Warm Showers
Warm Showers (WS) is a non-profit hospitality exchange service for people engaging in bicycle touring. The platform is a gift economy — hosts are not supposed to charge for lodging and are not bound. The legal form is a Colorado 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, USA.
| Type of business | 501(c)(3) organization non-profit organization |
|---|---|
| Area served | Global |
| Owner | Warmshowers.org Foundation (as on the website); WARMSHOWERS ORG (as filed in the IRS form) |
| Founder(s) | Terry Zmrhal Geoff Cashmen |
| Products | Homestay |
| Services | Social networking service, Communication |
| URL | www |
| Users | 161,000 members; including 104,000 hosts in 161 countries |
| Launched | 1993 |
| Part of a series on |
| Homestays |
|---|
| Hospitality exchange services |
| Hospitality for work |
| Hospitality for money |
| Home exchange and others |
The platform has been described as a "cyclists’ support network whose members may offer free amenities and services such as meals and lodging". Rough Guides recommends Warm Showers as means to improve security of solo female cyclists. Warm Showers helps bicycle travelers to balance the self-reliance of camping and hotels with opportunities for social encounters. Warm Showers has a positive effect on rural communities, both socially and economically. Many users of the platform cycle for health reasons or to reduce their carbon footprint and to be environmentally friendly. Cultural exchange and social connection do also play a role.
The organization received donations of $100,641 in 2015, $84,009 in 2016, $115,324 in 2017, $128,626 in 2018 and $111,089 in 2019.