Spark Ventures invests in sustainable solutions for children living in poverty.
More than 1/3 of the world's population lives in poverty and the most harshly affected are our children, who lack access to education, healthcare and proper nutrition.
In 2006, after a volunteer trip to Africa, three men from Chicago set out to answer the question:
What do grassroots organizations serving children in poverty need the most? The answer they found: financial sustainability.
So, in 2007, Spark Ventures was formed to strengthen and sustain organizations across the globe that help educate and empower children living in poverty. To break the cycle of poverty Spark provides:
- Human & financial capital to expand the impact of our partner organizations so they can serve more children living in extreme poverty
- A path to financial sustainability for our partner organizations
The Impact
In Zambia, Spark Ventures partnered with Hope Ministries, a grassroots organization serving children living in poverty. This partnership resulted in...
- Annual financial & operational audits
- Leadership training & staff development
- Nutrition & clean water programs
- Funding for the construction of a 7 classroom school which increased the organization's capacity by 200%
- 50% increase in orphanage capacity
- Lead investment which launched a for-profit poultry farm to drive revenue back into program operations and expansion
Through human and financial capital investments, Spark has empowered Hope to secure a path to sustainability. Spark is currently searching for a new partner in Latin America.
The Spark Community
Spark Venture offers options for you to help learn about and invest in sustainable solutions for children living in poverty.
Transformation Trips. Spark facilitates volunteer travel opportunities to visit our partners and experience their harsh realities and heroic humanitarian efforts first hand. In addition to a portion of the trip costs going to support the partner organization, many participants also choose to make a follow-up investment—further supporting Spark's Partnership Model.
Sponsorship. Children being served through Spark Ventures can be sponsored for less than $1 a day. Sponsorship provides food, education and basic medical care. A simple commitment of $25/month can literally make the difference in a child's opportunity to live and have a future.
Spark Fund. A team of Spark Ventures investors working together to fund Spark's highest priority programs. Investors choose their monthly giving amounts and vote for the project they want the fund to finance.
