Checkoff Program

The Checkoff Program is a way for Suppliers and Roasters/Retailers to invest pennies per pound to ensure the future of coffee. The contribution is calibrated to roasters’ and retailers’ purchase volume and built into the cost of green coffee.

How Roasters and Retailers Join

Find your rate and tell us your suppliers.

Roasters and retailers contribute to WCR based on coffee purchase volumes. Rates range from 1/10 to 1 cent per pound, depending on volumes. The rate is added to the cost of green coffee from participating green coffee suppliers.

How Suppliers Join

Commit to administering.

Suppliers support their clients to participate in the Checkoff Program by tracking applicable green coffee purchases, adding the fee to invoices, and passing contributions through to WCR. Suppliers can double their impact and become a WCR member company by matching roaster and retailer contributions.

How it Works

Invest cents per pound/kilo to ensure the future of coffee.

step 1

We notify the suppliers.

We contact the suppliers to confirm new roaster and retailer enrollment and effective date, with designated Checkoff rate.

step 2

Roasters and Retailers order green coffee.

The suppliers keep track of coffee sales to participating roasters.

step 3

Suppliers calculate the amount.

Ex: $.005 x 38,500 pounds = $192.50 The supplier includes roasters’ Checkoff contribution on the invoices, similar to docking, brokerage, or warehousing fees.

step 4

Roasters and Retailers pay invoices.

When roasters and retailers pay their invoices, the supplier sets aside the WCR Checkoff contribution.

step 5

Contributions fund research.

At the end of each quarter, we contact every supplier for a report, then issue an invoice. Once all funds are collected, we send roasters and retailers a quarterly report summarizing supplier pass-through contributions.

Helpful Documents

Learn More.