Connections to Success Partners with CharitableHotels.org

June 4, 2012 - PRLog -- St. Louis/Kansas City, MO:  Connections to Success has partnered with CharitableHotels.org, the first nonprofit online travel agency (OTA) in the country.  CharitableHotels.org offers travelers the same hotels and the same rates as other OTA's like Expedia and Hotels.com but instead of keeping the commission, they donate it, less their costs, to the charity of the traveler’s choice. Although most travelers now book their own hotel online, the hotel still pays a sizable commission to the OTA. Charitable Hotels is changing the game by doing something good with that commission — giving it to a good cause — instead of growing their bottom line.  And now Connections to Success, as a Partner Charity, is eligible to receive the donation.   “We are thrilled to be a Partner Charity with CharitableHotels.org”, said Amie Bossi, Development Director of Connections to Success.  “It’s refreshing to know that OTA’s such as Charitable Hotels are committed to philanthropy and giving back to their communities.”  

The founder of CharitableHotels.org, Doug Gamble, agrees.  “We know that conventional fundraising can be inefficient, requiring lots of staff and work, and that roughly 20% of donations are used to generate more donations.  Add to that the current economic climate, and you have a very difficult situation for generating crucial funds.  It is in this environment that the idea for Charitable Hotels emerged,” explains Gamble.
CharitableHotel.org works just like any other OTA.  Travelers book their travel at CharitableHotels.org, where they will find the same hotels -- and rates -- as on Hotels.com, Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, etc.  Next, the hotel pays the negotiated commission to CharitableHotels.org.  No additional fee is added to the traveler’s bill.  After the traveler’s stay, the traveler receives an email telling them the donation amount generated by their stay.  Every six months, Connections to Success receives the donation from CharitableHotels.org.  At the end of the year, CharitableHotels.org sends the traveler an email showing the total dollar amount donated as a result of their annual travels.  A transaction number is assigned allowing the donation to be tracked.
CharitableHotels.org is America’s first non-profit Online Travel Agency.  It was founded in January 2012 and is located in Kansas City, MO.  For more information about CharitableHotels.org, visit http://charitablehotels.org or http://www.facebook.com/#!/CharitableHotels.  

Connections to Success is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty through hope, resources and a plan by providing an evidence-based grouping of holistic programs.  Connections to Success provides its programming for both men and women in the Greater St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri regions and serves nearly 2,000 new program participants annually.

For more information on Connections to Success, visit www.connectionstosuccess.org