Airbnb Debuts Donations Feature to Help Displaced People

Airbnb has announced their new donations initiative, allowing hosts to donate a portion of their income towards non-profit organisations that support housing needs. This new program seeks to bolster Airbnb’s nonprofit initiatives, and to help raise money for a variety of leading charitable organisations like the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the International Rescue Committee. In their press release regarding the new feature, the company reaffirms their goal to house 100,000 people by 2022, and sees this new donation feature as a key driver towards helping house those in need.

Since 2012, Airbnb has looked towards giving back to people and communities in need with their Open Homes program, which permits hosts to offer their homes to those without at no cost. From helping refugees and asylum seekers get settled in a new country to providing temporary housing for those affected by natural disasters, these programs have helped over 25,000 people find temporary housing. Now, Airbnb has committed to investing $20 million in 2019 in order to grow their platform and increase their contributions to nonprofit partners.

Airbnb recognises that while some hosts are able to contribute through the Open Homes program, others might not be in the right city or have the necessary space in order to host someone who needs a home. Now, hosts across the United States can easily select a percentage of their Airbnb income to donate, with 100% of their donations supporting housing needs through Airbnb’s trusted nonprofit partners. The company estimates that if every host in the United States contributed just one percent of their Airbnb earnings, partner organisations would be able to find temporary housing for two million people this year.

Hosts will have complete freedom over how much of a percentage of their Airbnb income will be donated, with Airbnb covering all of the processing fees of so everything donated goes towards helping those in need. Donating hosts will receive regular updates to hear how their contributions are helping out, and donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowable under United States tax law as a charitable contribution to the Open Homes Fund. From their host dashboard, hosts are able to modify or pause their donation percentage at any time and see their total donated amount this year to date.

Airbnb is currently working with nonprofit organisations like the International Rescue Committee, All Hands and Hearts Smart Response, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Mercy Corps. You can visit Airbnb’s donations page and their Open Homes page for more information on the company’s charitable efforts. While the donations feature is currently only available to hosts in the United States, Airbnb hopes to make donations available internationally in the near future.