Starbucks has consistently provided aid to numerous areas of the world through the Starbucks Foundation. Recently, the Starbucks Foundation announced that it would be expanding its aid to add more programs for women and girls to seek out entrepreneurial opportunities. In addition, the Foundation also announced it would be giving a $30 million grant to global nonprofit organizations. The Starbucks Foundation is continuing its philanthropic mission of ending inequities globally. Additionally, it is setting an example regarding the importance that all companies work to alleviate global poverty.

What is the Starbucks Foundation?

The Starbucks Foundation’s mission is to “strengthen humanity by transforming lives across the world, with a focus on enabling community resiliency and prosperity and uplifting communities affected by disaster.” The Starbucks Foundation offers a number of different programs to benefit communities in need. Here are its four main initiatives.

1. Neighborhood Grants: The Starbucks Foundation offers neighborhood grants to allow partner organizations to nominate a local nonprofit organization to receive investments in their volunteer activities.
2. Disaster Response: Starbucks supports initiatives that extend assistance to those in emergency crises.
3. International Giving: The organization invests in global initiatives that respond to issues within local communities to provide aid and support.
4. Origin Grants: Starbucks provides aid to tea- and coffee-growing communities, especially those providing assistance to women and girls.

Expanding Origins Program

The Starbucks Foundation recently announced that it is expanding its Origins Grant Program to help 1 million more women and girls. The Origins Program relies on three pillars which include promoting economic opportunity, promoting women’s leadership and increasing access to clean water and sanitation. Specifically, Starbucks is now working to establish childcare facilities that allow mothers to work while their children are getting the attention that they need in Guatemala, Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

Starbucks is also currently establishing a new project with the Wakami Foundation. The Wakami Foundation comes from the brand Wakami, a bracelet company. The Wakami Foundation seeks to connect rural communities with the global marketplace, which coincides with the Starbucks Foundation’s mission of encouraging rural integration into markets abroad. It specifically focuses on the empowerment of female businesses as well.

The Starbucks Foundation and Wakami Foundation are teaming up to find women entrepreneurs in Guatemala to help them pursue their business goals. The two organizations are creating a women’s group to create products that will sell well in the global market. Also, the Starbucks Foundation is continuing its philanthropic mission by reintroducing agricultural measures including giving more chickens to rural areas to sell eggs in local markets.

Increasing Neighborhood Grants

The Starbucks Foundation also announced that it would be investing $30 million by 2030 in its newly established Global Community Impact Grants portfolio. This new addition to the Starbucks Foundation will impact communities around the world near Starbucks establishments, specifically in the Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Starbucks will extend its philanthropic mission by working with partner organizations in each region to promote a cause. In the Latin American and Caribbean region, Starbucks will work with the Alsea Foundation to support youth development and hunger. The Alsea Foundation is an extension of the restaurant Alsea, which seeks to combat child malnutrition, having served more than 2 million meals.

– Rachel Reardon
Photo: Flickr