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Happy Popcorn: Community Fundraising From Cravings Gourmet Popcorn
Chad Jordan, Founder and Owner of Cravings Gourmet Popcorn, loves his community as much as he loves some Dark Molasses Carmel Sea Salt Popcorn. Chad began spiritedly popping corn in 2007, selling it locally at a farmer’s market. Two stores, and one manufacturing hub later, Chad has deployed both his community spirit and premium popcorn making skills to create a successful community fundraising program.
Community Popcorn Project
The Cravings Fundraising Program was started in 2014 after requests for bags of popcorn to resell were steadily increasing from Greater Lansing community members and organizations. Chad felt it was important to create structure around these requests and a more formal program for tracking and properly supplying the fundraising endeavors with delicious handmade batches of popcorn. A handmade food product is a key differentiator for this program compared to other programs. A trade-off in quality would be unacceptable in Chad’s 
eyes, especially for an opportunity to better communities while increasing brand awareness.
Chad also wanted the program to be simple to implement with no gimmicks or prizes. For every bag of popcorn sold, initially, 30% of the money for each bag went to the organization. If a certain threshold was met, it became 40%. This was more money to the community than most programs of its type.
This past July, Chad felt Cravings could make it even simpler and better, and the split is now 50/50. And, the popcorn still tastes as good as early farm market days. Did we mention the bags are massive? Chad laughs as he pictures kids carrying around the bags which can be almost as big as they are.
Popcorn For Everyone
On another positive note, the popcorn is gluten and peanut free! Schools, parents, and diet and allergy sensitive people can buy what they sell in this program.
The program had its largest month of revenue in September of this year, and has also turned into extra butter for the business. Cravings, with the extra revenue from the program, has been able to diversify product lines, maximize employee time, and consider expansion in the near future both in staffing and markets.
Support The Good
The program has made an impact in other areas outside of Lansing, including Greater Detroit and Traverse City. The increased brand recognition in new markets will continue to bolster the success and growth of the central hub in Lansing, with a target of increased
efficiency. For a small business on a fast growth trajectory, the opportunity to look at items to increase efficiency such as pre-printed labels or machines to fill bags is significant, and it has been the result of doing what is right for the community.
Chad sees the community in which he spent most of life and started his business nine years ago as a community with an excellent and unique future. With its blue collar backbone, combined with a thriving arts community, and a growing foodie culture, Greater Lansing is taking a path true to its roots forward.
Lansing as a “big small town” is undergoing significant change in the right direction according to Chad. It is up to us to make it happen by believing in it and working for it. He says, “For it to be good, we have to support the good right into existence.” Chad is doing his part through continuing to grow his business here and through the fundraising program. The “Pure Popcorn Addiction” of Cravings is good for our community, good for business growth, and awesome for popcorn addicts. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1477364419701{padding-top: 3px !important;padding-right: 3px !important;padding-bottom: 3px !important;padding-left: 3px !important;background-color: #dd9933 !important;}”]GOAL FOR GAINS
The program goals and structure are clear and consistent, allowing for as much as possible to go back to the community and can be summarized as follows:
CLEAR PROGRAM GOALS
1) Help groups raise funds for positive community activities.
2) Make the program simple.
3) Invest time and effort to create tools that improve groups’ ability to succeed.
SIMPLE STRUCTURE
All popcorn has the same price of $10.
$5 is earned for every bag sold, that’s 50% Profit!
Sell two varieties: original Caramel, Cheddar Caramel Mix (Chicago style)
Cravings helps promote these fundraisers through their powerful social media channels at no cost.
Simple order forms and samples are also provided at no cost.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]