Passports With Purpose Blogger Signup
Posted on | August 25, 2010 | 2 Comments
Passports with Purpose is the travelbloggers annual fundrasier. Last year we built a school in Cambodia. This year we're building a village in India. Join us.
We're revising our site. Please be patient while we get everything updated.
Hey There! Passports with Purpose is gearing up for our annual fundraiser beginning in mid-November. You can help us now by letting us know whether you’ll be joining in the effort.
Just like last year, there are lots of ways you can help. Host a badge, share information on Twitter, procure a prize and post it your blog. It’s your involvement that makes Passports with Purpose a success, so we hope you’ll join us for year three.
We get questions about whether a new blog or a blog that doesn’t receive much traffic can make a difference. The answer is a resounding YES. Our donors find out about Passports With Purpose on big blogs, small blogs, personal networks and social media channels like Facebook or Twitter. Plus, getting involved with Passports with Purpose can be a great way to engage in the travel blog community and to bring new readers to your blog.
For the first time, we’re asking for some basic information about your traffic and influence. Having aggregate information about the reach of Passports with Purpose helps us attract sponsors (sponsors make a cash contribution directly to the charity). It’s completely optional, and your individual information will never be shared.
Are you joining us? Let us know and fill out this form.
We know this effort will not only raise money for a very worthy charity, but will also build a stronger sense of community among travel bloggers and demonstrate the effect we can have when we work together. We hope you’ll consider joining us this year!
PwP Named Finalist for Bloganthropy Awards
Posted on | July 22, 2010 | No Comments
Passports with Purpose is proud to be one of five blogs who have won recognition as finalists in the first annual Bloganthropy Awards. The Bloganthropy Awards recognize bloggers who have made a difference by using social media effectively to promote a good cause.
Passports with Purpose unites travel bloggers through an online fundraiser each December. Debbie Dubrow, Pam Mandel, Michelle Duffy and Beth Whitman, the bloggers behind Delicious Baby, Nerd’s Eye View, WanderMom, and Wanderlust and Lipstick, respectively, launched a travel-inspired fundraising initiative in 2008. Participating bloggers procure travel-related items for an online random drawing. Using Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and other social media channels, Passports with Purpose raised $7,500 for Heifer International in its inaugural year and nearly $30,000 in 2009 to build a school in Cambodia. The goal for 2010 is to raise $50,000 to build a village in Southern India.
In addition to Passports with Purpose, 2010 Bloganthropy Award finalists are: Kristine McCormick, Cora’s Story; Katherine Stone, Postpartum Progress; Maggie, Violence Unsilenced; Megan Jordan, Velveteen Mind. The winner of the first annual Bloganthropy Awards will be announced at Dinner’s On Us, a special event exclusively for mom bloggers, to be held in New York City on August 5th. The event is scheduled to coincide with BlogHer, the largest annual conference of women in social media, which begins the following day.
Visit event sponsors Bloganthropy.org, Child’s Play Communications and P&G’s GIVE HEALTH program for more information about the awards.
2010: Help Us Build a Village in India!
Posted on | June 25, 2010 | 8 Comments
The gals at PwP central (Seattle, that is) are excited to announce our 2010 fundraiser.
With your help, we are building a village in Southern India with Land for Tillers’ Freedom (LAFTI) and their non-profit branch based in the U.S., Friends of LAFTI Foundation!
After successfully raising nearly $30,000 in 2009 for AAfC, this year we are aiming for $50,000 to benefit LAFTI, based in Tamil Nadu, India.
LAFTI’s Mission
For more than 50 years, LAFTI’s founders – Krishnammal Jagannathan and S. Jagannathan – have been committed to helping Dalits (India’s untouchables), especially women, with projects that include land distribution, cultivation, adult training, youth housing
and housing construction. For less than $2,000, LAFTI can build a home, for which the land title is given to the woman of the household. Passports with Purpose aims to raise enough money to build approximately 25 homes to create the Passports Village in Karunganni, located in the state of Tamil Nadu.
