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PARTYING FOR CHARITY

In my pursuit of community through philanthropy I learned there is another way to spend your time and money: going to parties. I don't mean fancy benefits and galas; those are not the domain of microphilanthropists, who can't spend thousands of dollars on an evening of charitable giving. But I discovered that it could be fun to become a member of a non-profit group and regularly attend its modest events.

On the surface, it seems to be an ineffective way to give to charity. How can attending parties possibly make the world a better place? In the current economic climate, it seems frivolous, even dated, a relic of a gilded age that ended only a few short months ago. In these spare times, giving money directly to the charities you believe in, instead of forcing them to throw costly social events, feels more appropriate.

Nonetheless, a few months ago I became a "Young Fellow" at the Frick museum ($500 per year; "all but $340 is tax deductible"). I'll admit I felt slightly ambivalent about it. As much as I enjoy going to museums and sincerely believe they help to make the world a better place, giving to them is not quite on a par with giving to a cancer hospital. Cultural institutions are a luxury in our society. Surely there are more pressing concerns.

My agenda was to join an organisation that promotes community. In my research, I found that cultural institutions have a monopoly on providing frequent, affordable events that also, frankly, seem fun. My hard-earned, limited income could instead go toward feeding starving children in Africa, which is surely a worthier cause than maintaining the art collection of an old mansion on Fifth Avenue. But starving children do not provide fun parties. Point: museum.

Another concern I had was that the Frick has a reputation for catering to socialites. It has become known as a place to find your future rich ex-husband. Did joining such an organisation make me a social climber? A gold digger? Did its popularity among the posh set undermine my purpose for joining?

The truth is, the Frick is my favourite museum in New York, and meeting others who share my enthusiasm for it appealed to me. Sure, I worried that being in a room of angular socialites angling for a well-connected spouse would make me feel uncomfortable, even repulsed by the very community I was hoping to pursue. Still, I love the Frick collection. If their events left me wanting, at least I could spend the next year regularly admiring its Vermeers.

My first event was a summertime garden reception. Feeling a little nervous, I gulped down a mint julep and introduced myself to some of the other young fellows. Some explained that they had joined to meet new people and heard about the good parties. Others said they genuinely loved the museum and wanted to meet like-minded people.

One man I spoke with had been a member for more than ten years. "When I first joined," he said, "there were only about 40 young fellows. We all loved the museum, went to all the events and grew quite close. Over the years people moved and it caught on with the social set. Now events fill up quickly and are crowded and photographed by people like that", he said, motioning to a legendary society photographer. We catch his eye and he comes over clutching his camera, looks us up and down, and keeps walking. "The events are still fun, though, and now there are more of them and the museum has much better funding, but sometimes I miss the way it used to be," he said, wistfully.

Later I spoke with Heidi Rosenau, the Frick's communication officer, who has been with the Frick for ten years. She conceded that the Young Fellows Ball--launched in 2000, and now a big social event in New York--has been instrumental in drawing in new members. The Frick recently passed the 4,000-member mark (this includes all types of members, not just Young Fellows), which is impressive for a relatively small museum.

An increase in membership and greater visibility benefit a museum, but at what cost? According the to the Frick's 2007 Annual Report, the Frick took in nearly $1.9m in membership dues (again, this includes all types of members), an increase of nearly 16% from 2006, and nearly double than the amount from 1999. Income from dues increased almost every year since 1998, the exception being 2001, when they fell slightly and then stagnated until 2004. But with the economy going south, most museums expect donations and memberships to dry up.  

Membership dues easily pay for the member events, and seem to help cover expenses that benefit the wider public. In 2007, the museum spent about $1.7m on special exhibits, concerts, lectures and special programmes (including exhibitions and programmes available to regular visitors). "It's not all about cost-benefit", explained Mary Emerson, associate director for development at the Frick. "It's about encouraging deeper relationships that, in turn, encourage philanthropy, and membership is just one of the vehicles we employ towards that positive goal."

I've certainly come to enjoy the lectures and receptions in the last few months, and I have been impressed by the diverse array of the people I've met (albeit few wealthy bachelors, mind you). That the museum offered a full programme of demographic-friendly events made becoming a member seem worthwhile, and encouraged me to donate more than I would ordinarily (in part because the expense is both charitable and social, making it an efficient use of resources). When I am boozing up at the Frick, I can also feel like I am doing some good. Better to support a great museum than my local pub. I think I'll renew my membership next year.

Yes, children are starving and puppies are dying, and you should probably support these causes. But if you are looking to expand your social circle, joining a local museum is a nice way to get out and have fun while supporting a worthy cause. I mean, it's hard to do better than mint juleps and Vermeer.

Picture credit: Young Fellows Ball, Mary Hilliard

(Allison Schrager is an economist based in New York. Her last microphilanthropy column was "Does one Abused Woman = 100 Abused Puppies?"; her last article for More Intelligent Life was "How to Cheat at Everything".)