Click here to learn what you can do to help

What is the Guatemala Education Initiative?
In 2005, Starbucks worked with Save the Children to positively impact coffee growing communities in the highlands of Guatemala. In this area, most people are Mayan and many do not speak Spanish, the language of Guatemala. Today they remain marginalized from mainstream Guatemalan society, suffering high rates of poverty and low levels of educational achievement. In response, Starbucks committed US$1.5 million to the Guatemala Education Initiative, a four-year program designed together with Save the Children to bring bilingual, bicultural education (in Mayan and Spanish) to pre-primary, primary, and secondary school students in the three provinces of Huehuetenango, Sololá, and Quiché.

Why should I donate money to the Guatemala Education Initiative?
Starbucks has contributed US$1.5 million to bring access to quality bilingual education to these communities. After hearing from so many partners who wanted to support this project or participate in some way, Starbucks worked with Save the Children to figure out what else needs to be done. Your donation will complement our efforts to improve the quality of local education with many of the things we take for granted in the States, for example – playgrounds, reading centers, and libraries.

How do I make donations?
Donations may be made online at www.savethechildren.org/starbucks by selecting "How You Can Help" or by mailing out a check. Checks must be made out to "Save the Children" as shown and mailed out to:Attn. Corporate Partnerships, Save the Children, 54 Wilton Road, Westport, CT 06880.

How do I know my donation is supporting Starbucks’ Guatemala Education Initiative?
When you donate online, your donation will automatically be designated to the Starbucks Guatemala Education Initiative. If you decide to send in a check, please be sure to write “Starbucks Education Programs in Rural Guatemala” in the memo section and Save the Children will process the funds accordingly.

Can I pool resources with others interested in contributing?
Absolutely!  Please note that online donations are only accepted by credit card, so keep in mind that one person is responsible for everyone’s money. We suggest printing out or forwarding the confirmation page to fellow donors for best practice in accountability. You may also send a check, reading “Starbucks Education Programs in Rural Guatemala” in the memo section. For guidance on how to designate a grant from a team volunteer effort, see below question on Make Your Mark.

Is this eligible for Choose to Give!?
Yes, partners may request that their personal gifts of at least $20 to Save the Children be matched dollar-for-dollar through Starbucks matching gifts program. Please note that Choose to Give! matches only individual partner’s contributions. Pooled funds are not eligible for matching support. In order for the matching gift to benefit Starbucks Guatemala Education Initiative, please write “Starbucks Education Programs in Rural Guatemala” on the “restriction” line of the form. Learn more about Choose to Give! guidelines and to download a copy of the matching paperwork. Please direct questions to mym@starbucks.com (same address for questions related to Make Your Mark).

Is this eligible for Make Your Mark?
Yes, partners can volunteer individually or as a team with a local non-profit organization and have the grant award designated for Save the Children. Partners must remember to clearly direct the grant toward the Starbucks Guatemala Education Initiative. This way, local organizations benefit from partner volunteer efforts in the United States and coffee communities benefit in Guatemala. Find the Make Your Mark guidelines and forms here.

What will my contribution be used for?
Based on need, partner donations will be used to help build a school playground or a library, develop reading corners at pre-primary centers, or provide other goods or services related to education programs in rural Guatemala. 

What is Save the Children?
Save the Children USA was created in 1932 and is one of the premier non-profit organizations creating real and lasting change for children in need in the United States and around the world. It is a member of the International Save the Children Alliance, comprising 27 national Save the Children organizations working in more than 110 countries to ensure the well-being of children.

In 2007, Save the Children was awarded its sixth consecutive 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator, an unbiased evaluator of independent charities. Also, Save the Children meets the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance Standards for Charity Accountability.

Does this project only benefit farmers in communities that produce Guatemala Antigua?
More than 20 communities in three areas of Guatemala benefit from our partnership with Save the Children. The farms that supply us with the extraordinary coffee we know as Guatemala Antigua are located in a different area, not far from where we partner with Save the Children to provide access to quality bilingual education. To learn more about a project Starbucks has supported in Antigua, partners can read about a health clinic at the San Miguel coffee farm and mill, located on the Starbucks portal or at http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/farmstories.asp.

My store wants to do a shoe drive or collect clothing for the children.  What should I do?
Starbucks applauds the extraordinary passion our partners and customers have in support of coffee communities around the world. Unfortunately, sending material to remote areas in Guatemala is inadvisable due inadequate postal services and the difficulty of getting freight out of customs.  We can’t guarantee that boxes would arrive and it is difficult to know what type and size of shoe or clothing is appropriate for youth abroad.

Can customers get involved? 
Yes, http://www.savethechildren.org/corporate/starbucks/ is a weblink available to the public through Save the Children’s website. However, since the program was created for Starbucks partners, it is not linked to the front page of Save the Children’s website and customers would have to be given the weblink.

I want to go to Guatemala and volunteer my efforts at one of these schools.  What should I do?
Partners interested in traveling to Guatemala and volunteering locally are advised to consult travel advisories such as the one provided by the U.S. State Department. Please note that the majority of programs that place volunteers in projects abroad do so at your own expense. Save the Children does not have a program in place to handle volunteers who want to contribute their time and efforts in Guatemala. Partners who do decide to take the financial and personal responsibility to volunteer with a registered non-profit based in the U.S. doing work in Guatemala may request a portion of their hands-on volunteer time be matched through Make Your Mark. Learn More About Make Your Mark.

Learn what you can do to help!