2023 IMPACT REPORT
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ENGAGE, EDUCATE, PROTECT: IT STARTS WITH BEES The research is clear: time spent learning and playing in the natural world helps children succeed academically, emotionally, and socially. Consistent, authentic, hands-on environmental education starting from a young age also grows children who become ecologically responsible adults. The future leaders of our world are learning in schools around the country right now. At The Bee Cause, we want to ensure those schools are overflowing with opportunities to know, experience, and fall in love with the natural world. Because when we love something, we protect it. With the support of our partners, we provide grants to put bee hives, pollinator gardens, and other educational tools into schools. Our observational hives, STEAM curriculum, and beekeeping resources strengthen the connection to our shared environment with pollinators and enable bees and curious minds alike to thrive. If you count yourself among our supporters, thank you. If you’d like to aid in our journey to growing the next generation of environmental stewards, we’d love to add you to our hive! Reach out today: info@thebeecause.org.
LET’S CONNECT Watch any busy beehive for a few minutes and you’ll quickly see: we are most powerful and productive when we work together. Connect with us to continue your pollinator education journey and share our mission with your network.
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@thebeecause
2023 making an
IMPACT
39 million
HONEY BEES SUPPORTED TO DATE
1.11 million CHILDREN IMPACTED TO DATE
106
48
97
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BEE GRANTS AWARDED
RENEWAL GRANTS AWARDED
NATIVE BEE HIVES INTRODUCED
BEE SANCTUARIES SUPPORTED
1,632
872
POLLINATOR-THEMED BOOKS DONATED TO SCHOOLS & LIBRARIES
PAY-IT-FORWARD JARS OF HONEY SOLD
8
48
DIGITAL HIVES INSTALLED
POLLINATOR GARDENS PLANTED
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SMALL CREATURES. BIG IMPACT. Why bees? No creature demonstrates the value of hard work, the power of collective impact, and the importance of the individual to the whole more than the honey bee. In many ways, honey bees are a gateway to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the natural world. For a decade, we've provided grants to put bee hives and pollinator education tools in schools and communities. Today, The Bee Cause Project has grown far beyond the hive; we teach collaboration, inspire curiosity, and foster STEAM skills through discovery-based learning in growing minds around the world. We're inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards for a better, brighter future. And that's worth buzzing about.
42,8oo CHILDREN IMPACTED IN 2023
WHY YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS PRESERVE BIODIVERSITY Bees are essential for the reproduction of countless plant species, ensuring a diverse and healthy ecosystem. SAFEGUARD FOOD SECURITY Bees pollinate many of the crops that make up a significant portion of our diet. Supporting them means securing our food supply. PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY The Bee Cause advocates for eco-friendly practices that benefit not only bees, but also the overall health of our environment. INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION The future leaders of our world are learning in schools around the country right now. We want to ensure those schools are overflowing with opportunities to know, experience, and fall in love with the natural world. Because when we love something, we protect it. 4
2023 HiveLights
The Pollinator Habitat Grant program launched after a successful pilot year
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BUZZING AROUND THE WORLD In our first decade, The Bee Cause Project has grown to have grant recipients in every state in the USA, plus Canada, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, Haiti, and Guam!
THE PAY-IT-FORWARD PROGRAM The Pay-It-Forward program allows grant recipients to raise funds for their own bee programs while also benefiting eligible programs who were not chosen for this grant cycle. We provide 100% pure wildfower honey bottled by Savannah Bee Company that retails at $15 a bottle. For each bottle sold, $5 goes towards the organizations’ Bee Fund and $10 goes towards helping another organization develop their programming. In 2023, $8,720.00 was raised through Pay-ItForward fundraisers! 6
TOP PARTICIPANTS Ashley Hall- 154 Charleston, SC East Cooper Montessori - 96 Mount Pleasant, SC Rescue MI Nature Now - 96 Detroit, MI May Howard Elementary - 84 Savannah, GA Clear Spring School - 60 Eureka Springs, AR Helmon-Dekalb Central School - 60 Dekalb Junction, NY
2023 HiveLights
Ribbon Cutting & celebration of Medway Community Garden in Charleston, SC
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OUR CORE OFFERINGS
The Bee Grant The best way to help people and pollinators thrive is through hands-on learning. Our wildly successful Bee Grant program provides grants to help schools and organizations install and maintain their own observation hives.
THE BUZZ ON BEE GRANTS
The Habitat Grant Our Pollinator Habitat Grant program provides educators with the knowledge, skills, and materials to create or enhance pollinator habitats and use them as educational tools for experiential learning.
PLANT THE SEED WITH US
The Literacy Grant Not ready for a hive or garden? There’s still so much to learn. Our literacy grants can be customized to meet your organization wherever it is in a journey to pollinator literacy. Books? Seed balls? A digital hive? Let’s get started.
