1st Cup® Annual Fundraiser

1st Cup® is an Annual Fundraiser in January organized by The Coffee Trust® to support coffee farmers, their families, and their communities in Guatemala.

Whether you’re a coffee retailer, wholesaler, allied business, or individual, you can participate!

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The History of 1st cup®

  • 1st Cup® has always taken place at Coffee Exchange on January 1st. Every New Year’s Day, Coffee Exchange opens for business and contributes 100% of its first day’s business to support The Coffee Trust®, a non-profit that supports coffee farmers and their families in Guatemala. Over most of the last 15 years, Coffee Exchange has contributed anywhere between $7,500 and $10,000 during 1st Cup®.

    Every morning on January 1st, Providence wakes up, at first bleary-eyed, but suddenly acutely aware that it is 1st Cup®! Jumping out of bed… ok, stumbling out of bed, Providence makes its way to Wickenden Street for a spirited scene. The energy in Coffee Exchange is palpable. There are visitors from out of town, old friends to see, prizes to win, a silent auction to peruse, great coffee to start the new year, and a sense of excitement that sets the tone for the entire year.

    Since Coffee Exchange started 1st Cup®, others have joined in! In Albuquerque, New Mexico at Trifecta Coffee Company, the same excitement is happening every New Year’s Day. Java Joe’s in Santa Fe joins in on New Year’s Day from time to time. But, when unable to do so, Java Joe’s writes a generous check to The Coffee Trust® in support of Guatemala coffee farmers and their families. New participants join each year, and every participating café or coffee business creates its own 1st Cup® experience. The common thread is the excitement and the glow on the faces of the patrons, knowing that it’s all on behalf of coffee farmers in Guatemala.

    • Coffee Exchange - Providence, RI

    • Java Joe’s - Albuquerque, NM

    • Trifecta Coffee Company - Albuquerque, NM

    • Bear Canyon Coffee - Albuquerque, NM

A 1st Cup® Fundraiser is a chance to dedicate your “1st cup of the new year” to coffee farmers and their families!

How to Participate in 1st cup®

Whether you are a Roaster, Retailer, Importer, Wholesaler, or simply a coffee lover, it’s even easier to participate in 1st Cup®!

Step 1: DEDICATE YOUR 1ST CUPS OF COFFEE IN JANUARY to coffee farmers - pick your day(s)

Continue the tradition and stay open on January 1st, or dedicate any day(s) in January to 1st Cup®. If you’re a Roaster, Retailer, or Coffee Shop, host a 1st Cup® fundraiser for The Coffee Trust in support of coffee farmers in Guatemala. We’ll give you the tools you need!

Step 2: Make your donation & be recognized for your contribution

Make your contribution online or send your check in January to The Coffee Trust, PO box 4728, Santa Fe, NM 87502.

See ‘What are the perks/benefits of participation?’ in the FAQ below!

Individuals can participate too!

  • Attend a 1st Cup® fundraiser at your favorite local coffee shop/retailer in January

    OR

  • Make any contribution to The Coffee Trust® in January using the form below.

All participation and contributions are welcome! Reach out if you have other ideas for how you’d like to participate in 1st Cup®.

Why You Should Participate in 1st Cup®

When you participate in 1st Cup®, you’re supporting The Coffee Trust® provide deep, long-term support for coffee farming communities via projects like…

    • The Chajulense women’s microcredit & savings projects to help women create or improve family-style businesses that provide for desperately needed added family income.

    • The Visión Guatemala microcredit project: The Coffee Trust provides the infrastructure for the program, leadership training, and the organizational development skills to help Visión Guatemala launch and maintain its own microcredit project.

  • Projects to support local beekeepers whose honey production also adds to family income.

  • Education projects for the local community, such as high school and university scholarships and support for a first-rate secondary school in San Gaspar Chajul.

  • Projects to support organic agriculture, for example, replacing old coffee plants with younger heartier ones that fare better against pathogens of all types, and also mitigate the elusive negative impact of climate change.

Women’s microcredit & savings projects help women create or improve family-style businesses.

FAQ

  • The Coffee Trust®, a 501c3 non-profit, administers the 1st Cup® Fundraiser in support of coffee farmers and their families. Participants include coffee businesses and individuals looking to support The Coffee Trust’s work at origin, including economic diversification, coffee agriculture, education, and research.

  • 1st Cup® Fundraisers are held on New Year’s Day, or any day in January of the New Year. It’s a chance to dedicate your “1st cup of the new year” to coffee farmers and their families!

  • If you are a coffee business, dedicate a day to 1st Cup® (and host a fundraiser event if you’re a retailer or coffee shop!) and contribute according to the participation level you choose.

    If you are an individual, we encourage you to attend a 1st Cup® Fundraiser at your favorite local coffee shop/retailer in January. If there isn’t one nearby, you can also make any contribution to The Coffee Trust® in January and designate your contribution to our 1st Cup® Fundraiser.

    Please see the Participation Level descriptions below.

    • Cup of Compassion: Any amount in January

    • Cup of Kindness: $500 - $999

    • Cup of Dedication: $1,000 - $2,499

    • Cup of Distinction: $2,500 or more

    Individuals can participate by:

    • Attending a 1st Cup® fundraiser at your favorite local coffee shop/retailer in January

    • Making any contribution to The Coffee Trust® in January

    All participation and contributions are welcome! Reach out if you have other ideas for how you’d like to participate in 1st Cup®.

  • Funds raised are contributed to The Coffee Trust® to support projects that benefit coffee farmers in Guatemala.

    • Economic Diversification (Additional income separate from coffee)

      • Women’s Microcredit & Savings

      • Honey Production

    • Coffee Farming

      • Supporting coffee farmers and their coffee association with organizational development, leadership training, and data management. 

    • Education

      • Scholarships

      • School Construction

      • Libraries

    • Research

  • Besides the satisfaction of knowing you’re contributing to a great cause, there are other perks too!

    • Recognition on The Coffee Trust® (TCT) website and social media

    • Opportunity to be interviewed for and featured in TCT’s newsletter

    • Presented with a certificate of appreciation that you can display in shops or online

    • Any business participant of $100 or more may choose to receive honey and green or roasted coffee beans.

      Individual Participants

    • Any individual participant of $50 or more may choose to receive honey and roasted coffee beans.

If you have additional questions, please contact 1stcup@thecoffeetrust.org