How to Start and Run a Pay It Forward Board

A friendly, step-by-step guide for businesses ready to spread kindness with ease

Why a Pay It Forward Board?

A Pay It Forward Board is a simple, low-cost way to fight food insecurity, build community loyalty, and highlight your business as a hub of kindness. Customers buy meals (or drinks) for others in advance, and those in need can discreetly redeem them—no questions asked

Testimonials from the Beanchain

The Pay it Forward board that we put up immediately started working. We sold about 10 meals the first week, and they began getting used at about the same rate. At one point, we did have about 15 meals on the board! It has felt amazing to be able to offer something to people who clearly need a bite to eat. 

Multiple times, it has brought people to tears to know that they could get a good meal for themselves. We hand out our Unhoused Help Pamphlets with each meal to provide a more sustainable path out of homelessness and food insecurity for the person we’re providing the meal for. When you’re going through something like homelessness, it’s so easy to feel invisible and forgotten. I think sometimes it was that we took the time to care about them that helped almost more than the food. It has enriched our lives to be able to help others rebuild their own lives. 

At this point(9/1/2025), we’ve provided almost 100 meals for people who really needed them. We’ve had people return to let us know that they were able to get a job or a place to stay and that they were grateful for our help. Even over such a short 3-month period, we’ve already had such a profound effect on people's lives. 

We’ve had a couple of instances where we needed to have a hard conversation with someone about obeying the rules for our Pay it Forward program. It’s impossible to avoid, but it has been very minimal because we are so clear and upfront with people about the rules. Overwhelmingly, people have been grateful and reasonable. And our customers have been incredibly grateful and supportive of our efforts in providing these meals! We’ll never go back.

Materials You’ll Need (and Affordable Options)

Tip: Receipts as Tickets

You can simplify further by letting staff use standard purchase receipts as “tickets”. Just stamp or mark them (e.g., “Paid Forward”) and pin them to the board. This removes the need for special ticket printing, making the setup quicker and even more budget-friendly.

Best Practices for Success

• Balance visibility with dignity Place the board where customers notice it, but ensure that recipients don’t feel exposed when redeeming items.
  

• Give Additional Information By providing something like our Unhoused Help Pamphlet, you can help ensure that the person receiving the meal has a clear path towards more help! It also has the added benefit of gently reminding those who don’t need the meal that the resource is meant for those who are food insecure. https://www.bchain.coffee/unhousedhelp
  

• Keep the process simple

  • 1 ticket or marked receipt = 1 meal/drink.

  • Limit redemptions (e.g., once per day per person) to keep the system fair.
    

• Train your team Staff should welcome questions warmly and process redemptions discreetly and kindly.
  

• Communicate clearly Display a short, easy-to-read sign detailing how to buy and redeem tickets. Consider posting anonymized success stories to inspire participation.
  

• Use receipts if you want Receipts can serve as “tickets”—just mark and pin them. It’s simple, free, and integrated with your routine.
  

• Adapt for your unique needs Every business has its own rhythm and challenges. Being able to help people in need is important, and in order for you to continue to do that long term it needs to be balanced with the health of your business. Consider special rules to keep the program safe and sustainable:
  

  • Set daily purchase limits if you’re worried about high redemption.

  • Adjust ticket value based on your cost structure or menu items.

  • Consider making it mandatory to take the PIF Meal to go if you need seating for customers

  • Use a locked display case if theft or tampering is a concern.

  • If you encounter people lining up at opening, consider putting a time limit on the board(can only be used from 9 am - 2 pm) to avoid unsafe conditions for openers or closers.  

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Design the board

   • Use a corkboard, chalkboard, or wall space.

   • Create simple tickets with your logo or just use receipts

     
     

2. Set clear guidelines

   • What does one ticket buy? (e.g., a standard meal or drink).

   • How many can someone redeem at once?

   • What other rules are needed to make the program sustainable?

   • Make a clear explainer for the program that shows people how to buy a meal and how to use a meal.
     

3. Promote the program

   • Announce it on social media, your website, and in-store signage.

   • Share success stories to keep the momentum going.
     

4. Launch with energy

   • Have staff explain it to every customer for the first few weeks.

   • Consider pairing with an event or giveaway to boost awareness.
     

5. Maintain the board

   • Regularly refresh it so it looks active and cared for.

   • Keep track of redemptions to measure impact.
     

6. Celebrate milestones

   • Post when you reach “100 meals given” or similar.

   • Thank your community publicly for making it possible.

Tips for Long-Term Impact

• Partner locally.  Coordinate with nearby nonprofits or schools to increase visibility and reach.
  

• Tell your story.  Share impact stories on your social platforms (without naming recipients).
  

• Stay flexible.  Revisit rules and ticket value if demand shifts.
  

• Measure outcomes.  Track how many meals are paid forward and redeemed monthly to assess success.