Travelbloggers Fundraiser Passports with Purpose Enters Year Four

by Pam Mandel on

Disclaimer: I helped found this initiative and I’m hardly neutral on it. I’ll do my best to stick to the facts here but first, I’ll say this: It’s been awesome.

Passports with Purpose, the travelbloggers fundraiser, turns four this year. Founded in 2009 by four Seattle based bloggers, the initiative pulls together bloggers and travel providers (and their PR reps) to raise money for carefully vetted nonprofit causes that focus on education as a channel to alleviate poverty and improve quality of life. Oh, and there are fabulous prizes, too — for example, last year, Gadling’s Mike Barish gave away a SkyMall gift card.

This year, Passports with Purpose (PwP) is supporting Room to Read, the literacy program founded by John Wood after he’d trekked through Nepal. PwP aims to raise enough money to fund the contstruction, staffing, and provisioning of two libraries in Zambia.

In 2010, PwP raised more than $60,000 for Land for Tiller’s Freedom (LAFTI). The funds were used for construction of 25 homes for families in Southern India. PwP co-founder Beth Whitman attended the ground breaking ceremony for the village in Karrungani, Tamil Nadu. On the conclusion of last year’s fundraiser, PwP recieved this note from Peggy Burns, Exective Director of Friends of LAFTI:

We are so excited that 25 families in Karunganni will soon have a decent place to live. It is all thanks to you, your generous sponsors, and over 300 caring individuals who wanted to make this world a better place. Bravo to all of you.

In 2009, PwP raised nearly double the original goal of $13,000 and funded the construction of a school in rural Preah Vihear, Cambodia. The overage was allotted to additional services that ensure the continued success of the project. Michelle Duffy attended a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Passports School in March, 2011.


Passports with Purpose uses social media, blogging, and the generosity of sponsors to achieve success. Repeat sponsors for 2011 include Round the World with Us, Traveller’s Point, and HomeAway.

But it’s individual bloggers that are the key to PwP’s continued success. Bloggers who want to participate will find detailed information on the Passports with Purpose website.

Donate to Passports With Purpose & win travel prizes

by Mike Barish on

Last month, we told you about Gadling’s participation in Passports With Purpose and their efforts to build a village in India. Every donation that you make allows you to bid on some fantastic travel prizes. From roundtrip airline vouchers to amazing vacations to some impressive gear, you could win some incredible prizes all for a simple $10 donation to Friends of LAFTI.

It’s a truly wonderful cause and Passports With Purpose makes everything incredibly easy. Simply head to their donation page, choose the items on which you would like to bid and then process your donation. Quick, secure and simple as could be.

The campaign ends this coming Monday (December 13), so don’t delay. Donate now for a chance to win those prizes. Our suggestion? Bid on the $250 SkyMall gift card that Gadling is giving away. Imagine what you could buy with that!

Passports with Purpose raises $13,000 to build school in Cambodia

by Katie Hammel on

One of the most difficult parts of travel is visiting a less-developed country, seeing a need, and wishing there was something you can do to help fill it. So four travel bloggers from the Seattle area got together and decided to raise some money and put it to use on a particular project. This year, that project is building a school in Cambodia, and they’ve been joined by over 50 additional travel writers, bloggers and travel websites in raising the funds.

The effort, dubbed “Passports with Purpose” started with a goal to raise $13,000 by December 21. But they weren’t just asking for donations out of the goodness of your heart – those who contribute will be entered to win in drawings for some pretty cool prizes like Flip cameras, Shutterfly gift cards, travel gear, and even free stays at hotels around the world. Each entry costs $10 and you can enter to win the drawing for the prize of your choice. Each prize will be valued at $75 or more.

As of yesterday, the group met their $13,000 goal, but rather than stop there they’ve decided to go even bigger. Now they’ll try to raise an additional $13,000 to staff the school with a nurse, install a water filer, and plant a vegetable garden.

The deadline to donate and win a prize closes December 21 and winners will be announced on January 5. All proceeds from the entries will go directly to American Assistance for Cambodia, an independent nonprofit organization formed in 1993, which works with the Cambodian government to build school in rural villages.

Passports with Purpose: Travel bloggers fundraise for Heifer International

by Anna Brones on

‘Tis the season as they say. Yes, you could take part in the hectic Christmas shopping frenzy, or you could put your money to more philanthropic efforts. That’s exactly the goal of Passports with Purpose, the brainchild of four travel bloggers: Debbie Dubrow of Delicious Baby, Pam Mandel of Nerd’s Eye View, Michelle Duffy of WanderMom, and Beth Whitman of Wanderlust and Lipstick. The blogging divas all decided that this holiday season it was time to give back, launching PWP to allow travel bloggers the chance to help raise funds for Heifer International.

Each participating blogger — and if you’re up on your travel blogs, you’ll recognize many of the names on the list — has gotten together a raffle prize. A $10 raffle ticket (which all goes to Heifer International) gets you the chance to maybe pick one of them up. Now, this isn’t your standard school raffle with homemade baked goods and a year’s worth of tree pruning; PWP prizes are something to get excited about. The list is long, but here is just a sampling:

  • 3 Nights at the Wyland Waikiki in Hawaii
  • Mountain Hardwear Women’s Mynx Jacket
  • Eagle Creek luggage
  • A collection of 5 Lonely Plant books

To take part in this great fundraiser, check out the full list of prizes, pick the one you want (or want to give to someone else!) and buy one or more $10 raffle tickets at FirstGiving. You’ll get the chance to win something cool and, at the same time, help out an organization committed to building sustainable communities around the world.