Donation

The Marcus Whitman Hotel & Conference Center supports programs that bring comfort, inspiration, and opportunity to families across the Pacific Northwest. We are primarily focused on improving the health and well-being of children in crisis, by giving to non-profit organizations in the fields of education (excluding school fundraisers), healthcare, and the arts.

It is important to note that The Marcus Whitman Hotel & Conference Center does not fulfill monetary donation requests of any kind. Company policy allows for the donation of one room-night gift certificate per accepted request—with no additional provision for hotel food & beverage service. Additional room-night gift certificates may be purchased at the hotel’s special non-profit rate. Purchase details are provided with the hotel’s confirmation response to all donation requests.

*Donated room-night gift certificates are not valid for weekend stays during the months of April, May, June, July, August, September, and October. Purchased room-night gift certificates are valid year-round for weekend and weekday accommodations. Other restrictions may apply, subject to general room availability and other conditions.

Based on our guiding principles, The Marcus Whitman Hotel & Conference Center does not consider charitable-donation requests under the following circumstances:

• The request is made by an individual, or for-profit corporation
• The request is made to benefit an individual athlete, or sports team
• The request is made to benefit a religious, social, fraternal, political, or athletic organization serving a limited constituency
• The request intended as a giveaway prize, raffle prize, prize for employee volunteer recognition, or incentive award
• The request is made by a “pass-through” organization, to raise money on behalf of another organization
• The request is made by an organization that advocates for, is in support of, or practices activities that are inconsistent with the hotel’s non-discrimination policies based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or status as a protected veteran

The Marcus Whitman Hotel & Conference Center Charitable Giving Committee reviews the bulk of coming-year donation requests each Fall, during the hotel’s annual budget deliberations. As such, organizations are encouraged to submit applications for gift certificates in the months of September and October, to allow the Giving Committee ample time to consider requests in the context of projected budget allocations. Typically, donation requests made after the first of each year must compete for an extremely diminished pool of available gift certificates from the total budgeted inventory, given to the Charitable Giving Committee at the close of budget deliberations. Organizations that are able to make donation requests well in advance of upcoming charitable events (2-4 months), will significantly improve the likelihood of success.

Please be aware that approval, creation, and distribution of donated gift certificates can take up to four weeks—and that donation requests received less than six weeks prior to any charitable event date will not be accepted for consideration.

Organizations submitting information through the hotel’s online donation request form will receive an automated email message confirming receipt of information. Approximately two weeks later, the Charitable Giving Committee will email its final decision on gift certificate fulfillment.

Donation requests will only be accepted for consideration through the online request form. ALL telephone queries will be referred to this form for application submittal.