Ten Thousand Villages, Raleigh is a locally operated non-profit retail store, governed by a volunteer board of directors and staffed by over 70 volunteers and a small part-time paid staff.

The Raleigh store is one in a network of over 100 Ten Thousand Villages fair trade stores in North America whose efforts improve the economic status of tens of thousands of artisans by providing income for food, education, health care and housing.

We purchase only from carefully chosen organizations that are members of the Fair Trade Federation and the International Fair Trade Association. These groups adhere to agreed upon fair trade monitoring standards. Our principal wholesaler, Ten Thousand Villages-U.S., is the largest fair-trade wholesaler in the United States.

"As one of the world’s largest fair trade retailers, Ten Thousand Villages strives to meet a triple bottom line of social, economic and environmental responsibility," says Craig Schlonegar, CEO of Ten Thousand Villages-U.S. "We maintain long-term relationships with artisans, providing a vital source of security during difficult times—which can result from causes ranging from natural disasters to civil unrest. Our cash advances of 50 percent when an order is placed allow artisans to purchase equipment and raw materials without going into debt. We pay a fair price for products, which ensures that artisans are adequately compensated for the time, labor and material resources invested in making each product. As well, our designers help artisans adapt traditional artistic skills to create a product that appeals to U.S. customers."

When you purchase a gift or items for your home in our store you have our guarantee that it was purchased according to fair trade principles.

Learn about our store history.