Krishnammal Jagannathan and S. Jagannathan have been awarded two major humanitarian awards for their efforts. The first was the Opus Prize, presented on November 18, 2008 in a ceremony at Seattle University in Seattle. The second was the Right Livelihood Award presented a month later in Sweden as part of a ceremony in the Swedish Parliament. Since Jagannathan is no longer able to travel, Krishnammal accepted both of these awards on behalf of LAFTI.
According to Krishnammal, “Orathur villagers are firmly determined to build new houses. They are very eager to contribute their labor towards house building.”
And so, with the help of Passports with Purpose and you, we can help these determined villagers create a better life for themselves and their families.
Namaste!
Passports Summer Update
Posted on | May 24, 2010 | No Comments
Thanks to all who participated in the December, 2009 Passports with Purpose fundraiser. With your help, we raised almost 30,000 dollars — more than double our original goal! This is an amazing and significant accomplishment, a real stake in the ground for making lives better in Cambodia. The founders of Passports with Purpose are overwhelmed with gratitude for your generosity, support, and enthusiasm.
Our school is under construction in Preah Vihear, a remote area in northern Cambodia near the Thai border. In addition to funding the school, we also raised enough money to also provide the kids that attend with a school nurse, clean water, and at least one complete meal a day.
The Passports with Purpose founders anticipate visiting the school in late summer/early fall for the ribbon cutting ceremony. You’re invited to join us as part of a 10-day tour through PwP co-founder, Beth Whitman. Learn more here.
We are working on details for the 2010 fundraiser and will be providing details soon. Please stay tuned!
Sponsors: We’d love to talk with you about sponsoring our 2010 efforts. Please get in touch.
What’s Next for Passports with Purpose?
Posted on | February 20, 2010 | No Comments
It’s pretty quiet with the PwP crew lately, but that’s not because we’re not busy. We had our first meeting (over Belgian waffles, it’s what we do) to start next year’s planning and we are already crazy excited about what’s in the works.
Here’s what we’re up to:
- The Cambodia tour that includes attending the Passports school opening ceremony is in the works. Stay tuned for more news on that.
- As you can see, we’re working on a site redesign. Thanks for your patience — we’ll have lots of changes that we hope will help highlight our sponsors and bloggers and make the site easier to use.
- We’re zeroing in on a 2010 cause. We’re looking at programs where the money we raise can make a significant, lasting, and measurable difference. We’re really close to making a commitment.
- We’re starting early! We’ve learned from the previous years that it’s harder to for sponsors to say no if we ask for donations early in the year.
- We’re looking for new places to tell stories about what we — that means you too — do. We’re having Meg Paynor, our PR superheroine teach us more about getting coverage. More coverage equals more funds raised equals better lives.
And there’s more to come. We know you’re an important part of Passports with Purpose and we need your help. Stay tuned — we’ll do our best to keep you informed as we move forward.
We Met Our Goal! Thank You!
Posted on | February 20, 2010 | No Comments
Passports with Purpose 2009 is now closed. Winners were notified by email on January 5th, 2010.
We raised over 26k (more than double our original goal)! We’ll announce a final total as soon as we’ve got all the numbers. Regardless of the final count, together we raised enough money to build a school in Cambodia and provide the kids that attend with a school nurse, clean water, and at least one complete meal a day. This is an amazing and significant accomplishment, a real stake in the ground for making lives better in Cambodia. The founders of Passports with Purpose are overwhelmed with gratitude for your generosity, support, and enthusiasm.
You can still make a donation towards the school, but won’t be entered to win a prize. Additional donations will purchase improvements for our school. Donate here.
We expect the school to be completed in June and we’ll post more information as we learn more.
With such an amazing success this year, you know we’ll be doing this again next year, in 2010.
Sponsors: Interested in information about sponsoring our 2010 initiative? go here.
