"The habit of giving only enhances the desire to give." Walt Whitman

Through fundraisers, community service projects and volunteer efforts, PCMA strives to emulate this quotation. Between membership and events, PCMA is presented with the opportunity to become involved in many communities. It's only fitting that PCMA gives back and shows our membership ways to give back to these communities that have been so welcoming to the organization. In addition to being the industry's premier educational resource for meeting professionals, PCMA and the PCMA Education Foundation strive to be the industry's premier philanthropic and charitable organization.

PCMA presents members with several opportunities to contribute to the community in various ways. Held at Annual Meeting each year, Party With a Purpose (PWAP) is a fundraising event for members to have a good time, network and give back all at the same time! Through PWAP, funds are raised for a charitable organization in the area of the Annual Meeting, PCMA Education Foundation and PCMA's Network for the Needy (NFTN).

NFTN is a unique educational program designed to educate professionals on how to give back to their communities through meetings. Programs include Hospitality Helping Hands (HHH) and Service In Sync (SIS). HHH, like PWAP, takes place during the PCMA Annual Meeting (AM) and sends members out into the area for a "hands on" community service project for two days during AM. SIS is a new program in which a period of time is designated for PCMA members to come together and give back to their local communities on behalf of the meetings industry. These efforts allow PCMA chapters to participate in community service projects on an individual basis. For more information on PCMA's community service projects, or how to start a project for your meeting or convention, contact  Liz Giannini at lgiannini@pcma.org or 312.423.7231.

In addition to ongoing community service initiatives, PCMA also develops programs in response to crises in order to preserve the meetings industry. Hospitality Industry Relief Fund (HIRF) is a collaborative effort among PCMA, the Association for Convention Management Operations (ACOM), Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI), the Society of Incentive Travel Executives (SITE), and other hospitality-related organizations and was designed to aid in the recovery of the Gulf Coast meetings and hospitality industry after Hurricane Katrina.