Royal Coffee Pledges $125,000 Match to Reach $250,000 for Grounds for Health

Royal Coffee has pledged a dollar-for-dollar match of donations up to $125,000 to back Grounds for Health Week, creating a combined $250,000 fundraising target running March 8–15, 2026. The company described the initiative as a “dollar-for-dollar matched fundraising campaign” and says “Every dollar donated is matched by Royal up to $125,000.”

The campaign names Equator Coffees as a founding partner and highlights a fundraiser product, “Burundi Women of Turihamwe – Single Origin Espresso,” on Royal Coffee materials. Royal’s participation model asks partners to “choose a coffee, set a donation percentage,” and to coordinate by emailing info@royalcoffee.com; Sprudge’s press materials add that cafés can spotlight the effort in-store for “just $25” using a printable promotional kit from Grounds for Health.

Fundraising launched during Cervical Cancer Awareness month in January and, as of the Sprudge release, “has already raised $23,500.” Organizers say the campaign intends to “reach more than 5,000 women with life-saving care,” and Sprudge notes that “Every dollar contributed is matched until the $125,000 pool is fully committed.” The campaign frames its urgency around funding shortfalls in global health: Sprudge reports reductions in USAID funding have disrupted health infrastructure relied on by coffee-growing communities.

Grounds for Health, the beneficiary nonprofit, has partnered with cooperatives and regional health providers since 1996 and emphasizes stark public-health stakes: “Every two minutes, a woman dies from cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is a nearly 100% treatable disease, and yet in the next 15 years it could kill almost 4.5 million women – 85% of whom will live in low-income countries, where coffee is grown.” World Champion Barista and Grounds for Health board member Lem Butler framed the industry’s role: “Grounds for Health Week is a meaningful way to unite our local coffee community around a crucial issue: women’s health. It reinforces how collective action within our industry can drive positive change and support the well‑being of the coffee communities that sustain us.”

Campaign events include a March 13 Latte Art Throwdown at The Crown in Oakland, with “all proceeds benefit[ing] the campaign” and contestants and sponsors welcome, and a planned presence at World of Coffee, San Diego, April 10–12, where organizers say they are “still securing partners and sponsors.” Sprudge reiterates that the match applies at these events while the $125,000 pool remains available.

RoyalCoffee’s materials state the 2026 goal will expand programs “across East Africa and Latin America,” while Sprudge and early campaign copy emphasize expanding screening and treatment for women farmers in East Africa; both formulations appear in campaign materials. For participation and media inquiries, Royal Coffee lists info@royalcoffee.com; Grounds for Health lists phone (802) 242-1392 and info@groundsforhealth.org. The matching pledge aims to mobilize roasters, cafés, and retailers industry-wide to push toward the $250,000 target and the stated goal of reaching thousands of women with screening and treatment.