Every fall, the same flyer comes home in the backpack: candy, wrapping paper, or cookie dough. Families buy something they didn't plan to, the school keeps a slice, and a few weeks later there's a stack of boxes to sort in the multipurpose room. If you're a PTA parent, coach, or booster club volunteer in San Diego planning a holiday fundraiser, the product you pick decides most of the outcome: how easy it is for families to say yes, how much of each sale your group actually keeps, and how much work lands on volunteers. Here's how the usual options compare, and why more groups are switching to coffee.
The usual options, side by side
| Fundraiser | What families pay | What your group keeps | The work for volunteers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candy and boxed chocolate | Often retail or close to it | Often 40–60%; See's lists up to 50% | Cases to sort and hand out; a once-a-year treat for most buyers |
| Wrapping paper | Catalog prices that usually run higher than store prices | A share of each sale, set by the company | Orders must arrive before the holidays; sorting rolls and bundles by student |
| Cookie dough | Around $20 a tub in a typical example | Typically 30–50%, up to about $10 a tub | Needs refrigeration from delivery to pickup and freezer space on campus |
| Fresh-roasted coffee (Common Good) | Our regular shop price, about $15–20 a bag | 35%, about $6 a bag | One delivery to campus, sorted by student; shelf-stable, no freezer |
Coffee doesn't have the highest percentage on this list. Where it wins is how many families say yes: almost every household already buys coffee, nobody pays a markup to support the school, and the people who like it often keep buying after the sale ends.
Why coffee works so well in the holiday season
• It's a gift people actually use. A bag of good coffee is an easy present for teachers, coaches, grandparents, and neighbors. Our CGC Gift Box adds a mug and a card.
• It's already on the shopping list. Families buy coffee every week, so they're replacing a purchase, not adding one.
• No markup. Families pay the same price they'd pay in our shop. The school's share comes out of our margin, not their wallet.
• Nothing melts, spoils, or needs a freezer. Bags can sit in the office until pickup without anyone babysitting them.
• It's local. Every bag is roasted in La Mesa the week it's delivered, by a small-batch roaster that's been part of the San Diego community since 2015.
How a Common Good fundraiser works
There's no upfront cost and no inventory. We only roast what your families order. To get coffee to campus before winter break, sign up by December 1.
- Sign up and pick your dates. Tell us about your school or team and choose a two-week order window.
- Get your kit. We send printable flyers, order forms, and your group's own online order page.
- Families order. Students share with family and friends, on paper or online. Everyone pays our regular price.
- We roast and deliver. We roast the full order fresh and drop it at campus in one delivery, sorted by student.
- Your school gets paid. After delivery we send your group 35% of every bag sold.
For a sense of scale: if 50 families each sell 5 bags, that's roughly $1,500 for your school. You can run your own numbers on our fundraising page.
Ready to skip the candy bars?
We're booking holiday fundraisers for schools, PTAs, sports teams, and youth groups across San Diego County, including La Mesa, El Cajon, Santee, Lemon Grove, and Spring Valley. Start your fundraiser here and we'll send everything you need to get going.