Travelers’ Philanthropy to be Highlighted At Twin Events in New York City Tuesday, June 16

The Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) is pleased to announce that it is holding two events in New York City on January 16 to highlight its Travelers’ Philanthropy Program. At these events, CREST co-founders and co-directors, William H. Durham and Martha Honey, will detail how travelers’ philanthropy is generating resources – “time, talent, and treasure” – from travel companies and travelers to assist local community and conservation projects in tourism destinations.

At one event, CREST will host “An Evening of Cocktails & Conversation” at the Upper East Side home of Lisa Applebaum and George Haddad. At this gathering, popular WNYC radio host Brian Lehrer will lead an interactive discussion with the CREST co-directors about their work in the field of responsible travel and travelers’ philanthropy. This fundraising event is open to all those interested in socially and environmentally responsible travel. Attendees will also have a chance to win a fabulous door prize: a five day vacation for two at Si Como No Hotel & Spa and Villablanca Could Forest Hotel, two luxury ‘green’ hotels in Costa Rica. To register to attend, please see the invitation and response card on the CREST website www.responsibletravel.org.

At a second event, on the morning of June 16, Durham and Honey will discuss “Travelers’ Philanthropy: A Growing Trend in Development Assistance” at a Philanthropy New York Members’ Briefing, taking place from 8:30 – 11:00 a.m. The breakfast meeting, sponsored by Rockefeller Brothers Fund, The Nathan Cummings Foundation, EMPower, and Environmental Grantmakers Association, is open to funders and media interested in community development through tourism. Also presenting will be Sven Lindblad, president of Lindblad Expeditions; Kevin Doyle, senior editor of CondeNast Traveler; and Nik Charov from New York Restoration Project. Lindblad and Charov will outline their travelers’ philanthropy programs, while Doyle will discuss consumer and industry trends for responsible travel. The event will be moderated by Michael Seltzer, a New York-based philanthropic advisor and early promoter of travelers’ philanthropy. For details and to register to attend click:www.philanthropynewyork.org

“We welcome this opportunity to hold these twin events in New York City because it is such an important center for both foundation and individual philanthropy,” explains Martha Honey. “We look forward to sharing with funders, the media, and fellow travelers CREST’s model of partnering with tourism companies and our multi-dimensional work in the field of travelers’ philanthropy.”

CREST, a policy oriented research institute with offices at Stanford University and in Washington, D.C., is committed to using tourism as a tool for poverty reduction and biodiversity conservation.

May 29, 2009   Posted in: United States East