CAFECOSA Coffee Fundraiser

Fundraising can be a difficult proposition for any organization. Having good products or interesting events that can attract customers is a good start, but motivating people to join a team to do the fundraising is more important.

One important aspect of motivating a team is communicating what it is they are working for - what is the team trying to achieve. Impressing upon the team that they are working toward a goal that is worth their efforts is critical to success.
With that said, it is interesting when we have spoken with clients of ours who use fundraisers to do general fundraising and have had only marginal success vs when they are fundraising for a particular project.

While a school might require fundraising for general operations, and the benefits of having the school are clear, this doesn’t necessarily come across to members of the organization. General operations aren’t very sexy. They are, in many cases, incredibly necessary. While all volunteer efforts to generate funds for general operations should be viewed as noble community-building efforts by the members of your group the goal can be unwieldy. Members might feel that dues should pay for general operations, that volunteer work for this goal is unsustainable, and also feel frustrated by the never-ending need to raise funds.

Projects, on the other hand, are finite.  With goals that are easily explained and which people can get excited about, it provides people with a motivator for an effort in which they can anticipate and end and an obvious benefit - like a ski trip, or a new piece of equipment, repairs to a specific asset, or the creation of a specific program.
It might help organizations that are raising funds for general operations to turn the effort into a quantifiable goal.  “We need to keep Martha on Staff - Raise funds to save Martha!”  Perhaps this is a little dire, but you get the idea.

If your organization has experience with fundraising for general operations with success, please let us know in the comments.

Good Luck with your Efforts!

Different organizations have different needs - quick profits or less administration, no pre-payment or no pre-sales. You have to consider the strengths of your own organization when thinking about these issues.

The vast majority of our customers sell coffee, honey and plants through pre-sales and then order the products from us at the same time they get their own cut of the profits. It is a great option for organizations that don’t have the cash to purchase products up-front.

However, many customers choose to purchase products up-front and then offer them at large events or outside of a shop for direct purchase by customers. This can be very compelling for some customers who like to see and touch the product they are buying. It also cuts down on the administration necessary for the fundraiser since there is no money collection or distribution of products to participants before ultimate distribution to the customer.

So, pre-sales or pre-payment? One way or the other the option is open. You have to choose the one that is best for your organization.

I love girl scout cookies. I was walking out of the supermarket this weekend and saw a couple girl scouts at a table stacked with delicious cookies.

“Would you like some girl scout cookies?”

I wanted to say “5 boxes of Thin Mints to last me through the week - but no more!” But, I held my ground, smiled, and saved myself some grief on the scale.

The thing that almost had me running back, though, was that the cookies are a real treat. I love to get them and since they are only available sporadically it adds to the appeal (and perhaps to the tendency of people to hoard boxes).

That made me think about the ability to increase the appeal of gourmet coffee, or any product that you might be selling, by positioning it as a treat. It works for cookie dough, kettle corn, and, of course, Girl Scout Cookies. I think it could also work very well for Gourmet Costa Rican coffee!

You can offer customers a real TREAT - the rich taste of one of the world’s finest coffees - Tarrazu. Most Tarrazu beans are used in blends of other coffees to cover the taste of low quality beans. But with our beans you can have the full taste that is so rare.

Another treat? Coffee Flower Honey! See them both at www.CAFECOSA.com!

So, you’re the new fundraising chair. You might not love the fundraisers that you have traditionally done, but before you change them, think twice.

Any fundraiser that has brought in money in the past is a successful one. So, while you might be tired of cookie dough, you probably have people around you who have done it before and can help you along the way with logistics, collecting money, distributing the goods, etc.

Once you’ve got your feet wet, you’ve run a successful campaign and you have the respect of the group you are leading, that’s when you come in with a new and exciting idea.

If you rock the boat too soon, people will push back. But as an experienced veteran of the game, you will be able to rally the other participants to new heights.

We suggest coffee!

A lot of schools do multiple fundraisers each year and they need every penny. It is a good idea to mix it up and vary the fundraising efforts. If your school does an auction, perhaps adding a sales-oriented fundraiser can help. If your school already does a sales fundraiser then try throwing an event.

We believe that the key to successful fundraising is to look at it through the way that in enriches the community at large. Selling cookie-dough and then selling wrapping paper and then selling candy doesn’t do much to enrich the lives of the customer (the person who you are going to for money). It is a constant barrage of products.

The great thing about an auction or an event is not that you can raise money - it is the camaraderie and sense of shared mission that you bring to the group from whom you are trying to raise money.

You can remind people of the shared mission by creating custom labels on our Coffee. Not only does it satisfy a daily need for your customers, but by creating a custom label you can instill a daily reminder of their connection to your organization, be it a school, a cheering squad, a church group, or a sports team.

When people recognize their connection to your group, they are much more likely to help.

Parents don’t like to do sales. That’s nothing new. Many of them would rather give a donation or make a small purchase themselves rather than flog lousy products to their friends.

For the fundraising coordinator who has seen this problem in the past, gourmet coffee can help you bring people back for more than a small donation or token purchase. Some of our clients have run continuous fundraisers that bring in funds each month. Because people drink coffee regularly, many families would be willing to purchase a monthly bag or two (some families might purchase 3 or 4 - especially those Northwest folks).

Running a fundraiser that sends a couple bags of coffee home with a child the first week of each month provides a benefit to the parents and the school. And with custom labels, your school can brand the coffee and maintain a connection to the parents that they remember with their morning ritual.

In short - profits without sales, a continuous stream of funds, and happy parents drinking great coffee. Could be a great program for your school.

Often people with small fundraising groups think that they don’t have enough manpower to raise significant funds. Well, we’ve found that small groups have a big advantage - the ability to organize! When the whole group feels invested in the mission and the team works together with a plan they can do BIG things.

Not only is it easier to communicate with a small group but the members of the group often feel a much greater responsibility to the cause. Setting goals and keeping track of progress can spur people to act AND can increase the fun of the program.

Got 5 - 10 people? Get together with a couple pizzas and your cell phones and call down a list of friends (or parents friends). See who can sell the most in 60 minutes. A few sessions like that and you can surpass your fundraising goals. Keep track, make it fun!

Do you have success stories about how your small groups have turned big profits? Leave a comment!

We think that there are three primary reasons why coffee is a great fundraising product.

1. Everyone Drinks Coffee. Well, nearly everyone. Especially the people who end up spending money on fundraising products - the PARENTS! Sell to the real customer - the parents and show them that you care about their needs.

2. It’s In The Budget. I buy coffee every couple weeks. I don’t miss my daily pot. So, if a fundraiser comes to my door with coffee and a good cause, I am more likely to buy it than candy or a tub of cookie dough (there goes my new year’s diet).

3. Great Coffee = Repeat Customers. How often do you have fundraisers where the customers request the solicitors to return? Our gourmet Costa Rican coffee is so good that the fundraiser has become a regular offering of many organizations - and their customers are happy.