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Dec 13, 2009 10:51 pm US/Central
Finding Minnesota: Drinking Beer For Charity
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―
In this season of giving, you could drop some cash in a red kettle or put some toys in a collection bin. Or you could just drink some beer.
Finnegans Irish Amber beer asks you to "drink like you care." And they may be the only beer maker in the world that donates every penny of its profits to charity.
"And (it's a) good beer", said Finnegans founder and president Jacquie Berglund. "You know, if it was a crappy beer and you're trying to save the world, I don't think it would work."
Berglund is the only full-time employee of Finnegans, an organization that makes money to give away money.
"And that just stems from, I guess, a philosophical belief that we live in the wealthiest country in the world," said Berglund. "And we have so many people that can't meet their basic needs. It bugs me. And that's how that all kind of started."
It's a brilliant model for a non-profit, having a self-sustaining product that brings in money even from those who might not otherwise donate.
"(There are) two types of guilt," said Finnegans intern Kristen Lynn. "People are guilty about spending too much money on going out drinking beer and they feel guilty for not giving enough money to charity. And you know, with Finnegans, you can do both."
It's a concept that's attracted creative young volunteers like Lynn and Erin Kratochvil.
"I get paid in beer and great experience," said Kratochvil.
And they help give Finnegans a bit of attitude, in its promotions, events and advertising. Pro bono partners have come up with slogans such as "Practice Random Pints of Kindness" and "Good to the Last Deed."
"We've donated now over $158,000 to fight poverty," said Berglund. "And it's basically a group of committed citizens that want to make a difference."
The Finnegans Community Fund provides $2,000 grants to organizations working to alleviate poverty.
Finnegans Beer is now sold in 600 bars and restaurants in three different states -- Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota. And Berglund is now thinking about expanding the brand beyond beer, following the Paul Newman model.
"And we want to be bigger than a beer company," she said. "We want to be a leader in the social entrepreneur movement, which is really having a bunch of different products that we take that revenue and we donate it back to the community."
Meanwhile, she's attracting other social entrepreneurs to join her in an old building she's trying to save from foreclosure in Minneapolis. They include the 20-somethings group Students Today, Leaders Forever. They have the lower level of the building and take bus trips to do service projects.
"I guess I want to call it a social entrepreneur hub," said Berglund. "A group of like-minded people doing truly innovative work for the greater good."
Finnegans Beer is made and bottled at the Summit Brewery in St. Paul.
Right now, even more money than usual is going to charity from its sales. That's because beer distributors are matching the contributions from now until the end of this year.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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