In another article, we talked about the different shapes "giving back" can take—B Corps, one-for-one models, percentage-of-proceeds donations, and businesses that build their whole hiring model around opportunity. This week: 20 Nashville businesses actually doing it.

This is a mix of tiny shops, social enterprises, and a few nonprofits that happen to run really good cafes and stores. Several exist specifically to employ people who've been shut out of the job market elsewhere, such as women survivors of trafficking and addiction, people rebuilding after homelessness, adults with disabilities. We pulled this list from local press, the Nashville Social Enterprise Alliance, and each organization's own site, and every listing links straight to the business so you can check current details before you shop or visit. 

Seven Nashville spots where your coffee order or lunch funds job training, clean water, or a healing program.

Thistle Farms, The Café — thecafeatthistlefarms.org 

Restaurant and event space employing women survivors of trafficking, prostitution, and addiction as part of their healing journey.

The Well Coffeehouse — wellcoffeeroasters.com 

Profits fund clean-water wells in the countries the coffee is sourced from; $200,000+ donated to 50+ communities since 2012.

The Cookery — thecookery.org 

Nonprofit café and culinary training facility for formerly homeless or incarcerated men, run by Lambscroft Ministries.

Dozen Bakery — dozen-nashville.com 

A rotating seasonal loaf donates $1 of every sale to a local nonprofit; leftover bread goes to Project Return and Room in the Inn.

Crest Coffee House — yelp.com/biz/crest-coffee-house-nashville

Nashville's first donation-based coffee house; pay what you can, with 90% of profit going back to the community.

Humphreys Street Coffee Co. — humphreysstreet.com

A social enterprise of Harvest Hands, providing jobs and mentoring for youth in South Nashville.

TribEndurance — facebook.com/Tribendurance

A Nashville Social Enterprise Alliance member making nutrition bars, built around a give-back mission.

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Eight brands where what you buy funds job training, fair wages, or a give-back partner.

Project 615 — project615.com

Apparel company that has employed 50+ people recovering from homelessness, addiction, and mental illness, and donated over $450,000 to causes.

BRANDED Collective — instagram.com/brandedcollective

Jewelry handcrafted by survivors of human trafficking from End Slavery Tennessee; 25% of profits fund rescue and restoration work.

Nisolo — nisolo.com 

Ethically made leather shoes and accessories, employing artisans in Peru and Kenya at fair, transparent wages.

Fashionable — livefashionable.com 

Invests in women locally and globally who have overcome prostitution, addiction, or homelessness through employment and skill-building.

Resera — inkedin.com/company/reserajewelry

An ethical jewelry brand that employs and empowers women survivors overcoming homelessness, domestic violence, incarceration, and addiction.

The Nashville Blanket Project — getfaircloth.com

Buy a blanket, and one is donated to a neighbor in need; has given away 1,000+ blankets to date.

Ed. Pack Global — instagram.com/edpackglobal

A backpack company that gives back to support women's education with every purchase.

Soles4Souls — soles4souls.org 

A Nashville-founded global social enterprise fighting poverty through the collection and distribution of shoes and clothing.

Five more Nashville organizations rounding out the list — thrift shops, a housing nonprofit, and a pet-and-people social enterprise.

ThriftSmart — thriftsmart.com 

Two Nashville-area locations — 100% of profits go to local nonprofit partners; has donated more than $2.5 million since 2005.

GEAR Foundation Thrift Store — ourthriftstore.org 

Every donation funds job training and employment for adults with special needs in a retail setting.

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville — habitatnashville.org 

Home-building nonprofit; its ReStores sell discounted goods to fund affordable housing.

Daybreak Arts — daybreakarts.org   

Provides studio space, supplies, and professional development so artists can earn income and break the cycle of homelessness.

Crossroads Campus — crossroadscampus.org 

Combines pet products and services with job training, affordable housing, and animal adoption for young people and animals in need.

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Twenty businesses is nowhere near the full picture. Nashville has hundreds more doing this quietly, without a write-up anywhere. That's exactly the gap we're building Businesses for Good to close: an easier way to find and verify businesses like these across the city, without hunting through old blog posts.

Know a Nashville business that belongs on this list? Send it our way! We'll be adding to this guide as Businesses for Good takes shape.

1.  Nashville Social Enterprise Alliance. "Our Members and Community Partners." nashvillesocialenterprise.us/community/ 

2.  Nashville Lifestyles. "10 Businesses that Give Back." nashvillelifestyles.com/living/community/10-businesses-that-give-back/ 

3.  NASHtoday. "Nashville businesses that give back." 6amcity.com/tn/nashville/live/nashville-businesssess-that-give-back 

4.  Individual business websites, linked above.