Cocktails & Dreams: We're having a damn party, y'all.

August 23, 2017 by Sarah K. Wolf

Good Party ATX has been online for a while now, but the time has come for us to meet IRL. We want to dance, drink fancy cocktails, put our feet in the pool, and raise some money to help others.

Come celebrate the official kickoff of Good Party ATX on September 7 at one of our favorite bars in town, Kitty Cohen's. We'll have swanky drinks from Tequila 512 & SWAY Water, bites from Austin Daily Press sponsored by Small Coffee PR, tunes by the badass GirlFriend ATX, drink specials, and those mini pool floats you can set a beer in. The talented Kellie Sorrows will be onsite selling custom patches perfect for summer, donating a portion of proceeds to our party beneficiary, SAFE. Free to attend, RSVP here.

The SAFE Alliance is a merger of Austin Children’s Shelter and SafePlace, working to end sexual assault and exploitation, child abuse, and domestic violence through prevention, intervention, and advocacy for change. Bring cash or items to donate to SAFE and get a party perk, like free scoops from Lick Honest Ice Creams. Need donation ideas? Check out their wishlist here.

And don't forget to take a selfie in the Kitty Cohen's bathroom with flamingo wallpaper and tag #ultimatekitty and the bar will donate $1 to SAFE! See you Sept. 7th!

Poster design by the fabulous Monica Tan. We hope you got the throwback reference.

The Good Guide: Tammy Lynn Gilmore

August 02, 2017 by Sarah K. Wolf

We recently caught up with Tammy Lynn Gilmore, Senior Conference Programmer & Nonprofit Grant Specialist at SXSW, to learn more about her badass job, the incredible people she gets to meet through her role, and the SXSW Community Service Awards. Here's the scoop.

Gilmore works as a programmer for the social impact tract of SXSW, which includes administering the Community Service Awards during the fest (aka telling people they've won an awesome grant and cash money). These awards celebrate innovative, forward-thinking individuals and organizations that are creating new ways to improve their communities. During the fest, she gets to meet these grant honorees that are doing incredible, selfless work, and those that are affected by these groups giving back. (Oh and by the way, the deadline to apply to win a $5,000 grant this Friday, August 4 - so get on it!)

Tammy Lynn Gilmore: Do Gooder & Prince super fan — Tammy Lynn Gilmore: Do Gooder & Prince super fan

WHY IS YOUR JOB AWESOME?

I get to work with some of the most giving, philanthropic people that come to Austin in March. That's very fulfilling.

BEING MARRIED TO A MUSICIAN (COLIN GILMORE), YOU'RE NO STRANGER TO HOW MUSIC AND OTHER ART STYLES CAN CHANGE LIVES. ARE THEIR ANY PARTICULAR AWARD WINNERS THAT HAVE SURPRISED YOU OR LEFT A STRONG IMPRESSION?

Our first year's winners really blew me away. I knew there was a need for this grant program, but it was amazing to see the different nonprofits talk about their work. Swan Songs fulfills musical wishes at the end of life by organizing private concerts for individuals with a terminal illness – that application made everyone cry.

HAS WORKING IN THE SOCIAL IMPACT FIELD CHANGED HOW YOU SEE THINGS?

Definitely, I have a lot more knowledge about how to vote with my wallet, how to talk about certain issues, and MUCH more knowledge of what's going on in countries all over the world.

WHO SHOULD APPLY FOR THE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDS?

For the individual award – anyone doing work to improve their community, especially those with a body of work that isn't necessarily related to their job (and community can be geographic or virtual). For the organizations, we are really looking for orgs specializing in helping the following communities: Music, Film, Interactive, Edu and Gaming. We're trying to give back to the communities we serve with our festivals.

ANY ADVICE FOR FIRST-TIMERS?

Touch people's hearts with your story, and then back it up with data. Show us how the $5,000 can do the most good for you. It's not a huge amount of money, so we want to be sure we're granting it to an organization where it will really make a difference.

