Giving Back and Getting Dates At Charity Events

Dating and volunteering: two things that make you feel good (well, given you actually like the person you’re dating). So, putting the two together can only provide for an exceptionally feel-good situation. But, let’s back up a step to find those charitable members of the opposite sex that you can volunteer and give back with. Charity events and fundraisers are a prime place for meeting people, whether you’re looking for someone to date or just a new friend. Since you’re both at an event or party with a mission, you automatically have something to discuss and can (hopefully) feel confident that he or she enjoys giving to worthy causes.

“For 20- and 30-somethings, giving back is more about an experience [like attending an event] than just writing a check,” says Kate Atwood, founder of Kate’s Club and Living by Giving, a nonprofit platform that encourages people to incorporate giving into their lives. “Attending a charity event or fundraiser is a great way to meet or get to know someone. You’re both already aligned with an interest in doing good.”

Take it from Atwood. The Kate’s Club Cabaret, which takes place in August, is notorious for being one of the most fun and uplifting fundraising events of the year and there is no shortage of young, good-looking, charitable professionals in attendance.

In the past, charity events were considered stuffy, hoity-toity soirees for the “older set.” These days, younger people are starting nonprofits and throwing some of the best parties in town, all for amazing causes. One Love Generation (pairing artistic teens with professional mentors so they can use their talents to do good in the community) is a prime example. The organization is holding its second annual One Love Date Auction on April 7. The charity tie-in means there will be philanthropic individuals in the room (a few hundred to be exact), and the date auction component guarantees most of them will be single.

Love matches can be made between those up for bid and their highest bidders (who they will go on a date with), but the sparks will fly around the rest of the venue as well, which just so happens to take place at Buckhead matchmaking heaven: Johnny’s Hideaway. You put a few hundred hot people in a room and connections are guaranteed. Plus, the date auction and a general feel-good vibe about One Love will keep everyone in high spirits and ready to mingle.

“The event is pretty wild,” says Jennifer Lester, founder of One Love. “Even if you don’t come to buy a date, it’s a perfect place to meet people. No one in the room takes themselves too seriously and if they do, that’s grounds for getting roasted by our hosts Trey [Humphreys of the Fur Bus] and Ace [Amerson, former Real Worlder]. Plus, after the auction is over, it turns into a full-on dance party. And, you know everyone in the room has donated to the cause so they’ve got good hearts (well, for the most part).”

You could end up buying a date or meeting someone in the crowd. Either way, you’ll know he or she doesn’t shy away from generosity (the event has a $10 cover that goes to One Love). Consider it your screening process. And, most importantly, if you end up together, you can always say you met at Johnny’s Hideaway.

Date Night will be keeping tabs on the Date Auction and letting you know who’s up for bid in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.

One Love Date Auction: Thurs., April 7; 7 p.m.; $10 donation at the door. Visit the Facebook page for more information and to RSVP.

Photo: 2010 date auction participant Sarah Blackman with this year's co-host Trey Humphreys. Photo credit: Leah Roth