Learn how Medical Brigaders from the University of North Carolina Wilmington sold 85 bags of Buena Vida Coffee in just two weeks to raise over $250 for their trip.
Read the interview below or directly contact Jessica Pollard, UNCW GMB president to get tips on how to set up a similar fundraiser on your campus!
University North Carolina- Wilmington GMB
Contact: Jessica Pollard (jdp9979@uncw.edu)
Total Sold: 85 lbs of Coffee
Total Amount Raised: $255
Time Period: 2 weeks over Fall break
How did your group decide between a pre-sale and an event sale?
We decided to do a pre-sale because we thought it would be easier if each of our members could fundraise on their own time since it is so difficult to coordinate our events around everyone’s schedule. We also planned it around a break so that each person could sell the coffee at home if they wanted to.
At what price did you sell the coffee?
We sold our coffee at $13 a pound. We also compared the price of our coffee to that of say Starbucks who we found sells their coffee for around $14 or $15 a pound.
What factors made your sale a success?
The main factor that made our sale a success was just asking everyone if they wanted to buy coffee. A lot of times people are more willing to donate money if they are actually getting something on their end. Another factor that played a large role was scheduled the fundraiser around our fall break. This gave everyone the opportunity to sell the coffee to their friends and family at home. Finally, periodic reminders to your group members to sell coffee keeps everyone on the same page and prevents them from forgetting until the last minute.
What factors, if any, could have made it even more successful?
I think the only factor that could have made our event more successful is if more people were willing to sell coffee. We had a lot of members who were hesitant because they didn’t think that they could sell very much.
Overall, did the Buena Vida Coffee fundraiser help you raise money for your trip? Would you do it again?
The fundraiser helped me and several other members raise a good amount of money for our personal trips. There were quite a few people who only sold 1 or 2 bags, so it didn’t benefit them as much. We enjoyed the fundraiser and are trying to come up with another time when we could do another one.
Would you recommend it to other fundraising groups? Why or why not?
I would recommend the fundraiser to other groups because it is a great way to earn a little extra money for the brigade. It does not take a lot of effort and can be done when you have free time, so it is great if you have a busy schedule. Also, people were much more willing to donate money to the cause through this fundraiser because they were getting something in return and had something physical to show for their donation.
Do you have any suggestions for other groups looking to sell the coffee?
Ask EVERYONE! The more people you ask, the more coffee you will sell. You will be surprised to discover how many people will buy for you, especially since we are college students, and we do love our coffee.
Explain your purpose for selling the coffee. Have a good story. Don’t just ask someone to buy coffee for Global Brigades because chances are they have no idea what that is. If you’ve been on a brigade before, tell them about it and give them the reason why you want to raise money to go back. We all have our own unique experiences about prior brigades and there is a special reason why each of us are deciding to return.
Make others believe in your passion and they will be more willing to donate to your cause.
