Every fundraising coordinator asks the same question: Is it actually worth it?
We'll skip the projections and give you real numbers — because the math only works if it works for your specific community size.
The Basic Formula
Your parish earns $2 per bag on every order placed through your unique QR code or referral link. That's true whether someone orders once or subscribes monthly.
The variable is how many people in your network convert to regular coffee buyers. Here's what we've seen:
Earnings by Community Size
| Active Families | Monthly Orders | Monthly Earnings | Annual Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small parish (50 families) | 50 bags | $100 | $1,200 |
| Medium parish (150 families) | 150 bags | $300 | $3,600 |
| Large parish (300 families) | 300 bags | $600 | $7,200 |
| Catholic school (200 families) | 120 bags | $240 | $2,880 |
| Monastery (150 benefactors) | 300 bags | $600 | $7,200+ |
Note: Monastery numbers are higher because benefactors often order multiple bags per month and subscribe at higher rates than typical consumers.
What Makes the Numbers Go Up
Across our best-performing partners, three behaviors consistently drive higher earnings:
1. Sunday bulletin presence (every week, not just once)
Partners who include the QR code in the bulletin every single week — not just for a "launch month" — earn 3–4x more than those who ran a one-time announcement. Coffee is a monthly purchase. The reminder needs to be monthly too.
2. Physical bags in a visible location
The starter kit includes sample bags for display. Partners who keep a bag display in the parish hall, school lobby, or monastery gift shop year-round generate passive discovery. People see the bag, scan the code, and subscribe — without any promotion from the institution.
3. Connecting the fundraiser to a specific need
The most successful campaigns attach the coffee purchase to something tangible: "We're raising $15,000 to repair the chapel roof." When the community can see a goal and track progress, conversion rates roughly double.
Realistic First-Year Expectations
- Month 1–2: Slow ramp. Initial excitement, 20–40% of eventual monthly volume.
- Month 3–6: Word of mouth kicks in. Subscribers compound. Volume stabilizes at 60–80% of peak.
- Month 7–12: Full run rate. Seasonal spikes at Christmas, Lent launch kits, and back-to-school.
The Real ROI: Time
The honest comparison isn't coffee vs. bake sale on dollar yield — it's coffee vs. bake sale on dollars per volunteer hour.
A bake sale that raises $2,000 might require 200 volunteer hours of planning, baking, setup, and cleanup. That's $10/hour — before counting the stress on your volunteer coordinator.
A coffee fundraiser that raises $3,600/year requires approximately zero ongoing volunteer hours after the first launch week. The QR code does the work.
Ready to Start?
If your parish has 100+ active families, a coffee fundraiser can realistically replace your annual bake sale or candy drive — without a single volunteer hour. See the full fundraiser program details or apply now — it's completely free.