Coffee Kids charity suspends programming

The Coffee Kids Board of Directors announced on 16 December that it will suspend programming at the end of 2014, due to financial issues.  In a statement, the board said it would explore options for merging with another organisation with a similar purpose. “We have made this decision in light of long-standing financial challenges that have led us to examine how we as an organisation have been implementing our mission,” said Mike Ebert, President of Coffee Kids, in a statement. The statement went on to say the board has determined that while Coffee Kids partner organisations at origin are implementing projects that have a transformative impact on coffee-producing communities, its current business model is no longer sustainable. “The need in coffee-farming communities is great,” the statement said. “The board hopes that our donors continue to support innovative projects designed and implemented by the coffee-producing communities themselves. By merging with another organisation dedicated to meeting the needs of communities as they define them, we hope to honor the 26-year legacy of Coffee Kids.”