Global Down Syndrome Foundation joins forces with
Inspirato’s Inspired Giving

Luxury vacation experiences give hope for improving life for people with Down syndrome
__________________________________________________________________________________

DENVER, May 30, 2012 – On a mission to dramatically improve medical care and enhance research related to Down syndrome, the Global Down Syndrome Foundation is tapping into an innovative way of fundraising for its cause. In a new partnership with Denver-based Inspirato – the destination club for a new generation of luxury consumers – the Global Down Syndrome Foundation is diversifying its fundraising strategies through an array of exclusive luxury vacation experiences that are now open to the Global Down Syndrome Foundation’s donors.

Inspirato’s new Inspired Giving online giving platform, www.inspiredgiving.com, was designed to help charitable organizations like the Global Down Syndrome Foundation raise funds in a new way. Donors who contribute $2,000 to the Global Down Syndrome Foundation through the Inspired Giving website gain access to Inspirato’s club-managed portfolio of vacation residences and unparalleled personal vacation services in locations ranging from California and Colorado to Mexico and Hawaii.

The Inspired Giving donation model benefits the Global Down Syndrome Foundation in a number of ways:

  • For every $2,000 donated to the Global Down Syndrome Foundation through Inspirato’s Inspired Giving website, the donor gains one-time access to an Inspirato luxury vacation – priced at up to 50 percent under market value, and bypassing the $15,000 Inspirato membership fee.
  • Inspirato contributes one Inspired Giving vacation experience that the Global Down Syndrome Foundation can auction to raise funds. Of those contributed monies, 100 percent goes back to the Global Down Syndrome Foundation.
  • For every new Inspirato membership that is generated from a Global Down Syndrome Foundation donor through Inspired Giving, the company gives $2,000 to the Global Down Syndrome Foundation as an Inspired Giving partner.

The alliance helps the Global Down Syndrome Foundation develop a significant source of revenue year-round. Two major donation opportunities will be available to the foundation’s supporters in 2012. Inspired Giving’s luxury vacations will be auctioned at the “Be Beautiful Be Yourself” Gala in Washington D.C. on July 19, and the “Be Beautiful Be Yourself” Fashion Show in Denver on October 13. Monies earned will offset the costs of the events, whose net profits are directly applied to the foundation’s science and medical care programs.

Despite being the most frequently occurring chromosomal disorder (1 in 691 births), Down syndrome is the least funded genetic condition by the National Institutes of Health, receiving only 0.0007 percent of a $31 billion budget in 2010. “Down syndrome is the poster child for disabilities – and yet, it is swept under the rug when it comes to funding,” says Michelle Sie Whitten, executive director of the Global Down Syndrome Foundation. “Although our work is focused on eradicating the medical and cognitive ill effects associated with Down syndrome, the context in which we work is one of human and civil rights.”

“I am grateful to the Global Down Syndrome Foundation for the work they do,” said DeOndra Dixon, a self-advocate, “Be Beautiful, Be Yourself “ Fashion Show guest model and the Foundation’s first Ambassador. “But mostly, I’m excited that Michelle Sie Whitten and the Global Down Syndrome Foundation team work with me and my family to help me spread our message that people with Down syndrome are beautiful, brilliant, and capable of making our dreams come true!”

For the Global Down Syndrome Foundation’s supporters, the donation and vacation booking experience is simple: the donor is given access to Inspirato’s Inspired Giving exclusive web portal, www.inspiredgiving.com; selects the Global Down Syndrome Foundation as the charitable organization of choice; and makes a tax-deductible donation of $2,000. That donor is then able to book a vacation to a luxury Inspirato destination and enjoy all that Inspirato members enjoy, including: personalized service from an Inspirato vacation advisor, an on-site destination concierge, and luxurious accommodations ranging from intimate, couples-only, one-bedroom retreats to large, well-appointed homes in excess of 3,000 square feet.

“At Inspirato, we’re about opening new doors for people who want to see the world. Our partnership with the Global Down Syndrome Foundation is about bringing a new kind of hope to people with Down syndrome,” said Jackie Benton, executive director of Inspirato. “We hope that this new fundraising venture can help fill a gap where other funding mechanisms may fall short.”

About the Global Down Syndrome Foundation
The Global Down Syndrome Foundation is a public non-profit 501(c)(3) dedicated to significantly improving the lives of people with Down syndrome through research, medical care, education and advocacy. Formally established in 2009, the Foundation’s primary focus is to support the Linda Crnic Institute for Down syndrome, the first academic home in the U.S. committed to research and medical care for people with the condition. Fundraising and government advocacy that corrects the alarming disparity of national funding for people with Down syndrome is a major short-term goal. More information is available at www.globaldownsyndrome.org.

About Inspirato
Designed specifically for a new generation of luxury consumers, Inspirato offers the best of destination club consistency and service, together with unmatched value, flexibility and low-cost membership. Our members have access to an ever-growing portfolio of luxury homes in the world’s top destinations, including California, the Caribbean, Colorado, France, Hawaii, Italy, London, Mexico, New York City and more. By leasing vacation properties (rather than owning), Inspirato is able to keep membership fees low, offer more than 50 percent off market rates, and easily add homes and destinations as demand increases. Our innovative business model has led to rapid growth since our January 2011 launch, placing Inspirato at the forefront of the “luxury for less” movement. For more information about Inspirato, visit www.inspirato.com. Find Inspired Giving on Facebook.

###