Impact Trips

Here’s the complete Impact Trip process. If you still have questions, email info@blessbig.org or just ask when you get started below!

Right now

1. Think of 4 or more people you will or would like to go on a trip with, for a weekend or longer. Your destination and itinerary are completely up to you, so make it fun! We’ll help you fit the 6 hours of live, video, and immersive content from your charity into your travel or trip time – wherever works best. This is why any leisure, school, or church trip can become an easy, effective Impact Trip.

2. Consider a human need you’d all like to learn more about and address in simple, extremely impactful ways! The causes we have trips for right now are clean water, healthcare, gender/racial equality, self-image and upward mobility, community development, economic sustainability, Christian outreach, church planting, and child/family advocacy.

3. Get started with Bless BIG by applying below! This is simply a non-committal way to get all your questions answered, so you can decide if an Impact Trip is right for your group. Bless BIG will then consider a charity partner perfect for your team. Our crew has spent hundreds of hours of research with philanthropy experts and effective altruists worldwide, discerning the secular and Christian organizations offering the highest proven impact-per-dollar. The data from 15 premier charity evaluators (e.g. Charity Navigator, Give Well, ROI Ministry, Guidestar, etc.) have been combined by Bless BIG to offer the most comprehensive charity vetting process available. You can choose a cause and give to one of these charities at any time. 100% of what you donate goes to them. Bless BIG never receives a penny, from these donations or from Impact Trips. Rather, our focus on third-party, across-the-board, scientific charity vetting gives you the confidence of helping as many other people as possible, with every dollar your Impact Trip raises.

At least 4-6 weeks before the trip

4. Once you choose to do the trip, we’ll set up an hour-long virtual meeting with you and your group to meet each other and help everyone understand what an Impact Trips is all about. You’ll learn about the charity you’re paired with and why, then we’ll discuss desired trip dates, locations, and all the fun things you want to try and fit in! We’ll answer any questions, schedule the second (and final) group meeting, and briefly chat with you afterwards about a ballpark budget.

At least 4-5 weeks before the trip

5. During the second hour-long virtual meeting, we’ll better define an initial trip budget with the group and set a fundraising goal (termed “charity expenses” below). This can be any amount – a team goal or individual goals tailored to people’s situations. Since Impact Trips exist for you to make your biggest difference, we shoot for charity expenses to comprise over 75% of the total expenses, which is the sum of trip expenses plus fundraised charity expenses. Service/missions trips typically devote 0-10% of funds raised to the actual charity/population they’re engaging; Impact Trip teams have averaged over 90%! And because we want to Bless you BIG in addition to others, the more you raise for them, the more trip expenses we pay for you (up to $500 USD)! So if your trip costs $500 and your group raises $5000 in new donations to your charity, Bless BIG will reimburse you $450! We love blessing those who bless others BIG!

At the meeting we’ll also craft fundraising ideas perfect for your group, discuss giving methods and tips, and answer questions to get everyone feeling confident! Our trips have raised an average of over $7000 for their charities, and all by non-wealthy folks who are often first-time fundraisers! Bless BIG provides several resources to make it easy to spread the word and get folks supporting you! We often even raise some funds for you and are always present to help, but after this meeting, the fundraising will primarily be driven by your and your group. This meeting is also when members commit to the trip, as your charity and donors will subsequently be committing time and money to them.  

2-4 weeks before the trip

6. We’ll check in to encourage, help, and congratulate you in any fundraising pursuits. The fundraising methods we offer allow us to track virtually all donations for you, so you don’t have to. You and your team will plan trip logistics as usual, booking any lodging, reservations, and activities per your trip budget. Bless BIG is happy to assist as necessary. We work with your charity during this time to customize all content to your group and schedule the live interactions you’ll enjoy with them on the trip.

1-2 weeks before the trip

7. We’ll finalize the itinerary with you and schedule in all of the charity’s activities. We’ll finalize a detailed trip budget, review any safety/health considerations, and help you with any final logistical issues as necessary. We’ll send you medical/waiver forms to complete before the trip, as well as a packing/shopping list including anything your charity’s content would require. You’ll send all this to the group, so they can get ready!

Less than 1 week before the trip

8. We’ll send you online links with all the downloadable charity content. You and the group shop for what you need and pack up!

On the trip

9. Have fun laughing, learning, and loving. 🙂 At this point, you’ve already blessed hundreds of folks, so let the trip celebrate that! A Bless BIG crew member experienced in trip emergency protocol will be on call 24/7 during the entire trip if any need arises. We anticipate a safe and fun experience, and our teams have experienced exactly that!

10. Your group and charity will enjoy creating a post-trip action plan customized to each member’s life situation. This involves scheduling a post-trip group meetup to keep the encouragement and impact going! Most trips offer experiences and insights that are exotic but therefore very difficult to apply to one’s everyday life upon return. Impact Trips bring the exotic to you, along with high-impact insights more seamlessly and sustainably applicable to you after the trip than during it!

2-3 weeks after the trip

11. Bless BIG sends each group member their own itemized fundraising tally for any donor appreciation s/he wants to share. Within 2 weeks following the trip, we also reimburse the team their percentage of trip costs, as above and per receipts submitted to us. We’ll get your feedback on making Impact Trips even better and give you all a special thank-you!

12. You use what you learned to keep blessing BIG! We and the rest of the world will get excited about the lovely difference you’re making and whatever ways we can create huge impact with you down the road! You are so important to so many, and Impact Trips are a great way to see that reality come alive even more than it already is! 🙂

Here’s the complete Impact Trip process. If you still have questions, email info@blessbig.org or just ask when you get started below!

