantial improvements to the comfort, performance, and design of the traditional sock.

A self-imposed carbon tax in 2019 funded the company’s transition this year to 100 percent carbon neutrality through third-party certified offsets. Allbirds footwear and apparel all carry a Carbon Footprint label. In May, the company announced a partnership with Adidas to develop the world's lowest carbon performance shoe and to hasten the transformation of the footwear supply chain, from material choices to manufacturing facilities and transportation methods. In line with its concern for the climate crisis and racial equity, Allbirds proclaimed Earth Day and Juneteenth company holidays in 2020.

In a year when a record number of people ate meals at home, reliably non-toxic cookware became all the more beneficial. After launching in November 2019 with a 150,000 waitlist, Caraway's timing could not have been better. The company's first product, a ceramic-coated cookware set, is made of recyclable aluminum and stainless steel and is 100 percent free of harmful toxins. It also releases 60 percent less carbon dioxide compared with traditional nonstick coatings.

As the U.S. and Canada began issuing shelter-in-place orders, Instacart worked around the clock to provide an essential, immediate, and flexible service for millions of families and retailers. It was the first on-demand company to introduce "Leave at My Door Delivery." This year, the company also introduced a number of health and safety resources for shoppers, including free telemedicine consultations, and launched its Senior Support Service—a high-touch system to help seniors adopt online grocery delivery and prepare for flu season. In the first month of this service, Instacart onboarded over 70,000 seniors. To help alleviate food insecurity and its disproportionate effects on communities of color, Instacart donated $250,000 to Feeding America and Food Banks Canada. 

“Fast furniture” contributes over 20 billion pounds of waste to landfills annually. Feather’s rental model helps it maintain its core mission: to keep furniture in homes and out of landfills by renting reusable pieces it reclaims and maintains. This year, it helped legions of homebound workers get office equipment; Feather saw a 400 percent increase in demand for home-office items, alone. By taking operations in-house, Feather completely offset its domestic operations’ carbon emissions. The company also adopted a permanent remote work policy and launched its own line of furniture, offering more than 200+ items that can be repaired and redeployed.