FAQs
What is Hotels that Help?
Hotels that Help is a national movement that brings hoteliers, guests, and communities together in partnership to raise money for people in need. Hotels that Help Members invite their guests to contribute a dollar per night through a simple, virtually no-cost, voluntary "opt-out" system. 100% of the money goes directly to a local charity chosen by the hotel staff, and known by the staff for its good work. All of the money raised helps people in the local community-none goes to "overhead" or "expenses."
How does the Hotels that Help program work?
Hotels use our system to generate thousands of dollars in guest contributions for a local cause. Hotels add a $1 per night donation to each guest's bill, and invite guests to contribute. Guests can "opt-out" at any time-no questions asked-although the overwhelming majority choose to participate. At checkout, this donation appears as a separate line item on the folio, and the guest can always opt-out of this charge. 100% of the money raised goes directly from the hotel the local charity.
How much of the money actually goes to the charity?
100%! Hotels that Help never touches the money; hotels collect and distribute 100% of donations directly to charities.
So who pays of the costs of the program?
Each Member hotel generously pays for the relatively small costs of printing the materials, tracking donations, etc. and contributes staff and management time to make the program work. The Hotels that Help program itself is funded by generous donors like you (please visit our "Give" page to make a contribution), and membership fees from participating hotels and charities.
What kind of charities does Hotels that Help support?
Hotels that Help strongly believes in supporting local "safety net" charities that help the homeless, kids, families, in need, etc. Especially in today's economy, these folks can use our help, and the charities who serve them are stretched to the limits. Plus, when a community's most vulnerable are well-taken-care-of, neighborhoods are more inviting and visitor-friendly. Also, an industry that provides shelter and hospitality is a natural partner for groups that shelter and serve those in need.
However, each hotel's staff chooses which charity to support. The list of charities supported by hotels around the country runs from homeless shelters, to arts, to environment, to technology museums. They have in common three things:
Each hotel's staff selects a local neighborhood-based charity whose mission they support and whose effectiveness they trust. When staff members tell guests about a program that they selected and they believe in passionately, it creates emotional resonance, leading to greater guest satisfaction and employee loyalty-and a sustainable source of support for the charity.
How do charities join Hotels that Help?
Charities can participate only when they have a relationship with a Hotels that Help Member hotel or hotels. Hotels that Help Member charities, of course, must be IRS-registered publicly supported nonprofits or otherwise eligible to receive tax-exempt charitable contributions. Once you have a partner hotel, becoming a Hotels that Help Member is simple, easy, and virtually no-cost.
Can charities approach hotels for support?
The Hotels that Help program prefers that its staff and representative make contact with hotels. We want to create mutually beneficial and sustainable partnerships, not short-term programs that generate funds, but not enduring value for both the charity and the hotel. Therefore, Hotels that Help makes the business case for having this program at Member hotels, not simply the humanitarian case (although a paramount goal of this program is to raise money for local charities). Our representatives "speak the language" of the hospitality business, and are more likely to present the program in a way that resonates with the long-term "doing well" profit motive of the hotel and its management, as well as the "doing good" motive.
Can Hotels that Help find a hotel to support my charity?
Unfortunately, Hotels that Help does not have the resources to act as a "matchmaker" between charities and hotels. There are so many great charities across the country, yet we can only know and interact directly with the small number selected by Member hotels. We cannot act as an agent or advocate for your nonprofit, nor can we broker a relationship with a hotel or hotels. We focus on getting a hotel to raise money for a charity selected by the hotel staff, rather than on suggesting that a hotel raise money for a pre-determined charity.
Is the contribution truly "optional" for the guest?
Yes, the program is "opt-out," so the donation is automatically added, but easy to remove at any time, upon request.
Are there any tax benefits for guests?
No, guests receive no tax benefits for their gift.
Isn't this government's job?
That depends on how much you want to pay in taxes. In some countries, this is the government's job. In countries such as the US, where tax rates are relatively low, philanthropically minded individuals relieve much of the tax burden by funding charities that help underserved people. Because their programs are not ensnared in the bureaucratic entanglements of the government, these nonprofits often can provide services more efficiently and at a lower cost than government.
Does Hotels that Help work for corporate business travelers?
The amount of the donation is quite small relative to the total bill, so most corporate travelers have no concerns. Those who do, can have it removed, and most hotels can delete the charge from all future visits as well. Many corporate "road warriors" see this program as an opportunity to turn their grueling travel schedule into an opportunity to "do good while sleeping well" at their favorite hotel.
Who's behind Hotels that Help?
Hotels that Help was developed by the Kohala Foundation, an IRS-recognized private operating foundation. The Hotels that Help program is lead by Jim Abrams, recently retired CEO of the California Hotel & Lodging Association. For more information go to about us.
