School Fundraiser Plan

Whether you're just a member of the PTA or a veteran Principal, fundraising can be a daunting challenge. Prices are always going up and it seems harder for teachers to achieve their classroom goals without additional funding. We're here to help! Success is a product of planning and we want to help you plan a successful fundraiser. This guide provides the actionable steps to help you achieve your fundraising goal.

Step 1: Determine Your Fundraising Goal

Before launching your coffee fundraiser, define a clear financial target. You'll need to take into account the costs for the project and any fundraising costs associated with selling our coffee. It's better to capture all of the costs up front so you raise enough money to achieve your goal without losing profit.

Step 2: Calculate How Many Bags to Sell

For each bag of coffee we recommend selling for $20. You can set the price higher or lower, but this is what we recommend. We sell each bag for $11, so you can profit up to $9 per bag sold. The only additional cost is the shipping to get the coffee to you. Shipping is typically $12 per case of 24 bags, but it depends on your location. We're happy to provide a more detailed shipping quote if needed. 

Example Scenario:

Goal: $5,000 to buy a new piece of playground equipment.

  • To raise $5,000, your school must sell 555 bags of coffee. The shipping estimate would be $260 so add 30 bags to sell for shipping. Selling 585 total bags would cover the cost of the coffee, shipping, and leave $5000 for the equipment. 
  • If you need to raise a large sum of money, plan for multiple coffee sales. 82% of Americans drink coffee daily so you're selling a product they are going to buy anyhow. Repeat sales are easier for coffee than other fundraising items!

Step 3: Choose Your Coffee Blends or Create a Custom Label

Cheerful Bean offers multiple blends to choose from, or you can create a custom-labeled blend to represent your school spirit. Our offerings include:

  • Campfire Blend – A smooth medium roast designed to be a enjoyed by anyone who drinks coffee.
  • Hello Darkness – A bold dark roast for the coffee drinkers that want their coffee to bite back. 
  • Sunrise Blend – A "breakfast blend" that is lighter roasted with some fruit notes. 
  • Uplifted Espresso – You likely have fellow coffee snobs in your organization so cater to their needs our amazing espresso blend. It's designed for perfect shots that will punch through the milk in a latte.
  • High on Life Decaf – Many consumers have to remove caffeine from their diet but still love a hot cup of coffee. Our decaf blend provides a smooth cup of coffee for those unfortunate souls. 

Pro Tip:

Offering 2-4 options makes purchasing easy without overwhelming customers. If you are taking pre-orders you don't have to worry as much about overwhelming your customers. 

Harness your school spirit! For an additional $1 per bag we will design a custom label based on your school mascot or a favorite teacher. 

Step 4: Make Buying Easy with Electronic Payment Options

To maximize sales, make it easy for people to buy your coffee.

  • MySchoolBucks – A school-friendly payment system many parents already use. 
  • Square – Easy mobile payments with a credit/debit card reader.
  • Venmo, PayPal, Cash App – Allow digital transactions for community sales.

If you have an online platform you already use selling pre-orders is a great way to raise money with no upfront costs. Include a link in your monthly newsletter and then buy coffee as needed. 

Step 5: Sell More Than Once a Year!

Coffee is a daily staple, making it a repeatable fundraising opportunity. Plan for multiple sales throughout the year:

  • Fall Fundraiser (Back to School & Holidays) – Great for gifting!
  • Spring Fundraiser (Teacher Appreciation & End-of-Year Gifts)
  • Monthly Subscription Model – Offer families an ongoing way to support your school.

Bonus Tip:

Consider selling Cheerful Bean coffee at school events, sports games, and PTA meetings for continuous fundraising.