At Starwood, we are committed to improving the communities in which we work. Starwood associates everywhere are making a difference in their communities by becoming mentors, volunteering in local clean-up days, building homes for low-income families, providing assistance to those in need and raising funds to support charitable organizations.

In 2000, Starwood made a commitment to America's Promise - The Alliance for Youth to encourage every associate in the United States to volunteer at least eight hours a year in activities that benefit children.  To support our commitment, we partner with organizations such as City Cares, Habitat for Humanity, Junior Achievement and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

At Starwood, we support and encourage volunteer service as an opportunity for associates to give back to their communities while building a sense of team cohesion and purpose with one another. At the same time, these activities are opportunities for us to reinforce our presence in our local marketplaces and strengthen ties with local partners.

Community Affairs
Starwood strives to enrich the quality of life for millions of children and their families in the communities we serve around the world. The Community Affairs department of Starwood Hotels & Resorts focuses its charitable giving in the concentrated areas of education, children, health-related causes, cultural institutions, humanitarian projects, and varied diversity partnerships.

The Community Affairs department reviews all not-for-profit sponsorship opportunities/national partnerships and in-kind auction package requests on a monthly cycle and must approve all donations. Funding approval is based on the department's philosophy that each contribution should serve a major public purpose, make a difference and encourage associate volunteerism; and the benefiting organizations should be located in areas where Starwood has a strong hotel or corporate presence, as well as representation of associates, shareholders and customers.

Proposals for Community Affairs' consideration must be submitted in writing and include the following in accordance with charitable giving guidelines and criteria:

• Cover letter of explanation documenting request
• Sponsorship packet on charitable endeavor
• Promotional materials (e.g., Annual Report/Financial Statement, press clips, brochures, etc. ) related to not-for-profit institution
• Federal IRS tax exemption Letter of Determination 501(c)(3) certificate certifying charity's EIN and not-for-profit tax code status.