A friend and I are trying to organize a fundraiser for the D.C. children’s non-profit that we volunteer with. We bandied about the idea of a house-party, but figured we couldn’t accommodate the 50-100 people we’d like to expect in any of our houses. So we’re looking at doing a happy hour instead. Do you know of any bars in the area that we could hook up with, maybe that do this kind of thing often?

With many unique Katrina-relief events in D.C. right now, this is a good time to scout around for fundraising ideas and locations. Also, Ask DCist has been to a fundraiser or two in our day and even planned a few events in the city, so we can offer a few tips and personal recommendations for your idea file.

We’ve found most establishments are more than willing to accommodate fundraising and charity events. The most successful route we’ve seen for the small, independent fundraiser with a limited or no budget is negotiated drink specials beyond the bar’s standard happy hour specials, either in times or selection offered.