Coffee Kids

Coffee Kids is a non-governmental organization started in Chicago, Illinois, dedicated to improving the lives of coffee farmers and their families. Coffee Kids was the first nonprofit organisation within the budding specialty coffee industry dedicated solely to improving coffee farmers’ quality of life.^[1] The organization ceased programming for 2015 to enter a period of deep reflection on the coffee industry and the role of Coffee Kids in it.^[2] In late 2015, Coffee Kids started operating as an independently run program of Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung North America and relocated to New York City.^[3]

History

Coffee Kids was founded in 1988 by Bill Fishbein, David Abedon and Dean Cycon.^[4] Fishbein, a coffee shop owner in Providence, R.I., had been in the coffee business for several years. In 1988, Fishbein visited Guatemala and at the urging of friend, David Abedon, visited many small scale coffee farmers. Fishbein was moved by the poverty that he witnessed and returned to the United States and started Coffee Kids with the help of Dean Cycon and David Abedon ^[5][6]

Rural Business Workshops

Farmers face a variety of challenges such as changing climate, inconsistent cash flow, an unpredictable coffee market, and limited access to land to produce enough to support a family. The result is that the next generation of farmers is largely deciding that staying on the farm isn’t worth their time.^[7] Coffee Kids creates economic opportunities for young farmers who want to continue farming coffee in their communities by providing Rural Business Workshops to young coffee farmers.^[8] The workshops provide business skills, funding, and mentoring.^[9]

Project locations

Coffee Kids partners with coffee growing communities in Colombia, the Trifinio Region of Central America (Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador border region) and Tanzania, building on collaborative relationships created by Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung North America.^[10]

Funding

Coffee Kids started operating as an independently run program of Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung North America in 2015.^[11] Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung North America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. It is a subsidiary of Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung, which is based in Hamburg, having over 250 staff within its network in countries throughout Latin America, Africa, and Asia, providing deep and lasting support to coffee farmers and farmer organizations, many of which have worked previously with Coffee Kids.^[12]

Coffee Kids relies on the generous support of its donor community for program funding.^[13] Donations from US-based donors to Coffee Kids are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. Per New York State Law, Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung North America undergoes a financial audit by an external auditor on an annual basis.^[14] This audit includes the Coffee Kids program.

While Coffee Kids is a program within Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung North America, it has its own mission, vision, programs, advisory committee, and funding streams. Donors who support Coffee Kids programs can do so with the full confidence that their donations go directly to Coffee Kids.^[15]

References

External links

• Official Site
• Fresh Cup Magazine on CoffeeKids
• David Abedon