campaign for hostelling - impact communications...of the high cost or fears about safety. through...

Campaign for hostellinGhonoring the past ■ celebrating the present ■ building the future

Goal: Improving and Expanding Our Hostel Network - $1,500,000

Hostelling plays a critical role in shaping the world we live in. By providing access to affordable travel to people of all ages, we

are creating a new generation of more engaged, thoughtful global citizens.

But our hostels are facing bigger demands and challenges today than ever before and a serious investment in America’s hostel network is needed now.

Keeping Hostelling Affordable

Keeping our hostels affordable for travelers has become a major challenge in today’s real estate market. Even with the cooling of the national market, real estate costs remain extremely high.

Given these sky-high costs, building new, better hostels is simply not feasible without major investment from supporters who believe in HI-USA’s mission.

In the past, HI-USA was able to pay for new hostel projects by financing them almost entirely. For example, when we built our first Boston hostel in 1983, $650,000 of the total $950,000 cost was financed and that debt was paid off in full in 1998. The cost for building a new, larger hostel in Boston, by comparison, is expected to exceed $30 million.

It would take an enormous amount of time to recoup that level of expense with earned income alone. This is why HI-USA must add a major fundraising component to help fund our capital expansion projects.

National Administrative Office 8401 Colesville Road, Suite 600 • Silver Spring, MD 20910

Phone: (301) 495-1240 • www.hiusa.org

Keeping Our Hostels Clean and Safe

Today’s higher real estate and operating costs are eating away at the funds available for maintaining our hostels. In the past, earned income from overnight stays helped cover maintenance costs at individual hostels and for the whole network. But with rising costs, the gap between revenue and expenses has started to grow in recent decades.

With less surplus revenue to invest in our network, many hostels are forced to delay routine maintenance and upgrades like more energy efficient furnaces or windows. This is especially true for smaller hostels that rarely have the volume of visitors to be fully self-sustaining and must rely on the support of donors and grants for their capital improvement projects.

To help relieve some of these strains on our hostel network, the Campaign for Hostelling will invest $1.5 million to develop two new hostel facilities in Boston and Houston and make improvements at others.

Meeting High Demand in Boston

As America’s college town and cradle of the nation’s history, Boston is a wonderful gateway to the United States. Whether visiting the historic Freedom Trail, famed Fenway Park or shopping on Newbury Street, millions of travelers come to Boston to enjoy all this great city has to offer.

Boston’s booming tourist market has grown in the past 4 consecutive years, including a 4% increase in international visitors in 2008. It is also a magnet for young visitors, who feel right at home among the 250,000 students studying in Boston and Cambridge.

In total, the Campaign for Hostelling seeks to raise $3 million over three years. There are many opportunities for you to invest and build a brighter future through hostelling. For more information, please contact Hostelling International USA at

888-449-8727 or [email protected].

How You Can Help

HI-USA’s current Boston hostel has had phenomenal success welcoming guests from all over the globe and here at home. This 205-bed hostel has come close to a 100% occupancy rate for the past five years.

Because the current Boston hostel is always at full capacity and the tourism market there continues to grow, expanding this successful hostel is a top priority for HI-USA.

HI-USA will open a new, larger hostel in Boston with 380 beds—almost double the beds available in the current hostel — in a 60,000 square foot building. The new hostel will be close to public transportation, provide handicap accessibility, and offer even more space for meetings and activities.

In addition, the green facility will be energy efficient and LEED certified. Thus the new hostel will also allow us to share sound environmental practices with all visitors.

The new Boston hostel will cost over $30 million. The sale of the existing hostel property and financing will cover most of this cost. But we must raise an additional $1 million from loyal HI-USA supporters to take this new Boston hostel from architectural drawings to real bricks and mortar.

Filling a Gap in Houston

Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States, hosts 1.1 million international travelers each year. It is a key point of departure to and arrival from Latin American countries. Five universities and a major medical center are also located here. Despite this natural market for low-cost accommodations, Houston offers budget travelers few options.

