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Communities Team with Coffee Beanery to Raise Funds
by Lisa Diggs
Inspired by growing needs in the communities they serve, Coffee Beanery has developed a unique program that helps groups tackle fundraising simply and efficiently, while scoring big results. According to spokeswoman, Laurie Shaw, “The program originated because we were getting so many requests for donations from great organizations, and realistically just couldn’t give to everybody. Now, we’re able to help so many more.”
Based in Flushing, Michigan, Coffee Beanery was founded by JoAnne and Julius Shaw, in 1976. It is a privately held company that franchises and supports a network of cafes, retail stores, carts, and kiosks that specialize in serving specialty coffees. They began franchising in 1985, and continue to develop the brand throughout the U.S. and even in select international markets.
To date Coffee Beanery’s fundraising program has raised more than $460,000 for a variety of deserving groups across the country, and closer to home--groups like Lake Fenton’s Youth Football and Cheer. League Vice President Mike Vance says, “We have been using Coffee Beanery for a number of years now. It has been a great experience. The product is a great seller, since it appeals to adults and they tend to make most of the purchases. It is also a great tasting product and is available in affordable quantities.”
The program features the company’s most popular gift set items like a 1-lb. cocoa canister, assorted vacuum-sealed 16 oz. and 1.75 oz. coffees, and travel totes. Their signature coffee blends are also available in flavored, as well as decaffeinated versions. Products are priced to the consumer in the $12-22 range, and organizations selling the coffee, keep half of the sale, making it an exceptionally generous program.
The generosity of the program has not gone unnoticed by satisfied users like Vance, who maintains, “We make about a 50% margin, so the return is good. We plan to continue to use this as our primary source of fundraising since it consistently performs well. In addition, the Coffee Beanery is excellent in filling the orders accurately, and they are prompt to make any adjustments. The product also stores easily and is individually boxed per purchaser so it keeps things orderly and easy to distribute.”
As a mother and part-time fundraiser herself, Shaw takes a lot of pride in making sure that Coffee Beanery provides excellent service to the groups who choose to sell their products. “We try to make it easy, which is another thing that distinguishes our program from others. We have free shipping, and most importantly we box each order according to the individual, so the organizer doesn’t have to do it on the other end.”
Though Coffee Beanery has 26 retail locations in Michigan alone, the company does not restrict the program to groups who are close to one of their stores. Individuals interested in learning more about the program are encouraged to visit a nearby Coffee Beanery, or send an email with your name, address, phone number, and organization’s name to fundraising@coffeebeaneryinfo.com.
In addition to Coffee Beanery, there are many other Michigan businesses offering unique and effective fundraising opportunities, so Buy Michigan Now has created a special feature in our Community section to showcase these possibilities. To view the growing list of options, or to add one offered by your Michigan-based company, please visit Fundraising Opportunities.
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