Philanthropy
The nonprofits we support and why we do it
We invest 15% of our net income on advocacy and conservation. Our two chosen recipients were selected for highly personal reasons and their work hits close to the bone.
We see our investment in One Spirit and the Xerces Society as an investment in our collective future on this planet. One agency uplifts the Ogalala people on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota and the other does important work to save the native pollinators that are a critical part of our food cycle.
Read more about these two nonprofits, the work they do, and why it is of vital importance. We hope their stories entice you to support their efforts as well. Philanthropy feels good.
“We all know the Indians were colonized by the Europeans, but every colonized Indian has been colonized by the Indian reaction to colonization”
– Sherman Alexie
Become a part of our success supporting these organizations
Both One Spirit and the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation work hard to support the indigenous.
One Spirit helps the Lakota meet the basic needs of the Ogalala Sioux people, fosters food sovereignty and self-sufficiency within their South Dakota communities, and provides a culturally rich life for the tribal youth.
Language and cultural revitalization, employment, economic opportunity, family activities, and basic needs like food, water, and heat are part of the One Spirit vision for all Pine Ridge reservation residents.
Why One Spirit?
The Ogalala are our people and our ancestors. The Maka + Co. founder is mixed Ogalala but, like her father and grandmother before her, never had tribal recognition. Growing up with this knowledge left her feeling rudderless and unable to clearly define who she was – like far too many others.
But that was the intention of colonizers – to break up the First Nations, rob them of everything of value including their food sources, and force dependence on a system defined by blood quantum and paper trails – created intentionally to limit the lost ones from accessing their heritage. Our support of One Spirit is one small act to honor our ancestors and our people, as is our stewardship of the natural habitat where we live.
While The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation works with all forms of bug species, their efforts to save endangered native pollinators and diminish the use of deadly pesticides are critical for the survival of not only those species but humans as well.
We are second and third generation apiarists. Honeybees have been part of our lives longer than they’ve been the poster children for climate problems. Over the years, we’ve dealt with swarms, colony collapse disorder, black bears and all manner of complications.
Why Xerces?
Some years, our beekeeping efforts have been more successful than others. Keeping bees in northern New Hampshire is a challenge because of the short growing season and inclement weather patterns. Experiencing those challenges have shown us what challenges all pollinators face. We make a point to sow plants that will nourish them.
“Pollinators are essential to our environment. The ecological service they provide is necessary for the reproduction of over 85% of the world’s flowering plants, including more than two-thirds of the world’s crop species. The United States alone grows more than 100 crops that either need or benefit from pollinators, and the economic value of these native pollinators is estimated at $3 billion per year in the U.S. Beyond agriculture, pollinators are keystone species in most terrestrial ecosystems. ” – Xerces Society
Homemade in Small Batches
in Bethlehem, New Hampshire
About
Inspired by Makȟá (Grandmother Earth in Lakota), Maka + Co. was born of a desire to honor our ancestors and care for our own using the old ways of healing.
“When the first humans reached Australia about 45,000 years ago, they quickly drove to extinction 90% of its large animals. This was the first significant impact that Homo sapiens had on the planet’s ecosystem. It was not the last.”
– Yuval Noah Harari
