WASHINGTON—The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AHLEF) is joining the #GivingTuesday movement this year by encouraging the industry to make donations towards scholarships and training programs for next-generation workers.
#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday to kick off the charitable season.
AHLEF relies on its volunteer donations to empower the next generation of hospitality leaders and to invest in important research for the industry. Donations are making it possible for the foundation to distribute $1.6 million for scholarships, educational programming, career development, and research grants.
This year, a record $851,500 is being awarded in academic scholarships to nearly 400 hospitality management students.
Financial support has enabled important industry research in areas such room tax, economic impact, and short-term online rentals. New career development initiatives are also being launched to train 2,250 apprentices over the next five years in the hospitality industry and grants to community-based organizations to recruit and develop “Opportunity Youth” in high-demand markets.
