FOUNDING PARTNERS

IWCA FOUNDING PARTNERS PROGRAM

The International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA) is looking for two more Founding Partners to support its mission to empower women in the international coffee community to achieve meaningful and sustainable lives; and to encourage and recognize the participation of women in all aspects of the coffee industry.  The current Founding Partners are:  America’s Food Technologies, Bunn-O-Matic Corporation, Gaviña Gourmet Coffee, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Foundation, and InterAmerican Coffee (a division of the Neumann Kaffee Gruppe).  As a Founding Partner, you contribute $25,000 to support the IWCA’s work of connecting women “from seed to cup.”   Here are just some examples of work the IWCA has accomplished over the past 18 months:

• The IWCA was one of the presenters at the International Coffee Organization’s 2010 World Coffee Conference in Guatemala.  This was the first ICO conference to include a session on the role of women in our industry.  The IWCA presentation featured women from origin and how they are leading efforts consistent with Millennium Development Goals number 1 (eradicate extreme poverty and hunger) and 3 (promote gender equality and empower women).  The IWCA presentations are available at www.ico.org. 

• As part of the “success through localization” strategy, IWCA chapters continue to be established around the world.  To date, there are chapters in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Colombia.  As awareness of the IWCA and its work grows, women from more countries contact us for guidance on how to become an affiliated organization.  In November 2009 five IWCA members developed and implemented a workshop in Kampala, Uganda where 20 women representing the 10 Eastern Africa Fine Coffees Association (EAFCA) members participated with the goal of leading the work to establish an IWCA chapter in their countries.

• Six organizations in origin countries were awarded a total of $20,000 in IWCA grants in April 2009.  Thirteen RFP’s were received and reviewed by a grants task force and six requests were approved.  Attached is the interim report on these projects; the results range from helping women in Mexico improve their computer literacy to helping women in Nicaragua build a laboratory to promote sustainable approaches to coffee production.

What can you do? Your Founding Partner contribution will enable the IWCA to make a sustainable difference in the lives of women and families in coffee communities around the world.  Your company logo would be featured on the IWCA website with a link to your home page.  You will also receive recognition in IWCA communications. Please join us in this important work.

The IWCA is a global peer network of women in coffee that:

• Advocates for disadvantaged women from seed to cup

• Provides access to resources

• Provides a forum for connection