Since 2019, 20 cents per retail bag sold (online and in our cafes) go into a ‘donation box’ that supports social and environmental organisations. In the latest financial year (FY23/24), the money raised was split evenly between:
Carbon Positive Australia
We’ve supported their planting and land restoration projects in Australia every year since 2020. It’s great to follow their progress!
Addi Road
Based in our neighbouring suburb of Marrickville, this charity runs campaigns against food waste, homelessness, and racism. While it’s the first year we nominate them as recipients of our ‘donation box’, we’ve supported them in the past by donating the profits from our garage sale and a bunch of brew bags to go with their Royal Prince Alfred Hospital staff’s takeaway dinners.
Deadly Science
Many in our team and brewing community are deeply connected to the science and tech world. Yep, we’re proud nerds in many ways—code, design, coffee. That’s why, this year, we’ve shared part of our ‘donation box’ with Deadly Science, an organisation “creating STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners.”
Thanks to all the Sample Coffee brewers. It’s you who make this possible!
About our giving strategy
In January 2020, moved by the massive bushfires in New South Wales, individuals and businesses started a lot of fundraisers for relief and recovery organisations.
Of course, we wanted to use our business and community reach to support the cause. First, we organised a one-off event and raffle: the Charity Ball’s roaster competition. Then, we created our first ongoing fundraising strategy: 20 cents per bag sold (through our online and physical stores) would go into a ‘donation box’ shared at the end of each financial year with an environmental organisation. In FY19/20, the sum went to planting trees via Carbon Positive Australia.
This was repeated yearly until 2023, when we felt the ‘donation box’ should also support a social cause. So, the 20¢ donations from FY22/23 went to FoodLab’s shared kitchen and, again, Carbon Positive Australia.
FY23/24 is the first in which the ‘donation box’ includes 20¢ per online subscription bag sent (as we announced in the first-ever price adjustment). Finally, all bags sold through our cafes and website contribute to our ongoing donation strategy.
PS. ‘Donation box’ is the working name for our ongoing donation strategy. Previously, we called it the Sample Coffee Tree Fund, then simply the Sample Coffee Fund, we’d like to find something that conveys well the nature of this ‘initiative’ without sounding weird or corporate. Got a good one? Give us a hand and let us know.