CafeSmart returns in August 2025 for its 15th campaign raising funds to support people experiencing homelessness in Australia.
Liz Bayrak wishes CafeSmart wasn’t needed, that homelessness in Australia had become a thing of the past. Unfortunately, homelessness isn’t going anywhere; in fact, it’s growing.
Fifteen years ago, when the idea of mobilising the coffee industry to fight homelessness was just a spark in one man’s head, there were estimated to be about 105,000 people experiencing homelessness around Australia.
Today, based on Census and other figures, that is expected to have grown by more than 22,000 people – about the population of Mount Isa in Queensland.
“Ideally, CafeSmart wouldn’t need to exist,” says Liz, the organisation’s Campaign and Events Coordinator. “But it’s amazing that it does and the impact it’s had.”
Like the problem it tackles, CafeSmart was a lot smaller when it began in 2011. Back then, Founder Adam Robinson, inspired by the success of StreetSmart’s restaurant-oriented campaign DineSmart, saw an opportunity to bring the coffee community into the movement.
“Adam approached a few coffee roasters with the idea and they were pretty keen straight away,” says Liz.
“Coffee culture is so ingrained in everyday life in Australia, so Adam asked the question: why not turn that everyday ritual into an opportunity to give back to your local community?”
The response was immediate. That first campaign was initially focused on the café scenes in Melbourne and Sydney, pulling in the support of about 100 businesses. Powered by good coffee and good will, the campaign has grown to become a national movement involving more than 800 cafés, with plans to hit 1000 in 2025.
“It’s largely grown through word of mouth. We don’t have big budgets, instead we’ve really relied on the industry to tell their peers. Now, we can barely keep up with the number of cafés that sign up each day in the lead up to the event,” says Liz.
In 2025, hundreds of cafés will be involved in a week-long campaign between 2 and 8 August. Throughout the week, cafés will help raise awareness of homelessness in their communities with posters and stickers, before rallying for the main event on Friday 8 August when they’ll donate $1 from every coffee sold.
“We also encourage cafés to invite their customers to chip in and donate too,” she says. “Many of our roasters generously subsidise the cost of beans for the day to show their appreciation for the cafés stepping up.”
Roasters play a crucial role in inspiring their networks to participate.
“We’ll send roasters flyers and lots of digital assets to help spread the word with their wholesale networks,” she says.
“It’s free for roasters to get involved and a great way to strengthen connections with their café partners while supporting an important cause.”
Registrations are now open and Liz says the CafeSmart team are determined to make this milestone 15th year the biggest and most impactful yet. Helping to make that happen is the continued support of principal sponsors Vitasoy and La Marzocco, alongside supporting sponsor CoffeeTools – long-standing partners that, alongside many others, have helped build CafeSmart into the force it is today.
But that growth is a doubled-edged sword. The grassroots campaign has become a powerful national initiative, but the darker reality is that this has been in large out of necessity because the need of homelessness has also grown.
Liz says that acknowledging the growth and support as well as honouring the 15-year milestone will be a key part of this year’s proceedings.
“There’s a very serious message behind CafeSmart, but there’s a lot of fun surrounding it,” she says.
“We want to celebrate with everyone who has helped us come this far. We have so many businesses that have been on board since day dot and lots more that have joined us along the way.”
This year, the organisation is planning a gala – its first evening event. It will take place in Melbourne, where the movement started and the campaign is supported by a “massive” community. The event will also be a major fundraising opportunity, Liz says, because more donations are needed to help the growing number of people facing homelessness.
CafeSmart organisers have an ambitious 2025 target, hoping to raise $300,000 across Australia. That money will go towards important projects, organisations, and causes focused on helping those impacted by homelessness.
“Because homelessness is complex, we’re very flexible with our approach,” says Liz.
“We fund projects covering all sorts of different things, like domestic and family violence services, because we know the lack of affordable housing and domestic violence are some of the leading causes of homelessness. While people are waiting for housing, they may need help with food and material aid, so a tent or a swag to cover their heads for the night, and clothing.
“There are even social connection programs, because being homeless is very isolating. We’ll fund community groups where people who are experiencing homelessness can get together and chat and have non-judgmental conversation and a cup of tea or coffee.”
Those organisations are invited to apply for the funding from CafeSmart, with an approach that responds to local needs.
“In some states, there might be higher rates of food insecurity, elsewhere it could be flood recovery efforts,” Liz says.
“We’re very responsive. We see what’s happening and invite applications from those organisations that might be struggling because they don’t have any government funding and rely on this sort of community support.”
CafeSmart will also be leaning on its own community for support.
“We have so many brands who have been on board since day one,” says Liz.
Beyond the main sponsors, others to lend a hand throughout the years include roasters Single O, Five Senses, ST. ALi, Campos, ONA, Padre, and Locale – among many others.
CafeSmart will need all their help and more in its 2025 campaign to support the many thousands of people in Australia experiencing homelessness.
“Homelessness is worsening beyond pre-pandemic levels,” says Liz. “We’d really like to hit $300,000 this year. That would enable us to support about 11,500 people facing homelessness through various projects.”
Ideally, CafeSmart wouldn’t be needed anymore. However, we can all raise a cup of coffee to celebrate its existence, the achievement of its incredible milestone, and the power of community support in tackling homelessness.
For more information, visit streetsmartaustralia.org/cafesmart
This article appears in the June 2025 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