HI-USA has received a generous bequest from longtime hosteller Morty Rich, now totaling $400,000, to open a hostel in Houston. We have completed market research that confirms a demand for at least 13,000 overnight stays in Houston annually. Based on this research, HI-USA is actively reviewing suitable locations to open a new hostel in Houston.

The new hostel will serve both individual hostellers and school-age groups. It will include all the amenities HI-USA hostels are known for—clean, well-kept rooms, a

community kitchen for low-cost meal preparation, shower and laundry facilities and knowledgeable and friendly staff.

To open our Houston hostel, HI-USA must raise an additional $250,000 from supporters who believe that Houston deserves a first-rate hostel. Additional building costs will be covered by bank financing and the generous bequest from Morty Rich.

Strengthening the American Hostel Network at Mid-Sized and Smaller Hostels

Though Boston and Houston are HI-USA’s largest capital projects right now, hostels throughout our entire network also have regular needs for building improvements.

Often, hostels take on fundraising campaigns or secure bank financing for these projects, but still require additional financial help from HI-USA’s national office. This is especially true of smaller hostels that give travelers invaluable experiences in lesser-known corners of America, but rarely earn enough to cover the costs of upkeep or improvements to their buildings.

The Campaign for Hostelling will invest $250,000 to cover the costs of improvements to mid-sized and smaller hostels throughout our network.

Gifts from our supporters will help ensure vital projects like these are not delayed or ignored:

• Kitchen renovations (average cost of $10,000 to $50,000 per hostel).

• Roof repair and replacement (average cost of $10,000 to $25,000 per hostel).

• Purchase of new mattresses and frames (average cost of $250 per bed and $500 per bunk).

• Bathroom upgrades (average cost of $10,000 per bathroom).

• Ecology sensitive construction and practices (including $250 per hostel for adding recycling programs; $10,000 to $25,000 per hostel for new energy efficient windows; and $10,000 to $15,000 for solar hot water system).

Goal: Reaching and Inspiring the Next Generation of Hostellers - $500,000

Every day, HI-USA is giving young people unique opportunities to open their eyes—and their hearts and minds—to new perspectives. These

exciting programs are essential to building a safer, more peaceful, and sustainable future for our children and grandchildren.

Our Opening Doors, Opening Minds programs are targeted to both hostel guests and young people from local communities. Our programs provide a way for young people to step outside their everyday experiences and discover the languages, foods and cultures that make our world such a rich tapestry.

Response to these programs has been phenomenal and there is a big demand for expansion to more hostels and communities across the country. But to strengthen our most popular programs—and increase their reach—HI-USA must raise an additional $500,000 in funding.

Your support today will help inspire the next generation of hostellers with programs like:

Cultural Kitchen

Cultural Kitchen gives young people a unique chance to expand their vision of the world beyond the borders of their neighborhoods and cities that they might not otherwise be able to leave. Cultural Kitchen opens their minds to the world and its many cultures. Designed for students ages eight to 18, Cultural Kitchen includes five classroom-based sessions that teach young people about a new culture through hands-on, interactive lessons.

The program culminates with a visit to their local hostel, where young people prepare a meal from the culture they have studied, then break bread and interact with

international travelers. When possible, students also spend the night at the hostel to expose them to the full travel experience.

HI-USA’s goal is to expand this valuable program and make it available for all communities that want to participate.

Community Walls

One of the hallmarks of the hostelling experience is connecting travelers from different corners of the world to local people and culture.

Through our Community Walls program, HI-USA is engaging local youth groups to share what it’s like to live in their hometown through artistic expression. The artwork gives a unique perspective on daily life in the local community, including traditions, ethnic communities, can’t-miss food and more. In return, the young people who create the walls get the opportunity to meet and learn from travelers from other countries.

Completed Community Walls are displayed at HI-USA hostels and communities nationwide.