Bloggers: Want a heads up when we start next years blogger outreach? Go here. If you participated this year, you’re already on the list.
Why Travel Companies Support Passports With Purpose
Posted on | December 17, 2009 | No Comments
This is a guest post by Caitlin Fitzsimmons of Roaming Tales. Caitlin procured a four days/three nights at the all inclusive Coconut Bay Beach Resort and Spa in St Lucia and three nights in a beachfront cabana at Tranquility Bay in Belize
There is no doubt that building a school in Cambodia is one of the very best of good causes. But with so many good causes bidding for support, it can be hard for a business to know where to channel its corporate social responsibility dollars. Why is a school in Cambodia more worthy than fighting malaria in Africa or repairing the devastation of floods in Bolivia?
Let’s face it, all businesses are in the business of making money. That is true for even the most socially responsible companies. While the motivation for corporate giving is often genuine compassion, it is all the better if it helps with marketing as well. It’s win-win.
One route that some companies in the travel industry take is a policy of only supporting charities in their local areas. It helps narrow the choices – important when the options are so numerous – and strengthens the company’s association with their local communities and regions. That’s all well and good, but clearly if this approach were universal it would mean that popular tourist destinations such as Costa Rica and the Caribbean get more charity money, as well as more tourist dollars, than somewhere like Cambodia. (Of course, a huge number of travellers visit the Angkor Wat ruins in Cambodia every year, but the tourism numbers for Cambodia are a fraction of the number of sun-seekers holidaying in the Caribbean). And it’s not only travel companies in developing countries that adopt such policies – when I was approaching potential sponsors for Passports with Purpose, I found that even travel companies in California would often only donate locally. I think this is a shame. They say charity begins at home and I know there are families doing it tough in California but most of these people still have a better quality of life than the poorest people in Cambodia. I also think there is room for both – which is why I’m donating to the San Francisco Food Bank this Christmas.
Another route that travel companies can take is to attempt to connect with their audience. I have been amazed by the impressive prize list in this year’s Passports with Purpose. On the one hand, I want to thank all the wonderful donors for their generosity. On the other hand, I also think the travel blogging community deserves kudos. It’s not just that Pam, Michelle, Beth, Debbie organized Passports with Purpose. It’s not just that the rest of the participating travel bloggers backed it so enthusiastically, organizing prizes and promoting it endlessly. Nor is it just that all of YOU made donations (and if you haven’t yet, get over to the donations page and make a donation already – it’s the last week!). It’s also the fact that we as a travel blogging community have reached sufficient critical mass and credibility that companies – airlines, hotels and resorts, camera makers, outdoor equipment brands, and so on – want to donate such awesome prizes for our fundraiser. They could support any number of worthy charities but they want to work with us! How awesome is that? Whether you want to work with brands or not, it is still a vote of confidence in what we do.
Take Coconut Bay Beach Resort and Spa in Saint Lucia, for example. They have
Let’s hear it from Mark Adams, president of National Continental Hotels, the parent company of Coconut Bay. “At Coconut Bay Beach Resort and Spa, we love to give back to the travel community. Passports With Purpose is a great way for us to show our support to travel bloggers and travel enthusiasts while helping a great cause. We are so glad the contest grew so rapidly, and I look forward to it continuing to grow over the years.”
Well done, fellow travel bloggers! We’ve come a long way.
Thank you Caitlin, it really was a little bit magical watching all the prizes roll in on Nov 30th. We’ve been pleasantly overwhelmed by the support of our fellow bloggers and the travel industry and our donors. It really is a testament to how far we’ve all come in the past two years, and how much we can accomplish when we work together.
Sponsor Shout Out
Posted on | December 15, 2009 | No Comments
It’s been a wild coupla weeks for the Passports with Purpose gang. We watched during week one as we quickly approached and then surpassed our original goal of $13,000.
THIRTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS
Imagine that! Those dollars are going to build a school in Cambodia!
