A Q&A with Renée Wagner, Director of Marketing, about the inspiration behind beCause Destination Matters, ResorTime’s new giving initiative.

Q:  How did beCause Destination Matters come about?

A:   We’re in the hospitality industry, so it’s natural that each of us is passionate about improving lives. We do that every day through the experiences we give our guests, but we wanted to take this further by also giving back. As we were deciding what cause to support, we asked our most loyal customers to tell us what Time Away…Time Together means to them. One story that jumped out was about an owner who used her vacation to serve an impoverished community in Haiti. It instantly inspired us to make this about the community of people we serve, not about us as an organization. We decided to create a platform where our owners and guests could nominate an organization and the community would vote to decide which cause we would support. What matters to our owners and guests, matters to us.

Q:  How does the program work?

A:   Owners and guests can submit their favorite causes on the ResorTime website. Often, it’s something they are personally involved with and there’s an incredible story behind their passion. The cause with the most votes at the end of each quarter receives a $2,500 donation. We’re also helping to get the word out about these deserving causes through our blog and social media presence.

Q:  Tell me more about the owner that inspired this program.

A:   Her name is Sharon, and she went to Haiti for a week to help build a school. Sharon described the experience to us as bittersweet—she loved spending time with the children, but she was also shocked by the level of poverty she encountered. Sharon wrote that she went to Haiti thinking she would help change someone else’s life, but it was her life that was changed forever. She hopes to return soon with her husband.

Share your giving back story with us at www.resortime.com/giving.