Our Story

Our Story and Purpose

VacationHomesForCharity.org (VH4C)  helps charities raise more money at their fundraising events.

Charities and non-profit organizations have the difficult task of remaining focused on their mission while
living in the reality of generating funds to keep their vision alive. VacationHomesForCharity exists to help these charities
reach their fundraising goals while fulfilling their missions.

We do this by marketing and promoting great vacation experiences. We are committed to helping vacation providers receive maximum exposure for the vacation stays they give to charities.

We invite organizations involved in the travel and real estate industries to come along and make a difference. Together we can support those doing great things for our world.  We’ll promote your organization and your products, your properties at all of our events and on our website(s).

Our History

The Vacation Home for Charity program was birthed out of TheSociety.com, a high-end vacation rental marketing company. A few owners and property managers of luxurious vacation rentals asked TheSociety.com to facilitate a donation of a vacation stay to a charity so they could utilize it in the fund-raising auctions.

After a few successful trial runs with charities such as the Tony Hawk Foundation, Tim Salmon Foundation, Boulder Community Foundation, and the First Candle (SIDS Alliance), VH4C began asking more owners and managers “to give one spare week.”

In the winter of 2011, VH4C took joined forces with Geronimo Solutions.   Geronimo Solutions has quickly emerged as the hands down leader in providing technology and promotional / fundraising tools for non-profits.  They provide software that interfaces directly with leading property management software such as Barefoot and Instant Software (Homeaway).  They deliver a turnkey fundraising solution called TravelPledge   Thousands of  TravelPledge websites sites are now helping great causes, and each features the vacations  (along with golf, lessons, cruises and more) that are donated.   Non-profits are quickly up and running with a fully functional (year round) website that features $MILLIONS in donated vacations.   All tools to promote this unique fundraising solution are also provided to the non-profit organizer.  You can also use Geronimo Solutions’ vacation home inventory at your next silent auction fundraiser.

Impact During Pilot

In the pilot program (2008-2009), VH4C raised $217,000

  • Charities retained $148K (69%)
  • Cleaning and maintenance fees (paid to vacation providers) equaled 52K (24%)
  • VH4C operated on $16K (7%)
  • 1.15 vacation stays were auctioned per event
  • VH4C raised an average of $4607 per property at an event

VH4C worked with 61 charities and participated in 41 events during the pilot program.

  • Reached ~10,000 affluent consumers at events
  • Reached ~40,000 affluent consumers through invitations

VH4C had a final impact to charities of over $400,000.  Vacation Homes for Charity is now part of Geronimo.com Vacation Rentals for Charity in January of 2011. Geronimo already features well over $10MM in donated vacations that can be booked by charitably minded vacationers.  They would be happy to promote your property.  Former vacation home owner clients of VR4C are now promoting their properties at Geronimo.com and charities are building websites to raise money year round at TravelPledge.

Did you know?

  • Vacation homes sit vacant 85% of the year
  • Individual giving is $230 billion/year
  • 1.4 million charities in the US
  • Over 380,000 live and silent auctions each year
  • We offer a very efficient fundraiser

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