We know that the Community Walls are a great way for young people from small towns to big cities to celebrate the culture richness of their communities. But additional funding is needed to expand the reach of this fun and educational program that gets to the heart of what hostelling is all about.

Exchange Neighborhoods

Chicago Exchange Neighborhoods program builds connections between high school students from neighborhoods that are often segregated and culturally isolated.

Through an exchange program with a nearby high school, students explore each others’ cultures and



In total, the Campaign for Hostelling seeks to raise $3 million over three years. Programs like these, which are helping open minds and hearts to other cultures in our own backyards and around the world, are vitally important today. Your support can help broaden someone’s horizon and change forever a life. For more information, please contact Hostelling International USA at 888-449-8727 or

[email protected].

How You Can Help

develop greater understanding of, and respect for, themselves, their peers and cultural diversity. They have the opportunity to see and get to know each other as individuals and overcome prejudices and fears that can lead to violence and gang crime.

With your help, HI-USA will expand this program to other communities—because our mission of promoting cross-cultural understanding cannot succeed if young people cannot even see beyond their own immediate neighborhoods.

World Travel 101

Many people in the U.S. never travel here at home or abroad because of the high cost or fears about safety. Through our World Travel 101 seminars, HI-USA gives young people and adults the tools to travel safely on a budget and opens the door to a world of exploration and discovery.

Our travel education seminars focus on how to be a responsible, culturally sensitive traveler on a shoestring budget. From great tips on airfare, lodging, packing and paperwork, HI-USA is inspiring the community of open-minded travelers.

Greater resources are needed now to help more of our citizens – of all ages - gain the needed insights within World Travel 101.

IOU Respect

IOU Respect is a program that sows seeds of understanding between youth from Western countries and their peers in predominantly Muslim nations. This international exchange program is a partnership with our sister hostelling associations in Egypt, France, Germany, Morocco, Tunisia and the U.S. Together, we further world peace by bringing people together.

IOU Respect is an intensive experience of living, sharing and learning together for two weeks in an effort to overcome cultural divides. Geared to youth between ages 18 and 23, this program emphasizes dialogue and learning opportunities that increase young people’s tolerance of and respect for one another. These values are the foundation of lasting peace.

HI-USA plans to expand its role as a host country in the years ahead but will need considerable new resources to do so.

“There Are Lots of Different Perspectives Beyond Their Own”Eileen Skidmore, Portland, OR

I’ve been leading Girl Scout trips for 25 years, but it was only five years ago that I first took my girls to one of Hostelling International USA’s World Travel workshops here in Portland. It was the beginning of a beautiful partnership.

Now we do a combined workshop several times a year. This workshop really helps our kids get ready for their travels.

I’ve taken girls from troops here in Oregon to New York, Washington, DC, Alaska and all over Europe through the years. No matter where we go, I see girls really come out of their shells. Like all teenagers, it’s natural for them to see things through the lens of the community they come from. But travelling helps them realize that there are lots of different perspectives beyond their own.

From helping me get our girls prepared through the World Travel 101 workshops to always knowing we’ll have a clean, affordable place to stay, Hostelling International USA is invaluable. Without hostelling, many of these girls would never have the chance to travel outside our state. The Girl Scouts and Hostelling make that possible. And that’s pretty priceless.

“Community Walls Was the Start of a Whole New Way of Looking at the World”Joanne Dynak, Harwood Heights, IL

Because of my experience with Hostelling International USA’s Community Walls program three years ago, I signed up for the World Cultures class my freshman year of high school. It was my favorite class and really lit a spark in me. Now I want to have a career doing humanitarian work and helping people in different parts of the world some day.

The purpose of our Community Wall was to create a mural that would help travelers learn about the special, unique things in our community.

It was amazing to bring our Community Wall mural to the hostel in Chicago and spend the night. I met a girl who lived in China for years and a couple of girls from Ireland. It was really interesting to learn about how different their lives were… and how they were like me, too.

