Passports with Purpose: Travel Bloggers Raise Funds for Haiti

There is a point in every avid traveler’s life when simply seeing the sites and sounds around the world is not enough. You want to give back, especially to impoverished cultures that have enriched the mind, soul and heart, as so many do. That’s why Passports with Purpose (PwP) was started. Passports with Purpose raises money annually for a specific non-profit via $10 bids on items like trips, gear and electronics.

The fifth annual Passports with Purpose aims to raise $100k for Water.org to build five wells in two Haitian communities. Haiti, the victim of two disastrous hurricanes in a short span of four years, Hanna in 2008 and Sandy in 2012, has befallen staggering blows on an already poor country. And the water crisis especially falls on the shoulders’ of women.

Did you know women across the globe spend 200 million hours gathering water a day (reported by water.org)? 

Benevolent Bidding

Here is how you can give relief to thousands of Haitians and possibly get in return. It’s a win – win.

Check out the amazing prizes being offered by the community of travel bloggers from around the world. For each $10 donation, you get to bid on a prize of your choice, ranging from hotel stays, travel packages and gear to tours, gift certificates and electronics. You can bid on prizes until December 11 at 11:59 pm PST and Passports with Purpose will announce the prizewinners on December 18.

Who is Passports with Purpose

Passports with Purpose was founded in 2008 by Debbie Dubrow (deliciousbaby.com), Pam Mandel (nerdseyeview.com), Beth Whitman (wanderlustandlipstick.com) and Michelle Duffy (wandermom.com) to create a community among travel bloggers and to give back to the places travel writers/bloggers visit. In 2009, Meg Paynor jumped aboard, who serves as PwP’s public relations representative.

Passports with Purpose Track Record

Each year, Passports with Purpose grows exponentially.

• In their first year, Passports with Purpose raised $7,400 for Heifer International.

• In 2009, Passports with Purpose blew past its initial goal (which was to raise $14,000 to build a school in Cambodia) raising nearly $30,000 to add improvements to the basic school. The school, built through our partnership with American Assistance for Cambodia is now complete.

• In 2010, they raised $64,128, over 25% more than their original goal of $50,000 and built an entire village in India. Construction is now underway.

• In 2011, they raised, via partnerships of participating bloggers, Passports with Purpose raised $90k to build two libraries in Zambia with the non-profit Room to Read.

We hope you’ll join in on the bidding for a good cause. We’ve got our sights set on Intrepid Travel’s 26-Day Silk Road Tour donated by wandermom.com and Olympus Tough TG-820 iHS camera donated by thevacationgals.com.

On your marks, get set, GO bid for prizes while helping Haiti.

Photos by Water.org.