Travelers' Philanthropy Handbook - Center for Responsible Travel

GoPhilanthropic was founded in response to the need for a company designed to offer in-depthengagement or experiential component to philanthropy. We handle purely Travel +Philanthropy. We did our research and discovered no one was doing this. We found a lot ofgreat CSR (corporate social responsibility) and we found several travel companies makingdonations to good causes or offering travelers tours that incorporate meaningful elements. Wedid not find another travel companywith philanthropy at its core and mainmission.Our strategy in startingGoPhilanthropic was to build acompany where philanthropy received100% of the attention instead of beingan arm or a separate product or CSR(which we have also incorporated). Wefocus on connecting clients toorganizations – so they can see forthemselves the value and impact of thework in context. The travelers’philanthropy is based on informedStudents looking at new books, Hoi An,Vietnam.Credit: GoPhilanthropicdecisions and the education received during the trip. We see ourselves as “door openers” forboth a traveler and a non-profit, facilitating a direct connection between the two.We are a small yet dedicated team of individuals who are more passionate than ever aboutwhat the future can bring if we collectively take steps, small and large, to help our globalneighbors reach their potential. Initial years were spent researching and meeting withinspirational humanitarian and grassroots organizations. We now link people with these smallergrassroots, community-based projects through travel--a vehicle that connects people on a trulyhuman level and eliminates the barriers that can often superficially separate us. The resultoffers travelers meaningful and authentic exchanges with local communities, while providing avaluable source of support for projects worldwide.• How Do You Select Projects?We conduct extensive research in each geographic area in which we work, personallyconnecting and meeting with many grassroots organizations and humanitarians.GoPhilanthropic has developed an internal vetting process to identify community-based projects– often times grassroots yet with strong sustainability components. Our goal is to support anNGO’s sustainability plan and ensure that the partner does not become dependent on ourfunding. If an organization does not have a well-rounded plan, we do not pursue a partnership.A list of the organizations we support can be found at:http://www.gophilanthropic.com/philanthropictravel/projects.phpOur services have expanded from creating trips for individuals and small groups to include“donor travel” for small to large non-profit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity. Theseorganizations have deep reach within communities and connections to small non-profits workingunder their umbrellas. When we facilitate travel for existing donors, GoPhilanthropic does notselect projects. Rather we are linking donors to the projects they already support to helpincrease their engagement in philanthropy.83