The Gratitude Giving Program

Every trip you take blesses the ministry you serve.

Most travel agencies take your booking and send you a confirmation email. At Ministry Vacations, we do something a little different. When you book a trip through us and complete your travel, we donate a portion of our earned commission directly to your church, your missions organization, or a nonprofit of your choosing — as a genuine thank-you for trusting us with your trip.

No extra cost to you. No forms to fill out. No fundraising campaign. Just a real gift, from us to the ministry you love, because we believe that your vacation should bless more than just you.

How It Works

Step 1 — Book Your Trip

Contact Grant and describe the trip you're dreaming about. Whether it's a sabbatical journey, a Holy Land tour, a family cruise, or an anniversary getaway, we handle every detail from start to finish.

Step 2 — Travel and Rest

Go. Unplug. Let yourself actually rest. That's the whole point. We've already handled everything so you don't have to think about logistics while you're supposed to be on vacation.

Step 3 — Designate Your Recipient

When you book, simply let us know where you'd like your Gratitude Gift to go. Your home church. A missionary you support. A Christian nonprofit doing work you believe in. Any registered church or 501(c)(3) organization qualifies.

Step 4 — We Give on Your Behalf

After your travel is completed and our commission is received from the supplier — typically 30 to 60 days after your return — we issue a check or direct gift to your designated organization. You'll receive a confirmation so you know it happened.

That's it. Your trip. Your rest. Their blessing.

How Much Is the Gratitude Gift?

The gift amount is tied to the value of your booking. Here's how it works:

Bookings under $2,000 — we send a $25 gift to your designated organization.

Bookings between $2,000 and $4,999 — we send a $50 to $75 gift.

Bookings between $5,000 and $9,999 — we send a $100 to $150 gift.

Bookings between $10,000 and $19,999 — we send a $200 to $300 gift.

Bookings of $20,000 and above — we send $400 or more and are happy to discuss a customized giving arrangement that reflects the size and significance of the booking.

These are our standard gift amounts. On group bookings — church staff retreats, Holy Land tour groups, mission team travel — we're happy to discuss a customized giving arrangement that reflects the size and significance of the booking.

Why We Do This

Grant Haynes, the founder of MinistryVacations.org, has spent nearly thirty years as a support-based missionary. He knows what it means to depend on the generosity of others to stay on the field. He knows what it costs — financially, emotionally, and spiritually — to sustain a life of ministry.

He started MinistryVacations.org because he wanted to serve the people who serve everyone else. The Gratitude Giving Program is the most tangible expression of that conviction. When a pastor books a trip through Ministry Vacations, Grant doesn't just want that pastor to come home rested. He wants the pastor's church to feel it too.

Travel and generosity are not opposites. At MinistryVacations.org, they go together every single time.

"Your vacation should bless more than just you."

Who Can Receive a Gratitude Gift?

Any of the following organizations qualify as a Gratitude Gift recipient:

BULLET LIST

  • Your home church or the church you serve
  • A missionary or missionary family you personally support
  • A Christian nonprofit or para-church ministry organization
  • A registered 501(c)(3) serving in the name of Christ
  • Global Frontier Missions or another organization that mainly works with the unreached
  • A local outreach, food ministry, or community organization with nonprofit status

If you're not sure whether your organization qualifies, just ask. We'll do our best to make it work.

A Note From Grant

I grew up watching people give sacrificially to keep missionaries on the field — including my own family. I know what a gift means when it arrives unexpectedly, when the budget is tight, and when you weren't sure how you were going to make it through the month. The Gratitude Giving Program is my small way of keeping that spirit alive. Every trip we book is an opportunity to do something that matters beyond the travel itself. I hope it blesses your ministry in ways you didn't see coming.

— Grant Haynes, Founder, Ministry Vacations

Ready to Book a Trip That Gives Back?

There is no catch and no extra step. You book your trip, you rest well, and we take care of the gift. It is that simple. If you have questions about the Gratitude Giving Program or want to talk through your next trip before you commit to anything, Grant is always happy to have that conversation.

"Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
— 2 Corinthians 9:7