Hotels that Help is a national movement that brings hoteliers, guests, and communities together in partnership to raise money for people in need. Hotels that Help Members invite their guests to contribute a dollar per night through a simple, virtually no-cost, voluntary "opt-out" system. 100% of the money goes directly to a local charity chosen by the hotel staff, and known by the staff for its good work. All of the money raised helps people in the local community-none goes to "overhead" or "expenses."
How does the Hotels that Help program work?
Hotels use our system to generate thousands of dollars in guest contributions for a local cause. Hotels add a $1 per night donation to each guest's bill, and invite guests to contribute. Guests can "opt-out" at any time-no questions asked-although the overwhelming majority choose to participate. At checkout, this donation appears as a separate line item on the folio, and the guest can always opt-out of this charge. 100% of the money raised goes directly from the hotel the local charity.
How much of the money actually goes to the charity?
100%! Hotels that Help never touches the money; hotels collect and distribute 100% of donations directly to charities.
So who pays of the costs of the program?
Each Member hotel generously pays for the relatively small costs of printing the materials, tracking donations, etc. and contributes staff and management time to make the program work. The Hotels that Help program itself is funded by generous donors like you (please visit our "Give" page to make a contribution), and membership fees from participating hotels and charities.
What kind of charities does Hotels that Help support?
Hotels that Help strongly believes in supporting local "safety net" charities that help the homeless, kids, families, in need, etc. Especially in today's economy, these folks can use our help, and the charities who serve them are stretched to the limits. Plus, when a community's most vulnerable are well-taken-care-of, neighborhoods are more inviting and visitor-friendly. Also, an industry that provides shelter and hospitality is a natural partner for groups that shelter and serve those in need.
However, each hotel's staff chooses which charity to support. The list of charities supported by hotels around the country runs from homeless shelters, to arts, to environment, to technology museums. They have in common three things:
- small and local
- serve the community well
- the hotel believes in their good work
Each hotel's staff selects a local neighborhood-based charity whose mission they support and whose effectiveness they trust. When staff members tell guests about a program that they selected and they believe in passionately, it creates emotional resonance, leading to greater guest satisfaction and employee loyalty-and a sustainable source of support for the charity.
How do charities join Hotels that Help?
Charities can participate only when they have a relationship with a Hotels that Help Member hotel or hotels. Hotels that Help Member charities, of course, must be IRS-registered publicly supported nonprofits or otherwise eligible to receive tax-exempt charitable contributions. Once you have a partner hotel, becoming a Hotels that Help Member is simple, easy, and virtually no-cost.
Can charities approach hotels for support?
The Hotels that Help program prefers that its staff and representative make contact with hotels. We want to create mutually beneficial and sustainable partnerships, not short-term programs that generate funds, but not enduring value for both the charity and the hotel. Therefore, Hotels that Help makes the business case for having this program at Member hotels, not simply the humanitarian case (although a paramount goal of this program is to raise money for local charities). Our representatives "speak the language" of the hospitality business, and are more likely to present the program in a way that resonates with the long-term "doing well" profit motive of the hotel and its management, as well as the "doing good" motive.
Can Hotels that Help find a hotel to support my charity?
Unfortunately, Hotels that Help does not have the resources to act as a "matchmaker" between charities and hotels. There are so many great charities across the country, yet we can only know and interact directly with the small number selected by Member hotels. We cannot act as an agent or advocate for your nonprofit, nor can we broker a relationship with a hotel or hotels. We focus on getting a hotel to raise money for a charity selected by the hotel staff, rather than on suggesting that a hotel raise money for a pre-determined charity.
Is the contribution truly "optional" for the guest?
Yes, the program is "opt-out," so the donation is automatically added, but easy to remove at any time, upon request.
Are there any tax benefits for guests?
No, guests receive no tax benefits for their gift.
Isn't this government's job?
That depends on how much you want to pay in taxes. In some countries, this is the government's job. In countries such as the US, where tax rates are relatively low, philanthropically minded individuals relieve much of the tax burden by funding charities that help underserved people. Because their programs are not ensnared in the bureaucratic entanglements of the government, these nonprofits often can provide services more efficiently and at a lower cost than government.
Does Hotels that Help work for corporate business travelers?
The amount of the donation is quite small relative to the total bill, so most corporate travelers have no concerns. Those who do, can have it removed, and most hotels can delete the charge from all future visits as well. Many corporate "road warriors" see this program as an opportunity to turn their grueling travel schedule into an opportunity to "do good while sleeping well" at their favorite hotel.
Who's behind Hotels that Help?
Hotels that Help was developed by the Kohala Foundation, an IRS-recognized private operating foundation. The Hotels that Help program is lead by Jim Abrams, recently retired CEO of the California Hotel & Lodging Association. For more information go to about us.
