Airbnb features Nepal appeal on its front page
Howard Lake | 3 May 2015 | News
Global accommodation platform Airbnb has added a fundraising appeal for the victims of last week’s earthquake in Nepal to its front page.
With the headline ‘Nepal needs our help‘, the site invites users to “join us in lending a helping hand”. Specifically it is encouraging donations from around the world for Oxfam, Mercy Corps and Unicef.
Donations to Oxfam are being handled by online giving platform ammado. In countries where Oxfam operates as a registered charity donors will be able to make tax-efficient donations.
Yeterday Airbnb emailed their global distribution list of millions in 50 languages to highlight the appeal, and the company has launched a social media campaign in support of Nepal.
Disaster response tool
Airbnb has also activated its disaster response tool, offering what it does best which is access to accommodation. “If you’re looking for a place to stay, you can connect with people in your area who’re offering to host for free”.
This tool was developed following the charitable actions of 1,400 Airbnb hosts in New York in October 2012 who “opened doors and cooked meals for those left stranded during Superstorm Sandy”.
Airbnb’s front page appeal for three NGOs helping in the wake of the Nepal earthquake
Major online communities and publishers have donated space on their front pages to disaster appeals since the late 1990s. Apple, Amazon, Yahoo!, Google and Facebook have all featured fundraising appeals following disasters such as the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks in the USA, the 2004 South East Asian Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, the 2010 Haiti earthquake, and Typhoon Haiyan.
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.