A dinner, hosted by a founder.

One night a month. One founder cooks, pays for the meal, and gets the room. Everyone else pays a minimum donation, every cent goes to a cause the host picked. No structure beyond that.

Cadence

One event per chapter per month. Default to the first Saturday of the month, worldwide. Chapters may shift by up to 7 days for local holidays.

Size

15–30 attendees, members and guests combined. Hard cap at 30. Waitlist beyond that.

Format

• Arrival window of 30–45 minutes
• Chapter lead briefly states the three rules (no pitching, no recruiting, no media)
• Host welcomes the room in a sentence or two — what's on the grill, the cause
• Eat, drink, talk
• Optional auction (when a founder spontaneously offers something)
• Toast at a fixed point, captured as a short clip for the global feed
• Continued conversation, soft close

Food

The host runs the grill, or designates a co-host to run it. Vegetarian option always available. Halal, kosher, and other dietary needs handled on request at signup. Headcount confirmed 72 hours before to size the food order.

RSVP and cancellation

RSVP closes 72 hours before the event. Cancellations inside 24 hours forfeit the donation. No-shows count toward removal.

The host

The host is the headliner of the night, not just the organizer. The event is framed around them. In return, they get the room.

What the host does

• Pays for and cooks the meal (or designates a co-host pitmaster)
• Picks the venue (with chapter lead support)
• Picks the cause from the curated list
• Writes a short bio (150–200 words) for the invite, edited by the chapter lead
• Names what's on the grill, in their own words
• Welcomes the room on the night

What the host gets

• The night is framed around them. The invite features their bio, their menu, and the cause they chose.
• A platform: 200 words in front of 25–30 vetted peers, distributed to the chapter's membership
• Curation power: venue, cause, menu, and (within rules) shape of the guest list
• Up to 3 discretionary invites beyond the standard guest rule, with chapter lead approval, for people the host wants in the room (investors, candidates, journalists they trust)
• No donation that night. The meal is the gift.
• The right to additionally donate cash, privately, if they choose. Not expected, not announced.
• Cooking credit in the recap. The recap names who hosted and what was on the grill.
• Reputation. Hosting Founders BBQ Club signals "I'm the kind of person other founders show up for."

Help the host gets

• Equipment from the chapter kit or the venue (grill, charcoal, serving gear)
• An assist team of one or two volunteer members for prep and serving, so the host isn't trapped at the grill
• Chapter lead handles RSVPs, payment, communication, and venue logistics

Auctions

Auctions are optional, organic, and host-discretion. They happen only when an attending founder spontaneously offers an item or experience to auction. Approximately one event in three.

What gets auctioned

Intangible and founder-specific.

• An hour of advice from a founder with specific experience
• A warm intro to someone the room can't easily reach
• A bottle of something good
• A weekend in a summer place
• A piece of art, a signed book, a coding session
• A tour of a brewery, factory, or lab

Excluded

Products or services the founder sells. That tips into pitching.

When

After the meal, before the toast. One or two items maximum.

How

An attendee serves as auctioneer. Soft floor of €100. Winner pays through the same chapter Stripe link, with a dedicated "auction contribution" item for that event.

Reporting

The transparency report names the donor of the item, the winner, and the amount. Auction proceeds flow through the same donation pot as the per-seat donations, with the same breakdown (cause / operations / processing).