Raising funds through coffee sales
Bellarossini Coffee is a sustainable social enterprise that generates enough money to keep Bella and Matt alive as well as funding international development projects. Coffee, community and compassion — that sounds like a good tagline!
Sustainable Social Enterprise
The idea of a sustainable social enterprise is to contribute to the social good through a profitable business. Rather than give money when we feel we have enough to spare, we deliberately built a business to fund charitable works. We have created a business that is profitable so that our contributions to those projects are sustainable.
A core principle of the sustainable social enterprise model is to ensure that no-one is exploited. Which is why …
We chose a coffee brand that works closely with their suppliers so that we have a high degree of confidence that the coffee growers receive a far price and treat their employees respectfully
We care for the environment by choosing cups and lids that are fully recycleable
We give our customers coffee of exceptional quality in an environment of trust, peace and compassion
We care for ourselves too, because we are in this for the long haul.
A significant percentage of the income from coffee sales is passed on to the projects you can see described on this web site. We also run events from time to time specifically to raise money for those projects. In addition, all money placed in our donation jar goes directly to those projects.
Community
We need each other.
Our coffee sales have always been secondary to community. Coffee is a means to that end. We sell coffee so that people can gather and nurture each other.
With the disruption of COVID-19, that becomes even more important. Within the bounds of safe health practices, we will continue to foster a community in which everyone has an opportunity to flourish. We recently renamed our location in Tumut as the “Metre and a Half Espresso”. As long as takeaway food is still allowed, we will continue to open.
Building community has both a local and a global intention. In the local sense we support each other directly, with a kind word, a listening ear, and by providing a safe space that encourages peace rather than panic. In the global sense, we are aware of the tragic vulnerability of many people in the world, and look for ways to stand in solidarity with them. The goodwill of the local community is what funds the development projects for the global community.
Pay it forward
One creative response to the oppressive demands of capitalism is to offer people something that blesses them with no expectation of getting anything back. We are happy to give free coffee to anyone who asks for it. No questions. Nothing owed.
We, and many of our customers, set aside money specifically to cover the cost of those free coffees.
Some people struggle with overwhelming difficulties, financial, physical, emotional and social. Other times someone might just be having a shitty day and needs a smile, a hug, a cup of coffee. We are all in this together. There should be no need for anyone to cope with life on their own.
When it seems appropriate, we also ask people to consider a “pay it forward” strategy. The core of that idea is that rather than pay us back for the coffee, you might pay for someone else’s coffee some time in the future. If you've never heard of "paying it forward", find out more here or here.
Our aim is not to bring debt and guilt back into the transaction … in fact Bella and Matt rebel against the whole “transactional” idea. It’s not that we give you a “free” coffee as long as you promise to do the same for someone else. That would be just another indirect form of paying off your “debt”. But if there is no debt, then there is no need to pay. What we hope to inspire is a more generous way for all of us to live — an economy based on trust, peace and compassion rather than greed, suspicion and self-protection.
In times of trouble
In these strange times, when mutated viruses threaten both our health and our social patterns, the need for trust, peace and compassion is heightened. Part of our contribution is to keep serving coffee.
That’s why we provided a home delivery service during the most difficult lock-down times — not primarily to make more money, but to make more community. When we were unable to give out hugs, we were still happy to bring a coffee to your doorstep so that we can all continue to feel connected.
Physical distance is necessary, social distance is not.