The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Foundation is supporting the hospitality industry by distributing more than $130,000 in HSMAI Foundation COVID Relief Fund grants to more than 260 hospitality professionals around the world.
The HSMAI Foundation COVID Relief Fund was established in 2020 with the generous support of benefactors and individual donors. The fund provides HSMAI membership and educational grants for HSMAI programs to members and non-member industry professionals in need due to challenging circumstances related to the global pandemic.
- The first quarterly call for HSMAI Foundation COVID Relief Fund grant requests was distributed to all HSMAI global regions: Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East. The grants represented a mix of educational services and programs.
- 50 percent of grants were for membership.
- 28 percent of the grants were for certification and online education.
- 22 percent of the grants were for other educational programs around the globe.
Many of the hospitality professionals who applied needed assistance due to furloughs and layoffs because of pandemic downsizing, reduced budgets for professional development, and the desire to improve their knowledge for industry recovery.
“It is humbling to see hospitality professionals and organizations pull together to support our industry,” said Michelle Woodley, chair-elect of the HSMAI Foundation, chair of the Fundraising Task Team, and president of Preferred Hotels & Resorts. “Recognizing that there is so much untapped potential out there. the HSMAI Foundation COVID Relief Fund aims to give that potential a chance to shine. The hospitality industry will need stronger leadership and more support than ever throughout the recovery process, and we are happy to help supply grants to hundreds of deserving professionals around the world.”
The HSMAI Foundation will release a second call for grant requests later in 2021 and hope that more donations to the fund will broaden the impact. For more information, visit the HSMAI Foundation online.
Thank you to all the HSMAI Foundation COVID Relief Fund donors for your generous support. The fund wouldn’t be possible without contributions from Randy Smith and the Carolyn Smith Foundation, IDeaS Revenue Solutions, and individual donors including past and present HSMAI Foundation leaders Hoyt Bacon, Mike Leven, and Flo Lugli, among many others. On Global Meetings Industry Day 2021, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts pledged to give back to the hospitality industry by donating a portion of Rosewood Rewards’ purchases to the fund. The HSMAI Foundation appreciates every contribution.
Hospitality companies and individuals are welcome to support the HSMAI Foundation and the COVID Relief Fund by making a donation. To learn more and give, visit Support the HSMAI Foundation online.
