Hosting a Coffee Party Fundraiser

"No one has gone poor by giving." - Anne Frank. 

Coffee parties are some of the most enjoyable and easygoing types of gatherings, now imagine creating a positive impact in your community by raising funds through a coffee party. It may sound ambitious, but here are some simple and practical ideas on how to make this a reality. 

The Party

The beauty of coffee parties is that they can remain intimate even if you invite a large crowd. Given that the goal is to raise funds, invite plenty! You could “charge” people to come, with them knowing that it is a donation. Consider making it a potluck. You can provide the coffee and everyone else brings some baked goods or sides to go with. Realistically, not everyone needs to bring something and once you know who is bringing food you can add whatever may be needed to supplement. On the other hand, you could take on the baking or purchase some goods. You could also consider a theme. This can also be a Christmas Coffee Party, an Easter Coffee Party, Fall Coffee Party, I once did it as a Mother’s Day Party and we raised funds for a pregnancy care center. Aside from the fun, we spent Mother’s Day ensuring that there were funds available to support mothers in difficult situations. 

Raising Funds

Asking for money can be uncomfortable, but keep in mind that this is an act of charity and for the most part people are happy to contribute. Having an attendance fee is common practice in these sorts of events, but you could either skip this step, or in addition plan some games and activities that involve fundraising. 

An idea would be to plan a trivia game and make teams. If someone wants help with a question they can pay $10 to ask someone on their team, or pay $20 to call whoever they’d like. I believe that in a world where gambling is a problem, raising funds through games like this is a healthier approach to finances and gamesmanship. 

Another idea is to have silent auctions. People and companies are usually happy to donate items that can be auctioned and this is a great way to buy something even if overpaying and knowing that the funds are going towards a good cause. You could also make it exclusively an art and coffee party and make a deal with local artists so they may earn a fraction of the money their art sells for. In addition to contributing to any special cause you would also be supporting your local artists. It is a win win. 

Create Your Own Private Label

This is one of my all time favorite ideas EVER! Here at Guadalupe Roastery, we offer the opportunity of creating a private label. (Click here for details!) That means, we grow the coffee through fair trade, roast it, pack it, and ship it, but you own your own label and such label can be a non-profit. At your party, you can serve your own coffee and simply encourage people to subscribe to your/the non-profit label. As everyone samples the coffee at your party (and trust me, they’ll love it), they can subscribe right there and the profits from their coffee consumption will go straight to the non-profit of your choice. This idea also entails that your one time event will reap financial support to your non-profit continuously, instead of a one time thing.  

This idea also entails that you will be introducing your family and friends to good quality fair trade coffee and improve the lives of coffee farmers. All in addition to supporting your non-profit and perhaps even teaching a thing or two to your guests about good coffee. 

If you are not done here, check out some unique coffee recipes we have shared in the blog to surprise your guests with even more!

- Mexican Café de Olla
- Obscure Coffee Recipes from Around the World

Distanced Parties

Covid has made us have to consider this, but even without Covid, this could be a good idea to involve people who may live far away. For this, create a Coffee Party Package that people can purchase and that is the fundraiser and the ticket to the party. 

The package should entail: 

• Coffee bag
• Baked good or the ingredients to make one. (A mason jar with the dry ingredients ready and the recipe attached, for example)
• An informational brochure about the non-profit
• A Thank you in advance note

Set the price for the Coffee Party Package according to the purchasing/donating capability of your audience. 

Schedule a Google Meet or Zoom call for everyone to join. And for the activities, you can still do the Trivia, or perhaps consider a class in a topic everyone may be interested in. Bring a Fashion Stylist to give everyone some basic tips, or stay in theme and bring a barista to teach everyone a thing or two about coffee, even better if you can make this party outdoors and everyone can learn about gardening, flowers or a sport. The options here are endless!  

I think we have covered all the bases. I hope your party is a personal and community success, and the causes close to your heart may benefit from the fun and charity of you and your friends.