Part of the wildness of the past 2 weeks had to do with what we should do once we blew past our goal. After a meeting of the minds, we made some decisions on how to continue helping those little tykes – see Pam’s post for details. Oh, and we moved the goal post, too.
As we attempt to attract another 13 grand, we are humbled by the number of individuals who’ve been chipping in $10, $20 and even hundreds of dollars over the last 11 days. And, we’ve also had another Silver Sponsor jump on board. Thank you BootsnAll! You folks are the bomb!
Quick love note about BootsnAll – visit these folks for all your independent travel needs. It’s a community. It’s a blogosphere. It’s a booking engine. It’s a planning site. Don’t leave home without ‘em.
And in case you hadn’t heard, we’ve had other folks who stepped up to the plate to help us kick off this little venture – Got Passport: Will Travel, We’ll Serve, HomeAway, Raveable, Travelfish, TravellersPoint Travel Community and Uptake. Thanks for believing in our cause!
A biG bIG BIG thanks goes to Virtuoso, our Platinum sponsor. Big heart doesn’t begin to describe what you folks have.
Monday we’ll be posting a list of items for which you’ll have the best chances of winning. A few new items got posted late so if you haven’t checked out the list recently… do so now, please.
Good weekend to all. Don’t forget that when you’re out holiday shopping, nothing beats a $10 donation for an item worth $75 – $2,746 – cause that’s what we’ve got for you here at PwP!
Beth
Why HomeAway Sponsored Passports With Purpose
Posted on | December 14, 2009 | No Comments
HomeAway was among our very first sponsors for Passports With Purpose this year, and we are grateful for their donation, which helped us hit the ground running. They have also been generous sponsors of other blogging efforts, including the TBEX conference (co-organized by Debbie) this summer and the TBEX Road Trip from Seattle to Chicago (with Pam, Peter, and Kelly).
I asked HomeAway why they decided to sponsor Passports With Purpose this year, and here is what they said:
HomeAway is honored by the opportunity to participate in Passports with Purpose’s 2009 fundraiser. While our business is not directly related to the cause, we are happy to support PwP on their quest to build a school in Cambodia. We believe the way PwP engages other bloggers to help raise funds is a creative and powerful example of social media at its best. We’re also happy to stand behind Debbie, Pam, Beth and Michelle, and the countless other travel bloggers that are participating in this admirable cause.
Thanks HomeAway!
Best Odds Prizes
Posted on | December 13, 2009 | No Comments
As I write this post, construction of the Passport school is a sure thing, as is a school nurse. With an additional $7,500 we can provide a victory garden, gardener and cook who will provide a nutritious free meal each day to the children attending the school. We’ve been amazed by your outpouring of support, and by the generosity of the individuals and companies who provided so many wonderful prizes, and we hope you’ll help us meet this goal.
Odds of winning are better on some prizes than others. Sometimes it’s because a prize was entered into our system after the starting date. Other times the product isn’t as well known, and some real gems are hiding behind tricky names (you can check out each prize by clicking through to the blog who provided the prize). Go place entries for these now! And hey, since we’re talking about late entries – if you donated within the first few days, now is a good time to review the full list and see the prizes that were added after you made your donation.
Here are our “Best Odds” prizes (in no particular order)
$100 Gift Certificate to Buckheadlife Restaurant Group Enjoy fine dining in Atlanta at various restaurants from BuckheadLife Restaurant Group with $100 gift certificate. Check out the list of restaurants atwww.buckheadrestaurants.com
Road trip with Rover: Dog car safety package Dog car safety package includes a Kurgo Skybox Booster Seat for your small dog (under 20 lbs.) and a Canine Friendly 3-in-1 vest harness. Allows your dog to see out or curl up in comfort and style.
A PHOTTIX® CLEON II Remote Trigger and 3-in-1 Cleaning Kit A prize package consisting of a PHOTTIX® CLEON II Wireless Remote Shutter Release which can be used with any DSLR camera and 3-in-1 Cleaning Kit from Phottix Professional Photo Accessories.