For me, Community Walls was the start of a whole new way of looking at the world. I got a new appreciation of the places in my own back yard and of all the places I want to explore when I get older.

Goal: Building A Solid Foundation for the Future of Hostelling - $1,000,000

In today’s world, many nonprofit organizations have come to recognize the critical nature of growing an endowment. The concept is as ingenious as it is simple.

A gift to an endowment fund is never spent. Instead, it is invested and each year a portion of the earnings is made available to be spent for fulfilling the organization’s mission. The remaining portion of the earnings is returned to the fund to increase the fund’s value and provide for future spending.

Over time, the amount of money available for the work of the mission will far exceed the value of the donor’s original gift. And because gifts to the endowment fund are never spent, the fund will provide support for the charitable cause forever. How many other things can we do in our life that will have a definite impact forever?

Endowment gifts can be made for general support to give HI-USA optimal flexibility to use funds where they are needed most or can also be restricted to a specific program of your choice.

Hostelling International USA’s current endowment stands at almost $1 million. To help provide for the future needs of the organization, the Campaign for Hostelling will invest an additional $1 million, doubling the size of the current endowment.

This investment is especially important during times of uncertainty. With the reserves created from our endowment, HI-USA will have a permanent source of guaranteed income to cover expenses for our hostels, programs and general operating expenses.

More importantly, a strong endowment signals our commitment to ensuring that the hostelling movement and programs that foster intercultural understanding remain strong for decades to come.



Making The World A Better Place for All of UsLoren & Barbara Nelson, Silver City, NM

I first plunged into hostelling on a 10-day, 1,000 kilometer solo cycling trip around Sweden in 1990. The instant camaraderie and people I met made a great experience even better. So when a friend asked me to join the Board of HI-Minnesota, it felt like a natural.

Over the years, I’ve learned that hostelling is about so much more than bricks and mortar. As an educator, I especially admire all that HI-USA is doing to help young people understand other cultures with programs like IOU Respect and Cultural Kitchen. That’s the side of hostelling that nurtures the true spirit of internationalism and makes the world a better place for all of us.

A few years ago, a group of girls from inner-city Detroit made a presentation to the National Board about their hostelling trip in New York City. The confidence they had in themselves as a result of their trip and their eagerness to tell us about all the different people they met was a powerful reminder of the doors hostelling can open up for young people.

Those kinds of transformations inspired my wife Barb and me to make Hostelling International USA one of the beneficiaries of our estate. We want to do our part to keep hostelling going strong. Putting HI-USA in our will allowed us to make a larger gift than we could ever make out of our current income. And that feels really good.

In total, the Campaign for Hostelling seeks to raise $3 million over three years. You can help strengthen the future of hostelling and its positive impact on individuals, communities and countries. For more information, please contact Hostelling International

USA at 888-449-8727 or [email protected].

How You Can Help

... a strong endowment signals our commitment to

ensuring that the hostelling movement

and programs that foster intercultural

understanding remain strong for

decades to come.

A World of Understanding

Imagine…. Laughter, music, and conversation drift from the hostel into the night. Aglow

with lights and life, it is a welcoming haven for weary travelers. This place invites children and adults to leave their prejudices at the door and really listen, talk with, and learn about people from their own city and from around the globe.

Perhaps the guests include:

•a foreign student, grateful to have found a friendly base from which todiscover all this community has to offer;

•amiddle-agewomanwho’sbeenexploringthesightswithpeopleshemetinthehostelandisnoweagertorelaxandengagewithmoreinterestingpeople;

•agroupofbicyclists,usingthekitchenfacilitiestoprepareamuchneededmeal after biking around the city;

•afamilythat isgratefultohavefoundsuchanaffordableandsafeplace to stay.

For more than 100 years, hostels throughout the world have been bringing people togetherwiththeexpresspurposeoffosteringagreaterunderstandingoftheworldand its people.

