A few years ago, Kim Young ’81 and her husband John Moragne ’79 built their dream ski house in Sun Valley, Idaho. Still entrenched in their life in California, they knew the house would sit empty most of the time. Kim suggested that, when not in Idaho, they rent their home to fellow Dartmouth alums and give a portion of the income to the College. Then she got to wondering… Are there other alums with underused vacation homes who might want to participate in a Dartmouth-only vacation rental network?

Last year, she started reaching out to friends from Dartmouth and learned that folks both with and without second homes loved the idea of renting “escapes” within a trusted affinity group. Kim teamed up with Scott Simmons ’82, who has deep experience in the vacation-rental industry. Now, they are building inventory for the Alumni Escapes platform — which offers home rentals and exchanges — and starting to book vacations.

If you’re interested in listing your home with Alumni Escapes, or in booking a vacation, please go to www.alumniescapes.com. Keep checking back for new destinations as our inventory grows.

1) Put your home in good, green hands. When you list with Alumni Escapes, the only renters to enjoy your home will be members of the Dartmouth community. It’s a wonderful alternative to turning over your keys to random (and sometimes reckless) renters who don’t feel a connection to you or your property.

2) Earn strong rental income. With deep, vacation-industry knowledge, we can help you price your home to earn good rental income. And when you list with us, you’ll pay no advertising fee. You only pay a transaction fee once your home has been rented.

3) Generate a gift for the college without drawing from savings. In the past, when you’ve made a donation to Dartmouth, you’ve likely had to draw from savings or securities. Now, your vacation home can help you generate a gift for Dartmouth, Tuck, Thayer or Geisel. A minimum of 15% of your rental income will go to the program of your choice.

4) No cost to join our platform: Unlike other vacation-rental platforms that have initiation fees, advertising costs or membership dues, Alumni Escapes charges nothing to list your home on our site. And we have no exclusivity rule; you are free to list with other rental platforms.

5) Expand your Dartmouth network: When you list with Alumni Escapes, you can choose to be anonymous and let us handle your transaction. Or, you can opt to share your name with renters who are fellow alums. Dartmouth folks have a long history of connecting with fellow alums, resulting in business synergies, shared passions and lasting friendships.