LET’S LEARN TOGETHER
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2023 HiveLights
Creation of Henderson Meadow Interpretive Garden within Conestee Nature Preserve in Greenville, SC
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PARTNER HIGHLIGHTS
Atlantic Packaging
Delaware North
Cultivating future environmental stewards through Habitat Grants
“Bee the Difference” – a campaign for pollinators & the planet
LEARN MORE
LEARN MORE
RELiON
Dixie Vodka
A commitment to sustainable education & pollinator protection
Creating a world that’s sweeter for us and our planet’s precious pollinators
LEARN MORE
LEARN MORE
Whole Kids Pollinating young minds and ecosystems with bee grants
LEARN MORE 10
Promix Nutrition Nourishing bodies and ecosystems
LEARN MORE
Savannah Bee Company From shared passion to global impact: The Bee Cause Project is born
LEARN MORE
2023 HiveLights
Attendance of COP28 in Dubai
1% for the Planet conference in NYC
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WHAT’S BLOOMING IN 2024: New Interpretive Gardens with signage to educate the community on ways to support pollinators in their own fence lines Expanding the Digital Hive offering as a revenue stream to continue to support The Bee Cause mission Speaking on a panel at SXSW EDU on Navigating Climate Anxiety with Resilience & Hope Presenting the Bee A Friend to Pollinators Campus Assessment & Lesson Plan at the SGSO Growing School Gardens Summit this Spring Hosting a 4-H Summer Beekeeping Experience with Clemson Extension Leading Xerces’ Bee City USA Charleston Chapter in our own backyard Celebrating our 10th Anniversary!
FOLLOW ALONG! beecityusachs.org @beecityusachs
WHAT CAN YOU DO RIGHT NOW? Despite a record number of grants given in 2023, The Bee Cause Project has a waiting list of vetted schools and organizations hoping to receive assistance creating or expanding pollinator programs. Whether it’s a one-time donation or a sustained giving program, we need your help to fulfill their requests. Make a child’s day and reach out: info@thebeecause.org.
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The Digital Bee Hive Experience A Digital Bee Hive Experience brings much of the impact and educational value of a live hive, without the resources required to sustain a living hive of honey bees. Funders contributing over $50,000 annually are eligible for a Digital Hive Experience installed and programmed by The Bee Cause. A 24/7 feed looking into a live bee hive is balanced with educational content, honey bee facts and figures, and even customized messaging around your company’s sustainability goals. In your headquarters, a digital hive is a tangible demonstration to your customers, partners, and stakeholders of your company’s commitment to environmental stewardship.
2023 HiveLights
Our team connected with hundreds of bright minds at grant-recipient schools and organizations around the country!
BUFFALO, NY
DETROIT, MI
Emilee visited for Delaware North’s Corporate Education & Volunteer Event & visited Charles R. Drew Science Magnet School, a Literacy Grant Recipient
Amora visited 3 Bee Grant recipient sites: Detroit Hives Bees in the D Rescue MI Nature Now
SAVANNAH, GA Emilee visited May Howard Elementary School and did a walking field trip to Savannah Bee Co for a visit with the honey bees
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BLUE RIDGE, GA Becky Griffin, a board member, visited a Bee Grant Recipient at West Fannin Elementary and is creating a strong relationship with this rural school
BROOKLYN, NY Tami visited Bee Grant Recipient Genovesi Environmental Study Center
OCONEE COUNTY, SC Tami visited Bee Grant & Habitat Grant Recipient James M. Brown Elementary
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HI! IT’S NICE TO E-MEET YOU If we’ve not had the pleasure in person, consider this our first meet-and-greet! It’s going to be a bee-autiful friendship!
THE BEE CAUSE PROJECT TEAM
TAMI ENRIGHT Executive Director
AMORA MAYO-PEREZ Director of Operations
BUZZING ABOUT!
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EMILEE ELINGBURG Director of Educational Programs
THE BEE CAUSE PROJECT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
AMY DABBS CHAIRMAN
ELISA STRICKLER TREASURER
BECKY GRIFFIN VICE-CHAIRMAN
ISABELLE RAMSEYER SECRETARY
SUSAN JOHNSON PAST-CHAIRMAN
TED DENNARD MEMBER 16
THANK YOU to all our funders, donors, and educational partners
FUNDING PARTNERS
COMMITTED DONORS
2023 NEW DONORS
Savannah Bee Company
Rhonda Gisela Wilson
American Online Giving Foundation
Whole Kids Foundation
Alan DerKazarian
E2 Custom Homes
Atlantic Packaging
Jennifer Saboe
Mighty Cause Charitable Foundation
ReLion
Beachy Bee
James A. Rice Foundation
Delaware North
Good Today
Western Virginia Foundation
Promix Nutrition
Ohana East Foundation
Goldman Sach Gives
Bee’s Wrap
PayPal Giving Fund
Southeastern Wildlife Expo
1% for the Planet
Innerworks
Dixie Vodka
Ethos Gym Bacardi/Aberfeldy Passion House Coffee Roasters
EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS Me & The Bees
Charleston Parks Conservancy
Clemson Extension
SC7
MUSC
Queen & Comb
Empatico
Science Everywhere Adventures
Bee City USA Charleston
Lowcountry Land Trust
School Garden Support Organization -
The Great Southeast Pollinator Census
Growing School Gardens
Sodexo
University of Georgia Extension
Team Bonding
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