It's Not Always About Money

Traditional balls and dinners are pricey for this age group - and perceived as stuffy, too.

Drinking for Charity, based in New York City, found a way to mix (just another in a long line of puns today) their drinking and desire to support nonprofit causes. Drinking for Charity promotes the culture of charitable giving among young urban professionals by hosting social events.

Yes, many private clubs allow members to host "bartender nights," where the member invites friends to come to the club. The member acts as bartender, and proceeds go to the member's designated charity.

But that's a bit different from this group, which moves from venue to venue.

The events are organized by volunteers. Generally, the format of the events are all-you-can-drink for a set fee, for a two-hour period. The proceeds are split between the bar (to cover their costs) and charity.

According to a recent party-goer, "People are going to go out and drink anyway (and) you probably are going to end up spending $20,” she said. “You might as well put it towards a good cause.”

My guess is that the bars are probably losing money on the event, but attracting new patrons. With the keen interest of this age group in seeing strong affiliations between their employers and community, I'm guessing that same instinct carries over to the choice of drinking establishment ... so that the bar's involvement creates a sense of goodwill and support of the community.

Some marketing experts might caution that this organization could be raising the hackles of some. If the event is perceived to encourage excessive consumption, it could offend those who do not drink.

MADD - Mothers Against Drunk Driving - says that Drinking for Charity follows the precepts of responsible drinking - trained servers, strict enforcement of legal drinking age, and designated drivers.

If only this had been around when I was in my 20's!