• by Teresa Buyikian , August 4, 2026

Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii’s latest fundraising campaign honors the furry four-legged animals that gave the chain its name.

The coffee chain this week kicks off “Give a Hoof,” its annual donkey rescue fundraising effort, which runs through Aug. 31.

Central to this year’s effort is Viejo, a new limited-edition coffee blend named after an actual rescued donkey. The brand will donate $5 from every $25 bag to the campaign's sanctuary partners. The new blend will be available through August in store and online while supplies last.

The Give a Hoof campaign was started to as a way to “honor the generations of donkeys in Kona, Hawaii.” Historically, the donkeys, nicknamed “the badass ones,” carried coffee down Hawaii’s volcanic mountains. Now, the campaign “funds the rescue, shelter and care of wild, abandoned and at-risk donkeys facing overpopulation, neglect and habitat loss.”

Customers can contribute to “Give a Hoof” through the purchase of the limited-edition Viejo blend, rounding up in-store purchases or donating directly online or in store. This year proceeds will benefit Longhopes Donkey Shelter in Colorado, Leilani Farm Sanctuary in Hawaii and Oscar's Place in California.

“Donkeys are intelligent, emotional animals, and far too many of them end up abandoned or at risk,” said Ron King, co-founder of Oscar's Place. “Every dollar raised means more donkeys get the food, shelter and care they need.”

Founded in 1989 on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, Bad Ass Coffee expanded to the mainland in 1995 with a shop in Salt Lake City. The brand now operates nearly 50 locations across the U.S. with 100 stores in development throughout the Southeast, East Coast, Gulf Coast and the Rocky Mountain regions. The brand also sells its coffee through grocery and specialty retail channels.