The Collette Foundation
Location
About You
Location
Project Street Address
180 Middle Street
Project City
Pawtucket
Project Province/State
Rhode Island
Project Postal/Zip Code
02860
Project Country
United States
Innovation
Are you a traveler or a travel company?
Travel company.
Tell us your idea. What makes your idea innovative?
As the nation's oldest tour operator, Collette Vacations believes that as a travel company we have a responsibility to promote the idea of global citizenship by bringing to the attention of our travelers the plight of children in the worldwide destinations that we visit. The Collette Foundation is innovative in that it is dependent on a network of individuals connected through tourism, and who have a desire to be personally involved in enhancing the lives of people globally. This opportunity to give back is available to Collette Vacations employees, as well as travel partners and travelers.
Impact
What is the likely impact of your idea?
Each project has a task force to identify needs, manage programs, collaborate with foreign organizations, and allocate funding. Working for Collette Vacations brings the teams close to their causes by actually placing them on the ground to visit the sites they are working with, identify specific needs and monitor effectiveness. This hands-on approach is also available to Collette’s travelers on tour when passengers have the opportunity to visit Foundation sites and learn first-hand about these communities, their cultures, and their needs. One person at a time, one project at a time, one child at a time, the Foundation connects people in need around the world with people who want to give back.
What would it take to launch or spread your idea?
With an ambitious goal of helping the world's children, the demand for the Collette Foundation is endless so we welcome partnerships to help achieve faster results and more widespread impact. The foundation is completely financially and organizationally sustainable. A long-term commitment from Collette Vacations allows the foundation to build its principle to a sum that allows us to spend the interest on an annual basis ensuring existence for the Foundation.
This Entry is about (Issues)
Sustainability
Describe yourself as a social innovator.
Through the Foundation travelers are given an opportunity to gain a greater understanding of everyday life in the destination, and develop an emotional connection not only making lasting memories but often causing the traveler to become inspired to make a difference.
One traveler, while visiting a Foundation site in Peru was so touched by the joy she found that upon her return she mobilized her quilting group to make a quilt for each girl. She wanted the girls to know that people cared about them throughout the world.
A traveler who was moved by his experience visiting a pre-school in South Africa mobilized the support of his local Lions Club. The result was a monetary donation as well as a collection of school supplies which were delivered by members of the Collette Foundation South Africa Task Force.
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