CHICAGO—As part of Hyatt Community Grants, a philanthropic program that empowers Hyatt associates to guide charitable giving, Hyatt announced that 27 Hyatt hotels and offices have awarded more than $300,000 this year to communities around the world.
Hyatt Community Grants, a key component of Hyatt Thrive—Hyatt’s global corporate responsibility platform—encourages hotels around the world to identify and nominate local nonprofits for funding consideration through Hyatt Hotels Foundation. Since the program’s inception in 2008, Hyatt hotels have awarded more than $1,350,000 in Hyatt Community Grants to nonprofit organizations in 103 communities and 34 countries globally.
“Hyatt has a long history of dedication to fostering thriving local communities where Hyatt hotels operate, and we are so proud of the many grant nominations we received,” said Brigitta Witt, vice president of corporate responsibility for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. “In many cases, these grants help support multi-year relationships of financial and volunteer support between the hotels and their chosen nonprofit organizations.”
Nonprofits Represent Efforts in Four Hyatt Thrive Pillars
The program builds on Hyatt’s belief that no one better understands a community’s most pressing issues—and their solutions—than those who live and work there. Nonprofits selected represent efforts in one or more of the four Hyatt Thrive pillars: education and personal advancement; economic development and investment; health and wellness; and environmental sustainability.
This year’s Hyatt Community Grant recipients include:
• Education & Personal Advancement: Hyatt’s Divisional Office in Hong Kong awarded a $15,000 grant to Bring Me A Book to help create local libraries in kindergartens, community centers, health clinics and shelters.
• Economic Development & Investment: Hyatt Regency Denver awarded a $15,000 grant to Emily Griffith Foundation Inc. to support its Work Intensive Skills Camp (WISC), a four-week program teaching employable hospitality skills for refugees. Since 2006, 192 of WISC’s 1,000 refugees have been trained at the hotel, and Hyatt Regency Denver provides job shadow experiences and employment opportunities.
• Health & Wellness: Park Hyatt Hamburg awarded a $15,000 grant to Dunkelziffer e.V to support its counseling services for sexually abused boys. Since 1998, the hotel has partnered with Dunkelziffer to sponsor fundraisers, seminars and holiday events for the organization.
• Environmental Sustainability: Hyatt Regency Guam awarded a $7,500 grant to St. John’s School to support the purchase and installation of solar panels. For the last two years, Hyatt Regency Guam has partnered with the school on a recycling program in which associates help collect and sort recyclable aluminum, tin, plastic and glass. In 2011, this program helped divert 237,000 plastic bottles and 95,000 aluminum cans from landfills. Click here to watch the video.
To learn more about Hyatt Community Grants, click here.