Begun by German school teacher Richard Schirrmann in 1909, hostels now connect people from different cultures in nearly every corner of the world and bring thehostellingexperiencetomillionsofpeopleeachyear.

The American hostel movement was born in 1934, when Isabel and Monroe Smith brought the vision of building a better world through hostelling to America and opened the first U.S. youth hostel in Northfield, Massachusetts. With its 75th Anniversary in 2009 and counting, Hostelling International USA (formerly known as American Youth Hostels) is proud of our solid track record of achievement.

Travel is fatal to

prejudice, bigotry,

and narrow-

mindedness.

Mark Twain



Worldwide Impact

ButatHI-USA,wedon’tmeasureoursuccessbyhowmany beds we provide or educational programs we offer. We hold ourselves to a much higher standard. Our goal is nothing less than to create a better world.

We do that by providing a forum for people of all ages – especially young people – to forge relationships across borders and communities within U.S. cities to better understand the diverse and inter-connectedworld we live in.

U.S. Presidents have long recognized the importance ofthistypeofglobaltravelandculturalexchange:

Hostelling is the best education I ever had, far better than schools.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Only by knowing and understanding each other’s experiences can we find common ground on which we can examine and resolve our differences.

President Jimmy Carter

There is a flickering spark in us all which, if struck at just the right age … can light the rest of our lives, elevating our ideas, deepening our tolerance and sharpening our appetite for knowledge. Educational and cultural exchanges … provide a perfect opportunity for this special spark to grow.

President Ronald Reagan

The Campaign for Hostelling seeks to ensure the ‘spark’ lit by travel and cultural exchange keepsburning for generations to come. We invite your participation as we continue to create a global and nationwide community of travelers. Together we can build a better world through hostelling.

Quality Hostel Facilities & Programs

HI-USA operates a network of nearly 70 quality hostelaccommodations throughout the United States and provides more than 1 million overnight stays per year. About 55% of our guests are international travelers.

HI-USA hostels range from our flagship location onManhattan’s Upper West Side, which is the nation’slargest at 672 beds, to hostels that are off the beaten path and sleep only several dozen guests. From small accommodations in beautiful natural areas, like Nantucket Island in Massachusetts and Pigeon Point in California, to large urban hostels in cities like Chicago and Washington, DC, this wide range of sizes and geography means each hostelstayisunique.ItisalsoakeypartofwhatmakesHI-USAsoversatile.

Over the past two decades, Hostelling International USA has developed an innovative set of educational programs to foster cultural sensitivity. Today, these programs are thriving at our hostels and communities nationwide.

Our goal is nothing less

than to create a better world.

Building the Future – The Campaign for Hostelling

The Growing Importance of Hostelling

Our world has never needed hostelling more than it does today.

Wars fueled by ethnic and religious differences rage on many continents. The environmental impacts of climate change threaten hundreds of millions of the world’s citizens. The

recent economic crisis demonstrates how our economic prosperity is interconnected with all the countries of the world.

Now more than ever, the world needs an informed and competent global citizenry to tackle these challenges. The leaders of tomorrow need opportunities today to develop skills for understanding, acceptingandappreciatingculturaldifferences.Byprovidingaccesstoaffordabletravel,HI-USAbroadensaccesstomeaningfulinterculturalexperiencesfordomesticandinternationaltravelers.Plus, our education and outreach programs inspire tens of thousands of students to stretch beyond their neighborhoods — and even their countries — to bridge regional differences here in the U.S. and see the world through a global lens.

Infact,wearealreadyexperiencingrapidlygrowingdemandforhostelstays.In the past five years, the number of overnights in our hostels has increased over 25 percent. Our hostels are brimming with energy and activity!

Thedemandexceedswhatwecanofferwithcurrentresources.Existinghostelswithout-datedinfrastructure and insufficient capacity are particularly vulnerable due to rising costs. There are manyplacesintheU.S.thatneedahostelanddon’thaveone.Plus,despitetremendoussuccesswithouroutreachandeducationprograms,welacktheresourcestoexpandthoseeffortstotheentire hostel network.

