DENVER, May 9, 2012 - Invest in Kids delivers health and well-being programs to children from low-income families, and Inspirato enriches people's lives through unparalleled luxury travel opportunities. The organizations have teamed up to provide a source of sustainable funds to help the more than 10,000 Colorado families supported by Invest in Kids each year.
Inspirato's new online Inspired Giving platform, www.inspiredgiving.com, was designed to help charitable organizations like Invest in Kids raise funds in a new way. Through this partnership, donors who contribute $2,000 to Invest in Kids's cause through the Inspired Giving platform gain access to Inspirato's club-managed portfolio of vacation residences and unparalleled personal vacation services in locations ranging from California and Colorado to Hawaii and Mexico.
The Inspired Giving donation model benefits Invest in Kids in a number of ways:
- For every $2,000 donated to Invest in Kids through Inspirato's Inspired Giving website, the donor gains one-time access to an Inspirato luxury vacation - priced at up to 50 percent under market value, and bypassing the $15,000 Inspirato membership fee.
- Inspirato contributes one Inspired Giving vacation that Invest in Kids can auction to raise funds. Of those contributed monies, 100 percent goes back to Invest in Kids.
- For every new Inspirato membership that is generated from an Invest in Kids donor through Inspired Giving, the company gives $2,000 to Invest in Kids as an Inspired Giving partner.
The first opportunity for Invest in Kids's supporters to donate to its cause through Inspirato's Inspired Giving is on May 18 at "A Brighter Future." At this annual marquee event, 530 guests will enjoy a sit-down dinner prepared by Denver's top chefs and bid on items in a silent auction. Luxury vacations from Inspirato will be at the table, proceeds from which will go toward Invest in Kids's primary programs. These include the Nurse Family Partnership, which transforms lives through improved pregnancy outcomes, promotion of child health and development, and the encouragement of economic self-sufficiency for families, and The Incredible Years, an early childhood emotional and social health program designed to increase a child's success at school and at home by promoting positive parent, teacher, and child relationships.
"We are thrilled about this new partnership with Inspirato because the money raised will support our most vulnerable children and families - giving Colorado kids an opportunity to get off to the best possible start," said Invest in Kids's executive director, Lisa Merlino. According to Merlino, 30 years of evidence-based research shows that intervening with vulnerable children as early as possible can significantly change the trajectory of their lives. They will be less likely, for example, to enter into the juvenile detention or justice system later - offering society a significant cost savings.
The success of Invest in Kids is exemplified by the story of Anahi. At age 15, Anahi was battling severe drug addiction and depression, and became pregnant. Invest in Kids' Nurse Family Partnership paired her with Cari Berget, a nurse who helped Anahi out of a tough situation: "Cari seemed to get me. She never judged me. She respected me and eventually became my mentor and my friend. She taught me that things would be difficult, but also believed I could do it. I am a better mom because of her. I don't know where I would be today without Cari, but I like where I am." Today, Anahi is a freshman at Regis University attending on a full ride scholarship from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
For Invest in Kids's donors, the donation and vacation booking experience is simple: the donor is given access to Inspirato's Inspired Giving exclusive web portal, www.inspiredgiving.com; selects Invest in Kids as the charitable organization of choice; and makes a tax-deductible donation of $2,000. That donor is then able to book a vacation to a luxury Inspirato destination and enjoy all that Inspirato members enjoy, including: personalized service from an Inspirato vacation advisor, an on-site destination concierge, and luxurious accommodations ranging from intimate, couples-only, one-bedroom retreats to large, well-appointed homes in excess of 3,000 square feet.
"We see that Invest in Kids provides a real gift to children, and we're happy to support it in its mission," said Jackie Benton, executive director of Inspirato's Inspired Giving. "We're in the fortunate position of bringing an innovative fundraising opportunity to Invest in Kids and helping generate year-round, sustainable funding for its important programs."
Invest in Kids is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization founded by a group of attorneys and other community leaders who were concerned about the increasing achievement gap between higher and lower income children and the increasing number of serious crimes committed by kids from a low-income background. This unique team of professional and socially-minded individuals helped create the foundation of standards and execution essential to our high level of effectiveness. Learn more at http://www.iik.org.
Designed specifically for a new generation of luxury consumers, Inspirato offers the best of destination club consistency and service, together with unmatched value, flexibility and low-cost membership. Our members have access to an ever-growing portfolio of luxury homes in the world's top destinations, including California, the Caribbean, Colorado, France, Hawaii, Italy, London, Mexico, New York City and more. By leasing vacation properties (rather than owning), Inspirato is able to keep membership fees low, offer more than 50 percent off market rates, and easily add homes and destinations as demand increases. Our innovative business model has led to rapid growth since our January 2011 launch, placing Inspirato at the forefront of the "luxury for less" movement. For more information about Inspirato, visit www.inspirato.com. Find Inspired Giving on Facebook.