Our project criteria
With every cup of coffee you contribute to improving the living conditions of the farmers and their families. Because we invest €1 per kg of coffee in education, health and coffee cultivation in the regions where our coffees are grown. On this page you can learn more about the criteria we use to select our projects and the partners we work with.
Our promise
100 % trust
We invest your donation directly in your selected project area.
Full transparency
Be there every step of the way and track the implementation and impact of projects online.
Partners at eye level
Local people are involved in the implementation and adopt the results independently and in the long term.
Coffee is not only your daily companion
…but the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. Although the people of Ethiopia grow some of the best coffee in the world, they can’t make a living from it. They lack the most basic necessities.
By selling our coffees, we work with you to improve the living conditions of coffee farmers and their families. For every kilogram of coffee sold, we invest 1 € in education, health and coffee cultivation in the coffee regions.
Criteria: What do we use to select projects?
We start where there is a need
Together with the coffee farmers and their families as well as representatives of the responsible local government, we analyze the situation on site, discuss the needs and select the projects together. In this way, we work together to achieve realistic goals that are based on local needs.
We work with the people on the ground
Local people are significantly involved not only in project selection, but also in planning and implementation. Participation promotes personal responsibility and initiative on the part of the cooperative’s residents, which is essential for the long-term impact of our projects.
We promote independence
The assumption of subsequent costs (e.g. for repair work or teaching staff) should be promised by the local government and project participants and be independent of us. With trainings on maintenance, we additionally promote the ownership of the local population.
We pursue measurable goals
Each of our projects has a realistic, clearly defined goal. Assessing long-term success requires a comprehensive analysis of all project phases. This not only takes into account resources deployed and services rendered, but also the long-term impact on the target group and society. For this reason, we regularly publish impact reports that show our work in concrete figures.
1 € per kg of coffee goes back to the growing regions
Our partners
In Ethiopia: Welthungerhilfe
For a long time we have been looking for a partner with whom we can go one step further in development cooperation and who at the same time meets our requirements in the project area. We are very pleased to have found the experienced aid organization „Welthungerhilfe“ for this purpose.
„We are very pleased that we have found a committed partner and comrade-in-arms in Coffee Circle to enable coffee farmers in Ethiopia not only to receive fair prices, but also to live a dignified life under their own steam.“, Michael Hoffmann, Executive Board Welthungerhilfe
In D.R. Congo: Rikolto
With Rikolto, we have an experienced NGO at our side that has been active in Congo for many years. Especially in eastern Congo, Rikolto has been working with coffee cooperatives for several years to support them in building and strengthening their structures and to facilitate their international market entry. We have convinced ourselves of their work on site and are highly motivated to start new projects together with them to improve the living conditions of the farmers in Congo.
The Circle e.V.
For the transfer of donations and legal implementation of our projects in Ethiopia we have founded the association Circle e.V. and registered it at the commercial register in Berlin. All donations are regularly transferred to the association.