Inordertocontinueoursuccess—andexpandourreach—wemustmakeamajorinvestmentinU.S.hostellingnow.That’swhattheCampaignforHostellingisallabout.Inthefollowingpages,you’ll read about our plans to improve existing hostels, expand our network with new hostelfacilitiesandstrengthenouroutreachtothenextgenerationofhostellers.



Always AffordableJane Benoit, Oceanside, CA

Asaretiredwomanonasmallpension,myincomedidn’tallowme to stay in a hotel every month when I visited my mother at her nursinghomeinSanFrancisco. I joinedHI-USAsoI’dhaveanaffordable alternative.

But thehostel inSanFranciscowasmore thanan inexpensiveplace to stay. On one of my first trips, I was pleasantly surprised that the three women in my assigned room were international visitors. One of them—a woman named Maarit—invited me to dinner and jazz. We’ve remained friends for years and sheconsiders me her “American Auntie.” Last year, we met up in San Francisco once again and found the accommodations had gotten evenbetter….Nowbreakfastisservedatnoextracost!

Without HI-USA, it would have been a financial strain to spend time with my mother in the last years of her life. Plus, I would have missed out on opportunities to meet a lifelong friend like Maarit.

Open Doors at Any AgeGary W. Myers, American Fork, UT

In the summer of 1972, when I was 20 years old, I grabbed a backpackandlefttoseetheworld.Overthenext10months,Ivisited 30 countries all over Europe and the Middle East andthrivedon theyouthhostelexperience. Eachevening Ieagerlylooked forward to the gathering of travelers in the kitchen and common room. We shared our meals, took tea together, played games with each other and traded stories about our adventures. I learned as much from those times with other young people [in the hostels] as I did later at the University.

Withfondmemoriesofthisexperience,mywifeof30yearsandItravelled to New Zealand this year and stayed in hostels at every opportunity. While most travelers were younger, each hostel had its share of seniors like me. We got to enjoy visiting and sharing experienceswithnew friends fromaround theworld. Now my wife has a better understanding of the camaraderie that goes hand-in-hand with hostelling.Andshe’sjustasenthusiasticasI am about our youngest daughter’s plans to see the world—hostelling all the way.

Urgent Need for Action

Hostelling International USA understands the stakes for our world could not be higher. The challenges we face demand an informed and competent global citizenry.

HI-USA is preparing the citizens of tomorrow for involvement in a complex world through affordable travel, cultural exchange and experiential learning. But our work today is at a critical crossroads and demandsaninfluxofnewresources.

The Campaign for Hostelling seeks to raise $3 million overthreeyearstoensurethatHI-USAhastheresourcesneeded to thrive today and for years to come. Our campaignhasthreeover-archinggoals:

Goal 1: Improving and Expanding our Hostel Network To ensure a high quality experience for travelers, we must invest in our infrastructure. The Campaign for Hostelling will dedicate $1.5 million to develop two new hostel facilities and make improvements at others.

Goal 2: Reaching and Inspiring the Next Generation of Hostellers To keep hostelling vibrant and attract new people, we must invest in educational and cultural programs within hostels and communities. The Campaign for Hostelling will invest $500,000 to strengthen vital on-going programs and expand their reach across our 70 hostels and across the U.S.

Goal 3: Building a Solid Foundation for the Future of Hostelling The Campaign for Hostelling will invest $1 million to double the size of our current endowment. Endowment dollars will not be spent today, but invested to help provide a permanent source of guaranteed income to secure the future of hostelling.

If you believe that the best way to solve community and global problems is to bring together people with different perspectives to listen with an open heart and mind….

If you believe that travel, intercultural understanding, and a willingness to work together help create a better world for everyone ……

Then please consider investing in The Campaign and help build a brighter future through hostelling.

For more information, please contact Hostelling InternationalUSAat888-449-8727 or [email protected].



