Fundraising has taken a new direction, compliments of local coffee bean roaster, Kerri Ann Colby and her small business, Rebel Bean.

Colby, Owner and Roaster at Rebel Bean, says her personal experience sparked an idea for something fresh and new with parent-driven fundraising, which has had a significant impact on her small outfit.

"It's super easy to do, it has no minimums or up-front costs. A group of any size can sign up, and I usually make them a custom label for their organization for the coffee bags. They go off and sell the coffee, and then come back to me with an order. This town has been great. The community has built this business one cup of coffee at a time," she said.

Colby says since the inception of the program in 2015, this unique initiative has made significant contributions to the community, as well as contributing to her company's success.

"It was a really great way for my super small, hyper-local business to help the community. The numbers have shown that we've contributed about $40,000 to local community organizations since 2015," she said.

Colby's program inspires entrepreneurs, as well, by selling her product at wholesale costs, and providing sales and marketing tools to move the product at a profit.