Right now

1. Think of 4 or more people you will or would like to go on a trip with, for a weekend or longer. Your destination and itinerary are completely up to you, so make it fun! We’ll help you fit the 6 hours of live, video, and immersive content from your charity into your travel or trip time – wherever works best. This is why any leisure, school, or church trip can become an easy, effective Impact Trip.

2. Consider a human need you’d all like to learn more about and address in simple, extremely impactful ways! The causes we have trips for right now are clean water, healthcare, gender/racial equality, self-image and upward mobility, community development, economic sustainability, Christian outreach, church planting, and child/family advocacy.

3. Get started with Bless BIG by applying below! This is simply a non-committal way to get all your questions answered, so you can decide if an Impact Trip is right for your group. Bless BIG will then consider a charity partner perfect for your team. Our crew has spent hundreds of hours of research with philanthropy experts and effective altruists worldwide, discerning the secular and Christian organizations offering the highest proven impact-per-dollar. The data from 15 premier charity evaluators (e.g. Charity Navigator, Give Well, ROI Ministry, Guidestar, etc.) have been combined by Bless BIG to offer the most comprehensive charity vetting process available. You can choose a cause and give to one of these charities at any time. 100% of what you donate goes to them. Bless BIG never receives a penny, from these donations or from Impact Trips. Rather, our focus on third-party, across-the-board, scientific charity vetting gives you the confidence of helping as many other people as possible, with every dollar your Impact Trip raises.

At least 4-6 weeks before the trip

4. Once you choose to do the trip, we’ll set up an hour-long virtual meeting with you and your group to meet each other and help everyone understand what an Impact Trips is all about. You’ll learn about the charity you’re paired with and why, then we’ll discuss desired trip dates, locations, and all the fun things you want to try and fit in! We’ll answer any questions, schedule the second (and final) group meeting, and briefly chat with you afterwards about a ballpark budget.

At least 4-5 weeks before the trip

5. During the second hour-long virtual meeting, we’ll better define an initial trip budget with the group and set a fundraising goal (termed “charity expenses” below). This can be any amount – a team goal or individual goals tailored to people’s situations. Since Impact Trips exist for you to make your biggest difference, we shoot for charity expenses to comprise over 75% of the total expenses, which is the sum of trip expenses plus fundraised charity expenses. Service/missions trips typically devote 0-10% of funds raised to the actual charity/population they’re engaging; Impact Trip teams have averaged over 90%! And because we want to Bless you BIG in addition to others, the more you raise for them, the more trip expenses we pay for you (up to $500 USD)! So if your trip costs $500 and your group raises $5000 in new donations to your charity, Bless BIG will reimburse you $450! We love blessing those who bless others BIG!

At the meeting we’ll also craft fundraising ideas perfect for your group, discuss giving methods and tips, and answer questions to get everyone feeling confident! Our trips have raised an average of over $7000 for their charities, and all by non-wealthy folks who are often first-time fundraisers! Bless BIG provides several resources to make it easy to spread the word and get folks supporting you! We often even raise some funds for you and are always present to help, but after this meeting, the fundraising will primarily be driven by your and your group. This meeting is also when members commit to the trip, as your charity and donors will subsequently be committing time and money to them.  

2-4 weeks before the trip

6. We’ll check in to encourage, help, and congratulate you in any fundraising pursuits. The fundraising methods we offer allow us to track virtually all donations for you, so you don’t have to. You and your team will plan trip logistics as usual, booking any lodging, reservations, and activities per your trip budget. Bless BIG is happy to assist as necessary. We work with your charity during this time to customize all content to your group and schedule the live interactions you’ll enjoy with them on the trip.

1-2 weeks before the trip

7. We’ll finalize the itinerary with you and schedule in all of the charity’s activities. We’ll finalize a detailed trip budget, review any safety/health considerations, and help you with any final logistical issues as necessary. We’ll send you medical/waiver forms to complete before the trip, as well as a packing/shopping list including anything your charity’s content would require. You’ll send all this to the group, so they can get ready!

Less than 1 week before the trip

8. We’ll send you online links with all the downloadable charity content. You and the group shop for what you need and pack up!

On the trip

9. Have fun laughing, learning, and loving. 🙂 At this point, you’ve already blessed hundreds of folks, so let the trip celebrate that! A Bless BIG crew member experienced in trip emergency protocol will be on call 24/7 during the entire trip if any need arises. We anticipate a safe and fun experience, and our teams have experienced exactly that!

10. Your group and charity will enjoy creating a post-trip action plan customized to each member’s life situation. This involves scheduling a post-trip group meetup to keep the encouragement and impact going! Most trips offer experiences and insights that are exotic but therefore very difficult to apply to one’s everyday life upon return. Impact Trips bring the exotic to you, along with high-impact insights more seamlessly and sustainably applicable to you after the trip than during it!

2-3 weeks after the trip

11. Bless BIG sends each group member their own itemized fundraising tally for any donor appreciation s/he wants to share. Within 2 weeks following the trip, we also reimburse the team their percentage of trip costs, as above and per receipts submitted to us. We’ll get your feedback on making Impact Trips even better and give you all a special thank-you!

12. You use what you learned to keep blessing BIG! We and the rest of the world will get excited about the lovely difference you’re making and whatever ways we can create huge impact with you down the road! You are so important to so many, and Impact Trips are a great way to see that reality come alive even more than it already is! 🙂