Hostelling International USA has a clear vision for an even stronger future. The road toward that vision has been mapped out, but we need your help to take the important next steps. We invite you to join us on this journey. Together we can build a better United States and world through hostelling.

Hostelling International USA is a tax-exempt, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization supported largely by income generated by its hostels. However, in order to better “help all, especially the young, gain a greater understanding of the world and its people,” we need you.

In 2003, we changed our name from American Youth Hostels to Hostelling International USA to reflect that we are open to all ages, and are the one and only USA affiliate of the globally recognized Hostelling International network. We are proud to be part of this remarkable global family that offers some 4,000 hostels in over 80 countries.

Hostelling International USA launched the Campaign for Hostelling to build on our past success and create through hostelling a brighter future for our citizens and people throughout the world. The overall goal of the campaign is $3 million over three years.

There are many ways you can support the Campaign and the most common method of support is by making an outright gift of cash by check or credit card. We have also outlined some additional giving options below and encourage you to contact us at any time if you have any questions.

Taking the Next Step in Hostelling:

How You Can Help

Together we can build a

better United States and

world through

hostelling.

Commemorative Gifts

With a commemorative gift, you can make your donation “in honor of” or “in memory of” a family member, friend or organization. It’s a great way to show someone you care while also contributing to a strong future for hostelling.

Gifts of Stock or Other Appreciated Assets

If you have stocks you have owned for a long time, a gift of stock may be an excellent way to accomplish your charitable goals. Some advisors argue that stock is the very best asset to donate to charity. When you donate stock that has appreciated in value over time, you realize a two-fold tax savings. First, you don’t pay tax on capital gains and second, you receive a charitable deduction on your federal income tax for the value of the stock.

Legacy Gifts

To make the future of hostelling part of your lasting legacy, consider including Hostelling International USA in your estate plans. An HI-USA representative will be happy to talk with you about including us in your will, or as a beneficiary of life insurance or retirement plans.

Naming Opportunities

As part of our Campaign for Hostelling, Hostelling International USA is pleased to offer numerous opportunities to name select buildings, facilities and rooms in honor of gifts of various sizes. Please contact us to learn more about these opportunities.

Corporate Matching Gifts

If you or your spouse is affiliated with a company that participates in a matching gift program, you may be able to double or triple the impact of your donation. Please check with your human resources office to obtain a matching gift form and enclose it with your gift. We will complete the form and return it to your company to realize even more resources for our work.

To discuss any of these options, please feel free to contact Hostelling International USA

By phone: 888-449-8727

By mail: Hostelling International USA 8401 Colesville Rd., Suite 600 Silver Spring, MD 20910

By email: [email protected]

You may also return the enclosed participation form to let us know of your intentions.

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

Dear Friend of Hostelling,

I am very proud to lead our effort in the Campaign for Hostelling. Travel at a young age changed my life as I believe it changed yours. My experience was possible through the generosity of an aunt, but not all of us can be so fortunate.

Over the past 75 years, Hostelling International USA has been increasing global understanding by making travel and cultural exchange more accessible and affordable to all, especially the young.

When you visit one of our 70 U.S. hostels, you might hear a dozen languages or meet people from a dozen different countries. But you will also find a single, common attitude… a willingness to greet a stranger as a friend and to listen with an open heart and an open mind.

That’s the spirit of hostelling that inspires me to seek your help to expand and strengthen our movement through the Campaign for Hostelling. This three-year Campaign began in 2009 with the celebration of the 75th anniversary of U.S. hostelling and the 100th anniversary of global hostelling.

In the pages that follow, I invite you to learn about our plans for hostelling— and for the world. And, I invite you to travel with me on a journey to a better world by supporting this critically important campaign. Our lives were enriched by hostelling and I want to assure that the same opportunity exists for our children and their children.

Sincerely,

Glenn Azuma Campaign Chair

campaign for hostelling - impact communications...of the high cost or fears about safety. through...

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