On the Ground
Higher Grounds Coffee partners with On the Ground to help empower coffee-farming communities through gender and social equity, environmental sustainability, and economic security.
Great coffee begins with people. Every bag of coffee connects customers to the farmers, families, cooperatives, and communities that make specialty coffee possible. At Higher Grounds, we believe those relationships should create lasting value beyond the cup.
That belief is why we support On the Ground, our partner nonprofit working alongside coffee-growing communities to advance community-led development, strengthen economic opportunity, and support a more equitable coffee supply chain.
What Is On the Ground?
On the Ground is a nonprofit organization rooted in the belief that coffee communities deserve long-term investment, dignity, and opportunity. Its work focuses on empowering coffee-farming communities through gender and social equity, environmental sustainability, and economic security.
For Higher Grounds, supporting On the Ground is a natural extension of our sourcing philosophy. We do not see coffee as a commodity disconnected from people. We see coffee as a relationship that should respect farmers, strengthen communities, and create shared responsibility across the supply chain.
Why It Matters in Coffee
Coffee is grown in regions facing complex economic, environmental, and social challenges. While paying fair prices is essential, lasting change often requires more than a purchase contract. Communities also need access to resources, infrastructure, education, advocacy, and long-term partnership.
On the Ground helps address those needs through work designed with and for the communities it serves. By supporting this nonprofit, Higher Grounds helps extend the impact of coffee purchases beyond roasting and retail into meaningful, community-centered action.
How On the Ground Supports Coffee Communities
Gender Equity
Supporting programs that elevate women, strengthen opportunity, and help create more equitable coffee-growing communities.
Social Equity
Working alongside communities to support dignity, inclusion, and community-led solutions.
Economic Security
Helping strengthen long-term resilience for farmers, families, and cooperatives connected to the coffee supply chain.
Environmental Sustainability
Supporting efforts that recognize the connection between healthy land, healthy communities, and the future of coffee.
Community Partnership
Centering local voices and community priorities rather than one-size-fits-all solutions.
Long-Term Impact
Building relationships that go beyond a single harvest, a single project, or a single purchase.
How Higher Grounds Is Connected
Higher Grounds was founded on the belief that coffee can be a vehicle for positive change. Our relationship with On the Ground reflects that belief in action.
As we source, roast, and share specialty coffee, On the Ground helps deepen the impact of those relationships by supporting community-led work in coffee-growing regions. Together, this connection helps align our coffee business with a broader mission: better coffee, stronger communities, and a more transparent supply chain.
From Chiapas to Coffee Communities Around the World
Higher Grounds’ story began with relationships in Chiapas, Mexico, and grew into a broader commitment to coffee communities around the world. Over time, On the Ground has supported projects connected to coffee-growing regions including Ethiopia, Palestine, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nicaragua, and Chiapas.
That history continues to shape how Higher Grounds approaches coffee today: with long-term relationships, transparent sourcing, and a belief that every cup should honor the people and places behind it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is On the Ground part of Higher Grounds?
On the Ground is Higher Grounds’ partner nonprofit. Higher Grounds supports its work as part of our commitment to coffee-growing communities and a more equitable coffee supply chain.
How does Higher Grounds support On the Ground?
Higher Grounds donates at least 1% of profits to On the Ground and helps share the organization’s mission with customers, partners, and coffee drinkers.
What does On the Ground focus on?
On the Ground works to empower coffee-farming communities through gender and social equity, environmental sustainability, and economic security.
Why does this matter to coffee customers?
Coffee purchases are connected to real people and communities. Supporting companies that invest in those communities helps build a more responsible and sustainable coffee industry.
Learn More
Explore more about Higher Grounds’ mission, our B Corp certification, and the coffees connected to causes and communities we care about.