About us

Airbnb.org is a nonprofit organization founded by Airbnb
that connects people to emergency housing in times of crisis.
A woman with dark curly hair wearing a brown shirt smiles from a doorway with a wooden wall in the background

It all started with a host

The idea came from Shell, an Airbnb host who offered her place for free to people impacted by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Since then, more than 60,000 Airbnb hosts have provided housing to more than 250,000 people around the world.

Our model is unique

Airbnb covers operating costs, so 100% of all public donations fund emergency housing for people in need.
Five diverse animated characters standing in a row, each dressed in different colorful outfits, waving and smiling.

Our crisis responses

Each year, millions of people are displaced by crises globally. Here’s where we're housing guests.
A flood-damaged red car and white van lean on muddy ground above flood waters.
October 2024
Valencia and Castellón
A rescue worker walks through debris in a disaster-stricken area, with fallen structures and scattered wreckage.
September 2024
Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina
A suburban neighborhood with houses and trees, an orange sky in the background indicating a distant wildfire.
September 2024
San Bernardino and Los Angeles
A man carrying a green bucket wades through muddy water in front of trees and a telephone pole on a sunny day.
May 2024
Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina

How we work with partners

When a disaster happens, we partner with local organizations on the ground to find guests most in need and connect them with emergency housing.
211 Logo
Catholic Charities USA logo
Mensajeros de la Paz logo
IOM logo
ORAM logo
pertence logo
Airbnb logo

How we work with Airbnb

Airbnb.org leverages Airbnb’s global technology platform, services, and community to match people who need emergency housing with hosts who have available places near locations hit by disasters. Airbnb.org is a 501(c)(3) public charity, separate and independent from Airbnb. Airbnb covers service fees for Airbnb.org supported stays on its platform.

Meet our board

Jennifer Bond headshot

Jennifer Bond

Jennifer is a law professor and global expert in refugee policy with over 15 years of experience. She founded the Refugee Hub and chairs the Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative, collaborating with various organizations. Jennifer has designed refugee protection pathways in over 20 countries, notably responding to crises in Afghanistan and Ukraine. She has served with UNHCR in Syria and advised Canada's immigration minister.
Jay Carney headshot

Jay Carney

Jay leads Airbnb's Global Policy and Communications teams. Before Airbnb, he led Amazon's Global Corporate Affairs team, managing public policy, communications and community engagement. He was press secretary for President Obama and spent 20 years at TIME magazine. Jay serves on multiple boards, including the Urban Institute, TechNYC and Human Rights First. He holds a B.A. from Yale University and is a member of Yale’s University Council.
Portrait of Joe Gebbia

Joe Gebbia

Joe is the co-founder of Airbnb, Airbnb.org, and Samara. Joe loves to find opportunities to give back, and has joined the Giving Pledge to commit more than half of his wealth to philanthropy. He’s set up a scholarship at his alma mater, the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), given to the Ocean CleanUp Project to remove ocean plastic, and to the Nuclear Scaling Initiative to build more nuclear electricity.
Portrait of Sharyann McSwain

Sharyanne McSwain

Sharyanne is the Chief Operating Officer at Echoing Green, bringing over 40 years of experience in financial services and business operations. She has helped propel the organization to support social innovation leaders advancing racial, ethnic, and other equity globally. Before joining Echoing Green, Sharyanne was the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer at StoryCorps and worked at several banks and financial services firms. She holds an MBA from INSEAD in France and a BA in Urban Studies from Mount Holyoke College.
Portrait of Catherine Powell

Catherine Powell

Catherine led Airbnb's global community of hosts, focusing on developing standards, education, and features for hosts. Before joining Airbnb, Catherine spent over 15 years at Disney, most recently as President of Disney Parks for the Western Region of the U.S. and Disneyland Paris. Additionally, she worked at BBC Worldwide for seven years. Catherine holds a degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from Oxford University.
Portrait of Rich Serino

Rich Serino

Rich is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Harvard’s School of Public Health, working with the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative. He has over 40 years in public service, in emergency management, emergency medical services, and homeland security. Appointed by President Obama, he served as FEMA's eighth Deputy Administrator. Before FEMA, Rich spent 36 years at Boston EMS where he rose through the ranks to become Chief.
Portrait of Jocelyn Wyatt

Jocelyn Wyatt

Jocelyn is the CEO of Alight. She has extensive experience in strategic development with a focus on human-centered approaches, helping to create dignified services for more than 3.5 million displaced people annually in over 20 countries. Before Alight, Jocelyn co-founded and served as CEO of IDEO.org, where she worked with NGOs to design inclusive products and services. She serves on the advisory boards of Marketplace and the Drucker Institute, as well as being a founding member of Chief.
Two people sit at a table in a cozy room with bookshelves in the background, smiling and discussing something on a phone.

Get involved

Join the community of more than 60,000 hosts 
providing emergency housing in times of crisis.