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Westgate Resorts, founded in 1982, is one of the world’s largest
privately owned timeshare companies. Its 28 themed destination
resorts offer more than 13,500 villas and hotel rooms in high-demand
locations, such as Orlando and Miami, Florida; Park City, Utah; Las
Vegas, Nevada; and Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
While Siegel is still charging ahead with ambitious growth plans
(more on that later), his ideas for changing lives have grown beyond
offering owners a lifetime of great vacations and employees the oppor-
tunity to grow their careers and finances.
Multiple Approaches
Siegel leads several philanthropic efforts, including the Westgate
Resorts Foundation and the David’s Dollars Foundation. They are both
registered 501(c)(3) charitable organizations. Each has its own goals
and funding mechanisms, but they have one thing in common. “David
personally pays the foundations’ administrative costs so that every
available dollar raised goes directly to those in need,” says Mara
Frazier, senior director for community affairs and the Westgate
Foundation. Together, the two foundations have donated more than
US$14 million to charities and individuals in need.
The Westgate Resorts Foundation funds charities and causes in
communities where employees live and work. According to Frazier,
emphasis is placed on children, women, families, seniors, veterans,
and programs that improve the quali-
ty of their lives. Donations come from
employees and vendors, as well as
Westgate owners, who give when
visiting their home resort. They’re
also given the opportunity to make
additional donations with their annual
assessments.
The David’s Dollars Foundation
operates as a safety net for Westgate
team members who encounter
unforeseen crises. “If they encounter a tragedy beyond their control,
we help pay their expenses,” Siegel explains. Along with donations by
team members, it’s funded by Westgate vendors and marketing part-
ners. “Anyone who does business with Westgate has to contribute.”
The foundations have an eight-member board of directors, but
Siegel doesn’t participate. “I wanted the employees to make the deci-
sions,” he says.
Most recently, after the tragic death of their 19-year-old daughter
in June, Siegel and his wife, Jackie, announced a new cause: the
Victoria Siegel Memorial Foundation, which will focus on providing
young people with counseling and health services to help them over-
come life challenges such as substance abuse.
Help for the Homeless
An effort Siegel is particularly proud of is Hospitality Helps, a public-
private partnership that brings hundreds of local charities, companies,
and faith-based organizations together to transition families out of
homelessness. The impetus came when Siegel saw a
60 Minutes
pro-
gram that featured three homeless families in Florida’s Seminole
County. “One family was living in a bread truck,” he recalls. “The next
day I found out who they were. We found them housing and jobs, and
all three families are thriving. One of the mothers is a manager at
Westgate, and one of those children testified before Congress on
homelessness.”
Rather than providing one-time
handouts, the program looks to create
sustainable solutions. To date,
Hospitality Helps has assisted more
than 300 families transitioning from
homelessness, Frazier says.
In recognition of Westgate’s leader-
ship in this area, Mark Waltrip, chief
operating officer of Westgate Resorts,
was named to the Central Florida
28
RESORTDEVELOPER.COM
vacation industry review
OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2015
WESTGATE RESORTS
David Siegel may not come across as an
introspective individual. The founder and
CEO of Orlando, Florida–based
Westgate
Resorts
, is renowned for his outsized
personality. But at almost 80, Siegel has
experienced his share of triumphs and
struggles, and what may not be as well-
known about him is his generosity —
particularly to his employees and the
communities in which Westgate resorts are
located. In a moment of reflection, Siegel
shares, “My motivation is to change lives.”
By Judy Kenninger
Westgate Resorts
Industry and Community Leader