On Sunday, Feb. 14, it raised money for Mary K. Goode Elementary School in Middleborough. Monday, Feb. 22, it supported Wareham Middle School's Community Arts Recreation and Enrichment program. Thursday, Feb. 25, benefited St. Margaret's Regional Catholic School in Buzzards Bay, while students from Wareham High School threw a fundraiser for Haiti relief efforts Sunday, Feb. 28. This Sunday, an event will benefit the Wareham Land Trust.

Cosi in Wareham Crossing has become Wareham's hottest fundraising venue, holding a Cosi Benefit Night once a week on average and raising money for everything from academic scholarships to funds for land conservation.

"It gets us involved in the community, it gets guests through the door, and it shows that we act with integrity and doing the right thing," said general manager Adam Burnett.

Cosi began in 1996 as a single Parisian-style cafe, but has since expanded to over 100 restaurants in 16 states and the District of Columbia. The Wareham location is owned by the Hearthstone Associates franchise group, which runs 10 stores in Massachusetts, mostly in or very close to Boston. But the two suburban locations, Wareham, which opened in October 2008, and Mansfield, have made a concerted effort to become involved in their communities.

"It benefits us as a new face in the community," said assistant manager Sonjon Devine. Plus, "most of our hourly partners (employees) live in Wareham and, especially the high-school staff, they get a kick out of seeing their friends come in to the restaurant."

One of these student employees, Wareham High School senior Kaleigh Kelleher, organized the Help for Haiti Benefit Night on Sunday, Feb. 28, that raised around $150 in donations, sales, and special T-shirt sales and coordinated the efforts of five student groups.

"We've done benefits for a couple of things here," said Kelleher, whose leadership roles as president of the Student Council, member of the High School Band and vice president of the Garden Club, helped her coordinate those clubs' efforts -- along with the efforts of the Faith Club and the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps -- into a joint benefit. "So it was easy."

Cosi makes it easy. All a nonprofit or charitable organization has to do is specify one of four evenings -- Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, or Thursday -- when they would like to sign up, provide Cosi with their tax identification number, and the restaurant will write them a check for 10 percent of the evening's sales. There is no cost to use the store, and groups are welcome to bring in entertainment, to advertise for the event, offer raffles and bring in as many people as possible.

Burnett said that past groups have brought in clowns and offered face-painting for children. The restaurant has hosted many raffles, and its fundraiser with the Falmouth Artists Guild will coincide with an Art Show opening. The Wareham Land Trust plans to have board members act as waiters and deliver information on the group's activities along with dinner.

The store provides recommendations for spreading the word -- e-mail blasts to organizations' membership lists have proven to be most effective -- but said that the best predictor of success is the extent of the organization's involvement.

"The organizations make or break it," said Burnett. "A lot of people haven't taken us up on the fact that we encourage participation, but it makes the event more successful . . . plus the staff has more fun."