Indiegogo is committed to accessibility. If you have difficulty using our site, please contact support@indiegogo.com for assistance or view our accessibility notice by clicking here

This campaign is closed

Honeybees to Lift Children Out of Poverty

Join Spark Ventures in lifting children in Nicaragua out of poverty with our honeybee farm.

You may also be interested in

Closed
Closed
Closed
Closed
Closed

Honeybees to Lift Children Out of Poverty

Honeybees to Lift Children Out of Poverty

Honeybees to Lift Children Out of Poverty

Honeybees to Lift Children Out of Poverty

Honeybees to Lift Children Out of Poverty

Join Spark Ventures in lifting children in Nicaragua out of poverty with our honeybee farm.

Join Spark Ventures in lifting children in Nicaragua out of poverty with our honeybee farm.

Join Spark Ventures in lifting children in Nicaragua out of poverty with our honeybee farm.

Join Spark Ventures in lifting children in Nicaragua out of poverty with our honeybee farm.

Stephanie Denzer
Stephanie Denzer
Stephanie Denzer
Stephanie Denzer
1 Campaign |
Chicago, United States
$7,562 USD 132 backers
50% of $15,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal

We are SPARK VENTURES

We can do more together than we can alone.

UPDATE: A generous investor has agreed to contribute $1,000 if we can reach 200 contributors to the campaign. Contributions of ANY AMOUNT count towards our headcount, so just $2 could mean $1002 for our work!!

Thousands of children are living in poverty in Nicaragua, the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.  We are here to change that, but we need you.

Spark Ventures is a Chicago-based non-profit that partners with international grassroots organizations to help children in poverty with education, nutrition, and healthcare.  Unlike most organizations, however, we don't believe in just writing a check.  

We call it business driven philanthropy.  
  • We invest time and resources into a new business opportunity.
  • The business creates local jobs & sustainable products.
  • The profits help support high impact programs to lift children out of poverty.

                    



Our next exciting business investment?

A Honeybee Farm

We need:

  1. Honeybee farm location
  2. Good soil
  3. Apiary Management training
  4. Beekeeping techniques
  5. Local partnerships 
  6. You

We've checked off almost everything on our to-do list, but there are a few things we still need...

That's where you come in.

WHAT WE NEED AND WHAT YOU GET

Grand Total: $15,000


HOW YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE

Besides knowing you're making a HUGE difference, we've got some sweet stuff for you, too!

$5: #youarethebeesknees

Contribute $5 today and...
  • We'll give you a shout out on social media showing our appreciation!

$15: Honey smacks

Contribute $15 today and...

                                

  • Receive a lip balm infused with sun bleached beeswax - perfect for the dry winter months. (courtesy of our friends at Sweet Beginnings LLC)

$25: Bee Thankful!

Contribute $25 today and...

                                

  • Get a pack of 5 hand-drawn cards from the children in Nicaragua.  They're the perfect way to say thanks this holiday season.

$50: Oh, honey, honey

Contribute $50 today and...

                                 

  • Receive the sun bleached beeswax lip balm (see above)
  • Plus, enjoy this sweet 3 oz jar of honey!
Since our farm hasn't started producing honey yet, we thought you could taste some of our local honey - made right here in Chicago! (courtesy of our friends at Sweet Beginnings LLC)

$60: Happy Honeydays!

Contribute $60 today and...

               

  • Receive a 3 oz jar of honey (Sweet Beginnings LLC)
  • PLUS a wooden bowl handmade in Zambia
  • Only 9 available, get yours now in time for the holidays!

$75: Good Tidings We Bring

Contribute $75 today and...

              

  • Get a 3 oz jar of honey (Sweet Beginnings LLC)
  • Enjoy a unique set of placemats and napkins handmade in Nicaragua (includes 6 of each - colors vary)
  • Only 5 available - perfect for setting your holiday table.

$100: Honeybee Care Package

Contribute $100 today and...

                  

                                            

  • Receive a care package with all your Spark & honey needs. 
  • Includes: Spark Ventures t-shirt
  • Sun bleached beeswax lip balm
  • 3 oz jar of honey (Sweet Beginnings LLC)

$200: Bee Happy

Contribute $200 today and...

                             

                                          (Available in the Chicago area)

$250: Beeautiful

Contribute $250 today and...

                      

  • We'll send you one of these beautiful matted photos of Nicaragua.
  • Dimensions: 12" x 16"

$500: Don't Stop Beelievin'

Contribute $500 today and... 

                 

  • Who's your favorite musician?  Sting?  Bee-52s? Well, check out Sixteen Candles, Chicago's finest 80's cover band.  
  • Get 4 tickets to a Sixteen Candles concert.
  • Enjoy pre-show drinks with Spark cofounder & Sixteen Candles keyboardist Scott Barbeau.
                (excluding New Years Eve show & House of Blues performances)


$500: Picture Perfect

Contribute $500 today and...

              

  • Get this 11"x14" hardcover coffee table photo book.
  • Features professional images from Zambia and Nicaragua.
  • Receive it just in time for the holiday season!

$750: Bee Our Guest

Contribute $750 today and...

                                           

  • Join Spark's CEO & cofounder Rich Johnson for dinner at an exceptional restaurant in Chicago.  
  • Get the inside scoop on business driven philanthropy. 
  • Plus, a sneak peek at what's next for Spark.
(Also available in Washington D.C. or California Bay Area, pending Rich's travel schedule)

$1,000 Meant to Bee

Contribute $1,000 today and...

                   

  • Adopt a Hive! We'll put your name on a plaque on one of our hives. 
  • Receive an official certificate and pictures.
  • Plus, quarterly updates on our honeybee farm's progress.

