Sands Hosts Annual Virtual Global Celebration to Highlight Sands Cares Accelerator Nonprofit Members

On April 21, Sands hosted its annual Sands Cares Accelerator Virtual Global Celebration to showcase the work of nonprofit members in the company’s exclusive three-year capacity-building program. The event’s highlight was the celebration of the global initiative’s sixth graduate, The LGBTQ+ Center of Las Vegas (The Center).

Current members The Food Bank Singapore, the Asian Community Development Council (ACDC) in Las Vegas and Sustaincia in Macao outlined their work in the Sands Cares Accelerator. The food bank detailed its first-year accomplishments in the program, while ACDC and Sustaincia presented their three-year focus area and goals as new members in 2026.

Inspired by the entrepreneurial and philanthropic spirit of Sands’ founder Sheldon G. Adelson, the Sands Cares Accelerator carries on his legacy of building successful businesses and giving back to communities by helping advance the capabilities of nonprofit organizations.

“Each year, we gather from around the world to highlight this program and the work of our members because we place a high priority on the Sands Cares Accelerator,” Ron Reese, senior vice president of global communications and corporate affairs, said at the celebration. “It’s one of only three global community engagement initiatives in which all of our regions participate, and we view this program much differently than our other corporate giving avenues – one, because community partner advancement is our global priority and, as importantly, because it honors Mr. Adelson’s impact on our company and communities.”

Since 2017, the Sands Cares Accelerator has empowered community service organizations in Las Vegas, Singapore and Macao to build their capacity by pursuing a strategic initiative so they can better serve their missions. During the three-year membership, nonprofits focus on building their capacity in a singular area or enhancing a program offering.

Sands serves as a catalyst and mentor for helping organizations achieve their goals via funding to support their identified focus area, facilitation to build and achieve plans, and guidance and consulting from Team Members. Over the past nine years, Sands has invested $2.1 million in nine Sands Cares Accelerator member organizations, and Team Members have contributed 822 hours of skills-based consulting and mentoring to support achievement of their goals.

The highlight of the annual event was the celebration of the Sands Cares Accelerator’s sixth graduate, The LGBTQ+ Center of Las Vegas. During its membership in the program, The Center’s goal was to expand its marketing and communications capabilities to drive visibility for its services, sustain funding and elevate its reputation as a leading advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.

In year one, The Center focused on crystalizing and telling its story. In year two, the nonprofit leveraged the new marketing and communications platform to drive awareness of its medical center and health care services, while year three centered on communicating the organization’s overall impact.

“With the resources to build our marketing and communications capability, we have increasingly been recognized as a thought leader in community-based care,” John Waldron, CEO of The Center, said. “We’ve also increased our visibility nationally, and building on the momentum of our marketing efforts, we’re preparing to launch a capital campaign to support the next phase of our growth as we exit the program.”

Now in its second year in the Sands Cares Accelerator, The Food Bank Singapore highlighted work to expand and evolve its Bank Card Program, which helps beneficiaries, primarily students, receive food aid through smart wallets that are pre-loaded with monthly virtual credits.

In year one of its Sands Cares Accelerator membership, The Food Bank Singapore focused on establishing technology infrastructure for the digital transition and rebranding the Bank Card Program to crystallize its value proposition for donors and partners. The organization launched the rebranded program earlier this year and is initially supporting 150 tertiary students with plans to scale to 300 beneficiaries by the end of 2026 and 600 beneficiaries in 2027.

New member ACDC outlined its goal with attendees. With its focus on providing a wide array of services such as voter education, health insurance enrollment assistance, citizenship application assistance, culturally-sensitive food distribution, vaccination clinics and health care services, the nonprofit has set its sights on laying the foundation to establish a permanent cultural and resource hub to deliver its services.

Over the three years in the program, ACDC will work on scoping needs and selecting a site for the new building, developing a capital campaign to fund building development and securing funding commitments to prepare for project construction.

In support of its mission to promote economic development, social responsibility and environmental betterment, Sustaincia’s goal in the Sands Cares Accelerator is to perfect the use of advanced technology in converting food waste from bakery items, rice and cooking oil into useful products, a process known as waste valorization.

Sustaincia also aims to establish its community lab as a hub for technology innovation and research in food waste valorization, as well as leverage this circular framework to create opportunities for local entrepreneurs and scientists.

Over three years in the program, Sustaincia will establish a physical location, its core team and lab protocols, and initiate research projects. Once infrastructure is in place, the organization then aims to expand its facilities and obtain certifications for its programs, eventually scaling them for industrial and commercial use while creating a mentorship program.

As the flagship global initiative to advance community partners, the Sands Cares Accelerator is one of Sands’ core community engagement strategies to ensure its regions remain great places to live, work and visit. To learn more about the Sands Cares Accelerator, visit: https://www.sands.com/responsibility/communities/sands-cares-accelerator/