Travelers' Philanthropy Handbook - Center for Responsible Travel

Possibly your project(s) will cover several of the aboveissues. Few of them exist in isolation and a communitythat is impoverished will have multiple issues. Yourchallenge may be identifying how a community’s needsand your strengths overlap in a way that addresses thoseneeds. Sometimes a community’s most visible prioritiesmay obscure other needs that you are in a better positionto help support.Your travel business is not a charity; however, it can makea difference to the poorest in society. If you want to benefita specific community could your business offer residentsemployment, training, or income-earning opportunities thatwill help address their needs? This is an importantquestion for you to consider. In most circumstancesproviding business opportunities is a more empoweringmeans of support than charitable handouts to individualsand their families.Your company can also make a difference throughtravelers’ philanthropy by providing contributions from yourcompany and your guests to communities in tourismdestinations. These contributions are over and above theremittances you make for tourism business activities. Butthe axiom of ‘trade is better than aid’ still holds true. It isbest if travelers’ philanthropy contributes to buildingeconomic empowerment and self sufficiency – througheducation, micro-enterprises, skills training and improvedhealth. You don’t want your generosity, and that of yourclients, to lead to dependence on outside support.• Step 3: Weigh the Pros and Cons of Supportingan Existing Non-Government Organization(NGO) or Developing Your Own ProjectYou may choose to support the MillenniumDevelopment Goals.Credit: United NationsWhat existing organizations are working in the geographic area you want to target and in theissues you have identified as your priorities? If not in the targeted community, are thererelevant organizations working in other areas of the country that have the appropriateexperience and specialize in addressing this need? For example, if there is a high level ofmalnutrition among local children, could you identify and support an NGO already working onhunger alleviation in the region that has expertise but currently has inadequate financialresources to expand its services? Working with an existing NGO keeps you from reinventingthe wheel or duplicating established programs or processes. Is the government working on theproblems you want to solve? Perhaps your efforts would be most effective if you help thecommunity write grant proposals or assist leaders in finding ways to lobby for support?Other important considerations and questions to answer before starting a new project:• What do you wish to achieve and what is realistic?• What are your available staffing resources and their expertise?117