Brand Partner ContentThe path to being a successful philanthropist and entrepreneur doesn’t typically begin before reaching junior high. But for Megan Maloney, founder of Charity Pro Travel, a revolutionary online travel site, and fundraising platform, that time in her life was anything but typical.
At 11 years old, Megan had to cope with the loss of two grandparents and her uncle in the span of 12 months, each succumbing to cancer. Though Megan grieved for her own family, she couldn’t help but think of ways to support others dealing with the same devastating tragedy.
At that time, Megan’s father, Brad, was building an online travel business. During one of their heart-to-heart talks, Megan asked her dad if there was a way they could help fight cancer through his budding travel business. That “A-HA!” moment led to the Maloneys donating proceeds from initial sales to Stand Up To Cancer.
These kind donations brought media attention to Megan, impressed by the big heart of such a young lady. The Maloneys were invited on national television shows, and The Los Angeles Times put her and her story on the front page of their travel section. Megan wanted to grow her idea to help as many people as possible but ultimately decided to focus on her education and revisit the brand when she was older.
Relaunching a Business in Changing Times
After graduating from Illinois Central College in 2018 with a degree in marketing and business, Megan spoke with her father to relaunch the company. Breaking into the travel game proved to be much more difficult this time around, as the market had grown so much that major corporations now controlled the industry. Instead of trying to compete, they reached out to industry juggernaut, Priceline, with a proposal. The VP of the Priceline Partner Network loved the idea and inked a deal with them within a week to be their travel partner.
Assembling the Dream Team
Now called Charity Pro Travel, Megan and Brad assembled an extraordinary team to help relaunch and execute the travel site. Together, they partnered with tech wizard, Steve Hollaway, Keith Hudson, father of pop star Katy Perry, to serve as co-CEO, added philanthropist Bruce Cramer as Chief Operating Officer, as well as retired VP of Priceline and online travel pioneer Rick Schneider as Chief Strategy Officer.
How Charity Pro Travel Works
Charity Pro Travel is an international travel site that donates up to 50% of its commission to the consumer’s charity of choice. Now, every time you book a hotel, airfare, rental car, or vacation package, you are helping raise funds for your favorite charity. Featuring the only Charity Partner Program of its kind, charities can simply register their organization on the site for free and immediately start raising funds by sharing with friends, family, employees, volunteers, and donor base. Every time they travel, Charity Pro Travel sends the organization a check!
Forever Giving Back
Megan’s passion for charity work keeps growing. Through her role with Charity Pro Travel, she has created partnerships with Shriners Hospital for Children, Susan G Komen, Special Olympics, Ronald McDonald House, World Vision, Direct Relief, STOMP Out Bullying, The Trevor Project, and more. She has also founded her own charity that helps give back in different ways.
The Charity Pros
Megan founded The Charity Pros in 2019 to advocate and support children’s cause programs for Health, Child Protection, Poverty, Education, and Equality. They partner with local and national events and fundraisers such as concerts, festivals, home shows, and expos. They also work with other non-profit organizations and help with volunteer work to support their children’s programs. In addition, The Charity Pros forms strategic Corporate Partnerships through various programming efforts, like Amazon Smile, Charity Pro Travel, and more.
Megan’s Wish
Maloney created Megan’s Wish, a program with a mission to grant wishes of children suffering from life-threatening or terminal medical conditions to enrich their lives with love, hope, and strength.
During COVID-19, Megan’s Wish added more to their program, giving to children who lost a parent or guardian who was a front-line health worker or first responder due to COVID-19 complications. Their goal is to grant a wish or provide an educational scholarship to these children.
The Music Pros
The Music Pro’s Charity Travel Network is a new program planned to launch in 2022 that will raise funds through travel and donates 100% of all revenue to an artist’s favorite children’s charities. Musicians each have their own customized webpage listing their favorite charities, along with their tour schedule, artist news, photos, and videos. When travel is booked, the customer can then select one of the artist’s charities listed to receive the donation.
The Journey Has Just Begun
Emerson said, “It’s not the destination; it’s the journey,” and for Megan Maloney, her journey is just beginning. She believes that a successful life entails helping others, and with a focus on children’s social causes, she is fulfilling her true passion of changing the world by helping children live their best life. Together with Charity Pro Travel, she is changing the world, one adventure at a time.
For more information on Charity Pro Travel and investment opportunities, visit CharityProTravel.com. For charitable donations, visit www.thecharitypros.org
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