FAQ
The questions people actually ask.
The coffee
- Who actually roasts this?
- Riverbank Coffee Roasters is roasted for us by Fourth Man Roasters, a small-batch roaster who sources both lots and roasts every order. We sell it under the Riverbank name, and the profit funds The Riverbank Organization.
- Is it ground or whole bean?
- Whole bean, every size. Ground coffee starts losing aroma within minutes of grinding, so shipping it ground would undo most of the benefit of roasting to order.
- How fresh is it?
- Nothing is roasted until an order comes in. Your beans are roasted after you buy them rather than pulled off a shelf, which is the single biggest lever on how coffee tastes at home.
- Which roast should I get?
- Medium if you are buying for more than one person or are not sure. Light if you want the fruit and the origin character. Dark if you take milk or use a French press. Espresso is a medium-dark tuned for pressure. There is a longer guide on Our Coffee.
Orders and shipping
- How long does shipping take?
- Orders are roasted first, then shipped, so allow a few days for roasting before transit time. Tracking is emailed to you when the bag leaves the roastery.
- Do you ship outside the United States?
- Domestic shipping only at the moment.
- Something arrived wrong. Who do I contact?
- Anything about a specific order goes to the roastery, who handle fulfilment, at sales@kingdomcoffeehouses.com, and they will sort it. Anything about The Riverbank Organization itself goes to Riverbank at rvbkdonations@gmail.com.
Subscriptions
- What subscription options are there?
- One: a bag every month, at the same price as a one-time bag, on whichever origin, roast, and size you pick. Pause or cancel from your account at any time.
- Can I cancel?
- Yes, any time, from your account. There is no minimum number of cycles and no cancellation call.
- Can I change roast or size between deliveries?
- Yes. Manage the subscription from your account, or cancel and start a new one with the bag you want.
Where the money goes
- What does Riverbank do with it?
- The Riverbank Organization collects donated furniture, appliances, and household essentials and delivers them free to families in crisis across Southern California: families exiting homelessness, survivors of trafficking, foster and kinship carers, veterans moving into housing. Coffee revenue funds that work.
- Does buying this actually support Riverbank?
- Yes. Riverbank Coffee Roasters is The Riverbank Organization’s own coffee label, not a third party donating a slice of something else. Every bag is bought under Riverbank’s name and the proceeds fund the warehouse: the refrigerators, mattresses, and household essentials that go out to families in crisis.
- Is Riverbank a real registered charity?
- Yes. The Riverbank Organization is a 501(c)(3), EIN 88-2594293, tax-exempt since October 2022, based in San Juan Capistrano, California. Their filings are public on ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer.
- Is my coffee purchase tax-deductible?
- No. You are buying a product, not making a donation, so there is no deduction. If you want a tax-deductible gift, give to Riverbank directly through their Givebutter page.
- Can I donate furniture instead?
- Please do, that is the core of what they need. Riverbank takes appliances and household goods in good condition, and offers paid local pickup for larger items. Details are on their donations page.