$2,500: Queen Bee

Contribute $2,500 today and...

                      

  • Get 50% off a trip to Nicaragua with us!
  • Receive the Honeybee Care Package (complete with a Spark Ventures t-shirt, sun bleached beeswax lip balm, and a 3 oz jar of honey - see above!)
  • Name our Queen Bee!
  • Receive an official certificate and pictures.
  • Plus, quarterly updates on our honeybee farm's progress.

$5,000: Bee Calm & Travel On

Contribute $5,000 today and...

               

  • Join us on an exclusive executive trip in Nicaragua! 
  • Travel with Spark's CEO & other business leaders.
  • Spend 4 days experiencing the culture of Nicaragua, learning about our partner organization, volunteering with the children, and see firsthand how Spark and investors are changing lives.  See a sample itinerary here.


AND THE BEST PART...

You're not just writing a check. With our innovative approach to philanthropy, the profits from the honeybee farm will sustain our partner organization, Las Tías, and will help the children of Nicaragua for many years to come. 

               


    THE IMPACT

    Our work in Zambia provides supporters with a proven model of sustainable solutions lifting children out of poverty.

    We invested in a for-profit commercial poultry farm that is currently producing 75,000 chickens each year. The profits sustain a substantial portion of the operations of Hope Community School that now serves over 350 children.

    Since partnering with Asociación Las Tías in 2012, we have invested financial support to increase staff compensation, hire a full time social worker, and ensure the meal program reaches all 150 children served by Las Tías.  There is now a 100% primary graduation rate at our partner facility.   

      Now we just need YOU for our honeybee project to help hundreds of vulnerable                                           children in Nicaragua for years to come.

    OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP

    Bee the change you want to see in the world. There are many ways to make a difference!


            How will you SPARK a change in the world?

    Looking for more information? Check the project FAQ
    Need more information
    Let us know if you think this campaign contains prohibited content.

    Choose your Perk

    featured

    Oh, honey, honey

    $50 USD
    "A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey left inside." - Winnie the Pooh. We want to send you a pot of honey and beeswax lip balm for being such a good friend!
    14 claimed

    #youarethebeesknees

    $5 USD
    You're sweet as can bee! And we want everyone to know. We'll show our appreciation with a social media shout out saying thanks!
    6 claimed

    International Shipping

    $10 USD
    Add this perk if you'd like any of our current rewards shipped internationally.
    1 claimed

    Honey smacks

    $15 USD
    Keep those lips moisturized this winter with the sun bleached beeswax in this lip balm.
    27 claimed

    Bee Thankful!

    $25 USD
    'Tis the season of giving. Spread the love with these hand-drawn thank you cards from the children in Nicaragua. (pack of 5)
    16 claimed

    Happy Honeydays!

    $60 USD
    Don’t show up empty-handed at your holiday parties. Use this jar of honey and bowl brought all the way back from Zambia as the perfect hostess gift. (Or keep it for your own party to serve your favorite holiday treats!)
    Only 1 left

    Good Tidings We Bring

    $75 USD
    The holidays (and honey) can get a bit messy, but with these handmade placemats and napkins from Nicaragua you can keep your holiday dining table tidy. (Includes 6 placemats, 6 napkins, and 3 oz jar of honey)
    4 out of 5 of claimed

    Honeybee Care Package

    $100 USD
    Bee seen in a Spark Ventures t-shirt, PLUS enjoy the honey & lip balm offered above. A perfect gift for the social impact enthusiast in your life?
    13 claimed

    Bee Happy

    $200 USD
    Smile! Enjoy a mini headshot session with one of our own, Lucy Jodlowska. Get a 20 minute session with 7-10 images - perfect for young professionals! (Available in the Chicago area)
    1 out of 5 of claimed

    Beeautiful

    $250 USD
    Nicaragua is beautiful, and we want to show you with these amazing matted photos! (Size: 12" x 16")
    1 out of 10 of claimed

    Don't Stop Beelievin'

    $500 USD
    Get 4 tickets to a Sixteen Candles concert, Chicago's finest 80's cover band, and go back in time with the greatest hits.
    0 out of 4 of claimed

    Picture Perfect

    $500 USD
    Who doesn’t love photos? With these photo books, you can enjoy pictures of Zambia and Nicaragua all year round - perfect for those hard-to-buy-for and looks great on a coffee table.
    0 out of 10 of claimed

    Bee our guest

    $750 USD
    Dinner for you and a guest with Spark's CEO and cofounder, Rich Johnson. We'll treat you to dinner at an exceptional Chicago restaurant - you'll get the personal backstory on business driven philanthropy, and an exclusive peek at what's coming up next for Spark. (Also available in Washington DC or Bay Area, pending Rich's travel schedule.)
    1 out of 3 of claimed

    Meant to Bee

    $1,000 USD
    Adopt a Hive, and we'll put a plaque with your name on it. We'll be sure to send you pictures and an official certificate, too!
    0 claimed

    Queen Bee

    $2,500 USD
    You've earned it! Name our Queen Bee! We'll send you an official certificate, pictures and quarterly updates on our honeybee farm. PLUS, enjoy 50% off a trip to Nicaragua with us and a honeybee care package complete with a Spark Ventures t-shirt, sun bleached beeswax lip balm, and a 3 oz jar of honey!
    0 out of 1 of claimed

    Bee Calm & Travel On

    $5,000 USD
    Join us on an executive trip in Nicaragua! See our work firsthand and experience the incredible culture and people of Nicaragua.
    0 claimed

    You may also be interested in

    Up Caret