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How to Host a Successful Coffee House Fundraiser

By Kendra Thomas 

Kendra Thomas has been writing stories since she was in Mrs. Jewell’s first grade class for dyslexic learners.  After learning to remove the labels of her disability, she went on to become a writer, teacher, theatre director, principal, and counselor.  She is the author of 17 plays published by Pioneer Drama.   

It’s a running joke in my high school theatre program that we all run on “Starbucks and pixie dust.”  With all the late tech and dress rehearsals and the dedicated students who show up after sports practices to prepare for shows, it’s no wonder that it takes caffeine, sugar, and a little bit of magic to keep us all going.  I am lucky enough that many years ago when I first started teaching, the parents in our community saw this and rose to the occasion by purchasing us a coffee pot, a kettle, and a Keurig.  Little did I know this would be the birth of our greatest fundraiser.

We started small.  An open mic night with coffee, cookies, and hot chocolate.  Everyone loved it.  Over the years, it’s grown into a regular event held every month or so that brings in around $2,000 a year for our program!

Hosting a coffee house in your theater can be a fantastic option for fundraising.  Not only does it provide a platform for students to showcase their talent, but it also brings supporters into your theater space, providing you with opportunities to grow your program and make connections.  So can you do it?

Set the stage.  Utilize your theater space, stage, or classroom to set up the coffee house area.  Decorate with donated items to create a cozy atmosphere.  Use chairs and tables from your set collection to give the space a fun feel.  If your program doesn’t have these things, it’s also easy to use classroom desks and Dollar Store tablecloths.  Get creative.

Plan the program.  Students can perform music, monologues, poetry, or staged readings of original works.  Maybe a short skit, but nothing that requires a royalty.  Have students submit their chosen works and apply to perform.  You can set deadlines, but I’ve found that having an open application all school year through Google forms works best.  If one coffee house fills up, the student can be assigned to the next one.  I also require the students to make a $5 donation in order to perform.  This usually prevents students from canceling, and I’ve found they take the event more seriously if they have skin in the game with a small financial commitment.  You can also create a waitlist in case students do back out.

Schedule and logistics.  For us, coffee houses run from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm on a Friday night with slots from 5 to 30 minutes in length.  The audience can come and go, and since there is a set schedule, they are able to attend just the performances they’d like to see.  In this way, it runs like a real coffee house!  Our baristas are students who have volunteered to work at the event.  Students earn volunteer and Thespian hours for helping, and they also have a guaranteed spot to perform if they are working.  Parents have also stepped in to help.  I find that having a parent behind the coffee counter is helpful as I’m usually occupied with running the program and helping the students set up for their performances.

Menu and pricing.  I would recommend starting with a simple menu of cookies, coffee, and hot chocolate that you can price at a dollar.  As you receive donations, expand your menu and adjust pricing accordingly.  We encourage attendees to bring their own cups to minimize cleanup and help the environment, but we always have paper cups on hand just in case.  We’ve also had success getting donated coffee from Starbucks as well as local vendors.  It’s a great exercise for your students to have them write letters requesting donations.

Promotion.  Promote the coffee house through your school’s communication channels.  Use social media to spread the word and create excitement.  We also put posters up and invite non-theatre students to participate.  Present coffee house as a community and school activity more than a theater performance.  You do not want it to seem exclusive.

Financials.  On average, we spend around $125 for each coffee house.  Net profit ranges from $200 to $500 per event.  Of course, yours will all depend on your community and pricing.  We host six coffee houses a year.

I’ve been starting and running coffee houses at various schools for almost my entire 20-year teaching career.  Every time I have started this program, we’ve started small with just a few students and a few hours.  Over time, each coffee house gets bigger and better.  I hope this is something that will add a little caffeine and magic pixie dust to your program too!