Since April 2011, a small group of individuals who work as bartenders in New York City, have been participating in the charitable initiative known as the “The Barman’s Fund,” in which local bartenders donate their tips from one of their shifts each month to charity. This small organization of local barmen was founded by Brian Floyd, a bartender for the Vanderbilt, in response to the earthquake in Haiti. Since then, the phenomenon has spread across New York City, and has raised close to $40,000 dollars, donating to causes such as a Park Slope shelter, the Brooklyn Free Clinic, the Greenpoint Soup Kitchen, the Red Cross Disaster Relief, and many more.  Many of the causes that catch the attention of the participating bartenders can be found on the website donorschoose.org, which connects people to classrooms needing assistance across the nation. 

The Barman’s Fund website features a monthly calendar that lists participating bartenders, so those looking to have a fun night out on the town can find themselves contributing to charity at the same time. What’s more, The Barman’s Fund often has themed events on the night from which the tips will be donated.

For those looking to support this wonderful initiative, the website lists the dates each month for which there are participating barmen and the shifts they’ll be working.