Royal Coffee Launches $250,000 Matched Campaign With Grounds For Health & Founding Partner Equator Coffees, Invites Industry To Join

Oakland, CA — February 26, 2026 Royal Coffee, in partnership with Grounds for Health and founding campaign partner Equator Coffees, has launched a dollar-for-dollar matched fundraising campaign to expand cervical cancer screening and treatment for women farmers in East Africa.

Royal will match donations up to $125,000, with a combined goal of $250,000 to reach more than 5,000 women with life-saving care that is, in many cases, available nowhere else nearby.

The campaign launched during Cervical Cancer Awareness month in January, and has already raised $23,500.
The timing is urgent. Reductions in USAID funding have disrupted global health infrastructure that many coffee-growing communities rely on. Grounds for Health, which has partnered with cooperatives and regional health providers since 1996, is absorbing that pressure directly.

“Coffee begins with women. When funding is pulled from the systems that protect their health, we cannot pretend it’s someone else’s problem. This industry depends on their labor, their leadership, and their resilience. Matching every dollar is how we take responsibility, not just in words, but in action.” — Max Nicholas-Fulmer, CEO, Royal Coffee
Royal has supported Grounds for Health since 2006, contributing more than $1.6 million in combined financial and in-kind support. This campaign invites the broader industry to stand alongside that commitment.

Here’s How to Get Involved:

A Model Any Roaster Can Replicate
Equator Coffees joins as a founding campaign partner, donating 10% of sales from their new Single Origin Espresso, Burundi Women of Turihamwe, for the life of the coffee beginning March 2. Their participation demonstrates how a single origin selection can become sustained, meaningful support for the women who produced it.

Any roaster can do the same. Choose a coffee, set a donation percentage, and Royal will help turn it into impact. Contact info@royalcoffee.com to get started.

March 8–15: Grounds for Health Week
Grounds for Health Week kicks off on International Women’s Day, March 8.
For just $25, cafés can spotlight the campaign in-store and support women’s health at origin using an easy to print digital promotional kit provided by Grounds for Health. It is a simple, visible way to activate your team and customers during a critical week.

March 13: Latte Art Throwdown at The Crown (Oakland)
All proceeds benefit the campaign. Contestants and sponsors are welcome.
Event details: https://events.royalcoffee.com/LatteArtThrowDown

April 10–12: World of Coffee, San Diego
We are still securing partners and sponsors for this. Every dollar contributed is matched until the $125,000 pool is fully committed.
Learn more or donate at: https://royalcoffee.com/grounds-for-health-fundraiser/

About Royal Coffee
Royal Coffee is an independently-owned specialty green coffee importer based in Oakland, California, sourcing for roasters worldwide with a long-standing commitment to responsible purchasing, long-term producer relationships, and community impact.

About Grounds for Health
Grounds for Health delivers cervical cancer screening and treatment to women in coffee-growing communities, partnering with local cooperatives, clinics, and trained health workers to bring evidence-based care where access is most limited.

About Equator Coffees
Equator Coffees is an LGBTQ+ and women-owned and founded specialty coffee roaster with deep roots in the Bay Area, recognized for its commitment to sustainable sourcing and measurable social impact.

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