There you have it, y'all. You have a few days left to apply for the Awards, and you can do so here. Winners will be notified in the fall, and invited to attend the awards ceremony in March during SXSW. The SXSW Community Service Awards are free and open to the public, so you can come too!

Want to bump in to Tammy Lynn Gilmore? She'll be attending the Cherrywood Art Fair this December (we will too!), a good party that raises money for the Chula League and their art programs. See you there.

July 06, 2017 by Sarah K. Wolf

From free concerts and selfie happy hour to hanging with Tito the Tortoise, this weekend is packed with good parties. See our weekend roundup below.

Friday, July 7

First Friday at Whole Foods Market, Domain: Spend happy hour at Whole Foods with live music, food, beer, and wine tastings, all to benefit The Nature Conservancy. $10 advance, $15 at the door. 5:30-8pm. Yoga pants friendly.

Music Under the Star at Bullock Texas State History Museum: One of our favorite free summer music series, this week's show features music by James McMurtry with Akina Adderley. Family friendly, and don't forget your lawn chairs and blankets, plus a non-perishable food item for Central Texas Food Bank. 6-9pm.

Eastside Pop Up at Cheer Up Charlies: They say you should always drink while you shop (right?). Check out the handcrafted, vintage market curated by Eastside Pop Up with vendors like Alter Ego Vintage, Austin Facial Hair Club, Lily Weaves, and Bohemian Jewel. 10% of all vendor sales go to Society for Animal Rescue and Adoption. 8pm-1am.

UltimateKitty Happy Hour at Kitty Cohen's: For every selfie you take in Kitty Cohen's powder room (and tag with #UltimateKitty & @KittyCohens), they'll donate $1 to SAFE. Tito's Handmade Vodka will also donate $1 from every Tito's cocktail sold on Friday. Like we needed more reasons to pose in front of their flamingo wall. 5pm-8pm.

Saturday, July 8

Wildlife Rescue's 40for40 Fundraiser at The ABGB: Celebrate Wildlife Rescue's 40th anniversary with pizza, beer, and a helluva raffle. Donations matched by a generous donor, plus Tito the Tortoise will be making an appearance. 4pm-7pm.

Trivia Night Fundraiser at 4th Tap Brewing Co-op: $1 from every beer sold and $20 trivia team registration goes to help Texas Rollergirls fund their league. 3pm-midnight

Sunday, July 9

Sunday Funday + Backpacks for Hope at Icenhauer's: Bring a new backpack and/or school supplies for the Texas Advocacy Project to distribute to children at domestic violence shelters across Texas. Your donation also scores you a drink ticket, heyo! 2pm-7pm.

...and we're live!

July 06, 2017 by Sarah K. Wolf

Hey y'all, welcome to Good Party™! I'm excited to launch our new website and introduce Good Party ATX to the Austin community. I wanted to write a short note to let you know why I started Good Party, and what I hope it will become.

I’ve lived and worked in Austin for more than 10 years-- most recently in marketing and events at a local media company. I also volunteer at a few local nonprofits-- I am currently a foster for Austin Pets Alive! and on their marketing committee, a member of the Chula League advisory board, and a mentor through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas. The Austin community and nonprofit landscape is something I’m vocal and actively passionate about.

What I love most about Austin is that this city gives a damn. Friends and strangers are always asking me how to get involved in Austin and the best ways to give back. They're often limited on time and money, so they think they can't contribute and make a difference in the community. That’s where Good Party comes in!

On any day of the week in Austin, you can attend an event, concert, happy hour (even a YAPPY hour) that gives back to local nonprofits. You could eat out almost every meal of the week and have a portion of that meal donated to help others. That many businesses give back in this town. You don't have to make a dramatic change to your schedule or budget to give; you just have to choose the right parties.

With the help of my badass friend and partner Kim Baze, we developed Good Party to curate Austin's events and experiences with a philanthropic twist for you. We’ll highlight the fun parties that benefit nonprofits each week and make it easy to spend your dollars at businesses that give back. We'll also host a few of our own parties too, profile Austin do-gooders, and share easy ways to get involved with community organizations. We hope you'll stick around and enjoy giving back!

Sarah