Travelers today can make a difference in their travels simply by deciding who they want to travel with. You have the option to vote with your dollars to support travel providers for being socially responsible. Some travel companies are doing great things for our world and the goal is for more companies to not only incorporate social responsible principles in their business practices, but to be innovators.

Condé Nast Traveler started The World Savers Awards, now in its third year, to recognize hotels, airlines and travel companies globally for their efforts …

Extreme do-gooders, you’ve heard of them in the news, seen them in movies, and maybe even know one in your social circle. They are the ones that are out there combating poverty and disease, improving children’s education or protecting the environment. They work relentlessly for change that may take generations to see. These extreme do-gooders are rare, “only 1 social entrepreneur for every 10 million of the rest of us, according to calculations of Ashoka, an organization that funds social entrepreneurs around the world.” So what makes these folks tick? …

Eat So They Can, a Global Volunteer Network (GVN) Foundation initiative, is an international fundraiser that invites people around the world to host dinner parties on the weekend of October 17-18 in what is collectively one huge dinner party; where something as simple as sharing a meal with friends can help stop child poverty. The funds raised at the events will go towards supporting orphanages and schools in Africa and South America, providing disadvantaged children with the essentials for survival.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 2009 …

Could you “Imagine This!”?

Volunteer travel may soon have the attention of national television networks. Imagine This! is a new television show that will take their team of volunteers to different parts of the world to complete real sustainability projects to deserving communities. With the help of those who join the website, Imagine This! hopes to gain enough interest for the show to eventually be on major networks. They have already been named to Entertainment Weekly’s “Must List”. The website is a social network engine where members …

Television is a good barometer of society. With a rising social conscience and the call to do good by the likes of President Obama and celebrities like Bono, there inevitably will be a show on this topic. “The Philanthropist” premiered Wednesday night on NBC. It’s not about some rich guy sitting around a conference table listening to different charity requests and doling out checks. It’s 21st century philanthropy — giving by getting involved, not by giving from afar.
Teddy Rist, the wealthy businessman hero of “The Philanthropist” confided that he didn’t …

We came across this great article on travel philanthropy in Architectural Digest (April 2009) — an indication of how charity and goodwill are playing a growing role in people’s lives when these stories get featured in a design magazine.

Architect Bernard Wharton and his family went on a two-week safari vacation in Kenya’s Masai Mara with Micato Safari, a luxury tour company known to include philanthropic visits in their tours. Wanting to get a balanced view of Africa, they opted to do a daylong philanthropic visit to Mukuru, …

We’ve recently came across a search engine that is helping to end world hunger. Hoongle is an advanced Google search that raises money to fight world hunger. For every search, Hoongle donates the monetary equivalent of 20 grains of rice through the UN World Food Program. This is part of the UN’s “Fill the Cup” program; Hoongle’s donations go towards the purchase of well-balanced meals that consist of nutrient-rich items that deliver a broader array of vitamins and minerals than rice alone. The quality of …