Airbnb Directs $50K In Grants To Atlanta-Based Russell Innovation Center For Entrepreneurship

• Airbnb launched the Airbnb Community Fund in 2020 to invest $100 million by the end of 2030 and strengthen communities worldwide.
• The 2023 Community Fund grants include $10 million directed to 100+ nonprofits across 40+ countries on six continents.
• The grants build on Airbnb’s ongoing work with organizations to address issues that are important to Hosts in the US, including advancing economic empowerment, promoting sustainability, and ending abuse.

As part of our commitment to sharing our success with our stakeholders, Airbnb launched the Airbnb Community Fund in 2020 to invest $100 million USD by the end of 2030 and strengthen communities around the world. Today, we’re excited to announce our 2023 Community Fund grants, which include more than $3 million directed to 40 nonprofits across the US. In total, Airbnb granted $10 million to organizations on six continents around the world in 2023. 

Selected in collaboration with Airbnb Hosts and employees, these organizations tackle issues that are important to our community, including expanding economic empowerment opportunities, promoting sustainability, and ending abuse in communities across the US.

Building a more inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem

Several of the Community Fund grants in the US are going to organizations that support our ongoing efforts to build a more inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem and help diverse communities benefit from the tourism economy. These include the Brotherhood Crusade in Los Angeles, the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs in Atlanta, the Washington Area Community Investment Fund in Washington, DC, and the Hispanic Wealth Project.

Each of these organizations shares a commitment to closing the wealth gap and have been partnering with Airbnb as part of the Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy, an entrepreneurship development program focused on introducing people — especially those from historically underrepresented communities — to hosting on our platform. Thanks to collaboration with these organizations and others, more than 1,000 people across the US have participated in the Academy since 2021, learning how they can become an entrepreneur by turning their spare room or property into a source of extra income.

Creating more sustainable communities

Other US Community Fund recipients include The Nature Conservancy, Rewiring America, the National Indian Carbon Coalition (a program of the Indian Land Tenure Foundation), Trust for Public Land, and Urban Green Lab in Nashville, all of which are pioneering innovative approaches to address the climate crisis. Grants to these organizations are aligned with Airbnb’s vision of creating a more sustainable company and community.

Beginning in 2022, Airbnb launched pilot programs across the UK, France, and the US to help Hosts make their homes more energy efficient. We’ve also been working to educate Hosts in the US about the benefits of electrifying their homes and how they can take advantage of incentives offered through the Inflation Reduction Act to lower both their carbon footprint and their energy bills. To further support Hosts in taking action toward sustainability, with the support of the Community Fund, Airbnb has continued to invest in new sustainability pilots.

Ending abuse and exploitation

For many years, Airbnb has taken meaningful steps to support efforts to end trafficking and exploitation in all its forms. Since 2020, we’ve partnered with leading anti-trafficking organization Polaris to train Hosts, guests, and Airbnb employees on how trafficking happens and signs that could be cause for concern, as well as how to report and respond to suspected trafficking. We’ve also teamed up with It’s a Penalty to educate our community on how to identify and report suspected trafficking ahead of major sporting events. In 2023, Airbnb became the first home-sharing platform to sign The Code, a pledge created by ECPAT, to help combat child trafficking and exploitation.

Community Fund grants to organizations like the Florida Alliance To End Human Trafficking, the National Organization of Sisters of Color Ending Sexual Assault, Houston Area Women’s Center, Kristi House in Miami, and Thistle Farms in Nashville build upon these efforts to end abuse and exploitation in communities across the US.