$200 gift certificate for Viator.com tours & activities $200 worth of Viator.com tours and destination activities in more than 400 destinations worldwide. Choose from thousands of adventure activities, city tours, off-the-beaten-path experiences, educational tours, family-friendly outings, theater and show tickets, shore excursions, city passes, day trips and more.
$100 Gift Certificate at My Busy Kit for travel activities $100 Gift Certificate at My Busy Kit – travel activities for kids on the go! Keep the little ones creatively entertained on the plane, on the road, or whenever you need it most.www.mybusykit.com
One Year of Wanderlust! A 1-Year Air Mail subscription to the UK-based Wanderlust Magazine + a copy of their book “Visions of Wanderlust 3″. This is my all-time favorite travel magazine… I just know you’ll love it!
$150 Gift Certificate to Restaurant.com 6- $25 gift certificates to Restaurant.com. May be used at thousands of restaurants within the U.S. Some blackout dates and restrictions may apply per restaurant.
Photo Safe II Portable Digital Photo Storage Photo Safe II is a portable on-the-road digital photo storage with 160GB hard drives, so you can back up your digital photos wherever you go.
$100 OtterBox Gift Certificate OtterBox cases are dedicated to the klutzy, spontaneous, chaotic, graceless individuals who have broken a device or valuable due to their active lifestyle
$100 Gift Certificate to Tots on-the-Go $100 gift certificate to Tots on-the-Go, the home of smart travel gear for baby and beyond.Prism Portable Digital TV The Prism Portable Digital TV is lightweight, easy to store and carry with you, and simple for kids and adults to use. It has a 7″ screen and includes an antenna, remote control, AC wall adaptor, car charger, and A/V cable. It’s completely portable with a built-in rechargeable battery and its built-in ATSC tuner receives all digital TV broadcasts.
Kelty Backpack This Kelty backpack is good for long term traveler as well as those who like hiking around nature!
$100 Hotel Gift Card at Mr and Mrs Smith A $100 Get a Room! gift card, which can be used towards booking any of the devilishly romantic boutique hotels in the Smith collection.
Southwest Airlines $75 e-gift card Pack your bags (and check them in for free) get going with this $75 Southwest Airlines e-gift card.
Gift Certificate to PosterBrain Win $100 worth of gorgeous photo enlargements on 200-year archival photographic paper from PosterBrain.com. Perfect for your travel photos!
Best Odds Prizes Valued at Over $300
It’s no secret that bigger ticket items got more attention than lower ticket items – of the prizes valued at over $300, these have the best odds. Sierra Designs Lightning XT 4 Tent A super light and durable tent perfect for people on the go. 6-pounds, 13-ounces and 57 square feet of floor space!
Legoland Prize Pack including 2 nights hotel and Legoland park passes Four packs of LEGOLAND Parkhopper tickets (Good at Legoland California and the Sea Life Aquarium) plus a copy of The Unauthorized Legoland Guidebooks full of great tips to make the most of your Legoland adventure.
Free Tuition to Matador U’s online travel writing program Free tuition to Matador Network’s online travel writing school, a 12 week curriculum that prepares new and seasoned travel writers alike for the new media publishing landscape.
Resort package for Coconut Bay, St Lucia All-inclusive 3-night stay for family at Coconut Bay Beach Resort on Caribbean island of Saint Lucia. Includes free paintball and kite-surfing.
Horny Toad Men’s and Women’s Jacket Horny Toad Men’s Winslow Jacket and Women’s Edie Jacket.Insulated, lightweight jackets with water repellent shells.
Tranquility Bay resort package in Belize 3 nights accommodation at Tranquility Bay Resort in Belize plus free use of kayaks.
One Night At The Fairmont Olympic The Fairmont Olympic Hotel has donated a one night Bed and Breakfast package in Executive Accommodations with valet parking included.
To make your donation and enter to win one of these prizes, please see our full prize list
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