This is a material made available after the webinar (in English) with Holly Bland, Social Impact Experiences* Manager Airbnb EMEA, unfolded on 23 of May 2019, for NGO Online: The Digital School for NGOs Romania. The webinar covered: – The history of Airbnb experiences – Social Impact Experiences around the world – Tips on designing a successful experience – How you can leverage the platform for your NGO ------ *Începând de anul acesta, organizațiile nonprofit pot beneficia prin Programul TechSoup de Airbnb Social Impact Experiences, un nou instrument care te ajută să faci fundraising de impact pentru organizația ta, de data aceasta cu o audiență globală prin Airbnb, cea mare mare platformă de home-sharing din lume. Înscrie-te în Programul TechSoup pentru a avea acces la peste 170 de produse software sau servicii cloud și traininguri gratuite despre tehnologie - https://www.techsoup.ro/ --- Școala Digitală pentru ONG-uri este un program anual creat de Asociația Techsoup pentru a ajuta angajați și voluntarii organizațiilor neguvernamentale din România și Republica Moldova să beneficieze de training profesionist și la îndemână online în utilizarea tehnologiei sau soluțiilor online disponibile lor. Mai multe pe https://ongonline.techsoup.ro/

1.
Experience Design Checklist
It's time to design your experience! This checklist is a fun and easy way to help you brainstorm
ideas for designing an experience that guests will love and that will help them fall in love with
your cause.
Set aside 30-45 minutes to get the wheels spinning. Let’s begin!
❏ Read our quality standards blog post​ ​Three Pillars of a Quality Experience​ ​(8 min). This will
help you pass our standards with flying colors and design a meaningful experience that
really connects guests to your cause.
❏ Visit​ ​Airbnb.com​ ​to see what experiences are currently available to guests in your city and
airbnb.com/social-impact​ ​to see all the social impact experiences currently on the
platform.
Now, let’s dive into the six building blocks of a successful experience:
The Who
❏ Think about a potential host for your experience. Who conveys the heart of your mission?
This person should be available on an ongoing basis and should be someone you trust
communicating about your organization. Consider staff, volunteers, community members
and beneficiaries – you can also hire an expert in your field.
❏ Consider adding a second host (a co-host) if that helps you tell your story better or offer the
experience more frequently.
✔ ​Your host champions the cause
✔ ​Your host has a level of expertise or respect in the field
✔ ​Your host is a people person and loves engaging with others
✔ ​Your host is available to host on an on-going basis (i.e. 1x/week for 3 months), or you
have co-hosts who can tag-team
The What
❏ Experiences are inspiring and educational, and frequently connect guests to the people
behind the cause. Read this article to learn more:​ ​Designing a Stand-out Experience​ ​(5
min).

2. ❏ Who do you imagine your experience guests will be? When will they do this activity and
why? For instance, are they travelers who want to see big sights? Are they locals looking for
a weekend activity with the kids? Is your experience a great activity for date night?
❏ Next, review your available assets to see what you might want to incorporate in your
experience. Include assets such as knowledge, skills, access to venues or special people,
partners & existing programming.
❏ Dream up the basics of what guests will do on an experience, from the moment you meet
them to the highlights they will share with friends and family afterward.
✔ ​Your activity should allow guests to connect (emotionally) with your cause and mission
✔ ​Your activity is something you would want to do
✔ ​Your activity has at least one kind of guest in mind (i.e. couples, families, work mates)
The Where
❏ Brainstorm locations that can highlight your city or your cause. Consider locations that are
unique, special, iconic, or accessible only by you.
❏ Are there local partners or venues where you can secure discounts or takeaways? For
example, you can incorporate a sit-down location and include a cocktail or small bites.
❏ Identify one or more locations for your experience. Where will you start? Where will you go?
✔​ The meeting place is easy to locate
✔​ The location(s) is unique, special, iconic, or accessible only by you
✔​ The meeting place has bathrooms nearby
The When
❏ Brainstorm the best day and time that your guests would want to take your experience. You
can test various days of the week and hours of the day. Keep in mind travelers are usually
available Thur - Sun, whereas locals tend to be more free in the evenings.
✔​ The time of the experience is appropriate for your guests
✔​ The duration of the experience is mindful of schedules & meal times

3. The Why
❏ How might you connect guests even more meaningfully to your cause? Perhaps highlight
the mission and of your organization by having guests meet someone who is a beneficiary
of the cause, or by providing take-away materials, or creating a personal connection with
the founder.
✔​ Your experience makes guests want to become advocates for your cause
The How Much
❏ Read this article about​ ​pricing strategies​ ​(5 min)
❏ Take a moment to research how much similar activities cost in your city. Consider
including entrance fees to venues/food in the price of the experience.
❏ Start at a low price point with the intention of gaining reviews and raising price over time.
✔ ​Your experience is priced in a way where it can attract initial bookings
Congratulations!
You’ve completed the Experience Design Checklist. Next up in the Social Impact Host Academy is
your first workshop on User Centered Design. Let’s get ready to create your experience. Make sure
you bring the proposed host of your experience with you to the workshop
(if possible) to co-create together.