The Gratitude Giving Program
Travel Generously.Give Without Spending a Cent More.
Every trip you book with Steward Travel helps fund your church, missionary, or nonprofit — at zero extra cost.
Here’s Something the Travel Industry Doesn’t Advertise
Every hotel, cruise line, tour operator, and resort in the world has a built-in commission structure. It’s been part of the industry for over a century. When you book through Expedia or directly with a cruise line, that commission funds their bottom line.
When you book through Steward Travel, part of that same commission — built into the exact same price you’d pay anywhere else — gets redirected to your church, the missionary you support, or the nonprofit closest to your heart.
Same trip. Same price. Completely different destination for money that was already leaving your pocket.
Kingdom Impact
How Your Vacation Dollars CanHave Kingdom Impact
You were always going to spend money on this trip. Every travel company — big or small — earns a commission on it. The only real question is where that commission goes.
Book Anywhere Else
The commission is built into the price either way. Book anywhere else and it simply stays where it lands — with the supplier, or with whoever sold you the trip. Nothing is added to your bill, and nothing is redirected.
Book With Steward Travel
Same price, same booking, same supplier. Steward Travel is run by a missionary, and part of that same commission funds that ongoing work — while you personally choose the church, missionary, or nonprofit that receives a gift, roughly 5% of your booking.
How It Works
Four Steps
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You book your trip through Steward Travel
I handle everything — cruises, resorts, Holy Land tours, family vacations, group travel. Same prices you’d find anywhere else, with the same access to perks and upgrades that any large agency has.
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You name your recipient
Tell me where you want the giving to go — your local church, a specific fund (missions budget, building fund, youth ministry), a missionary family you support, or a Christian nonprofit. If they can receive a check or bank transfer, they qualify.
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Your gift is calculated and sent
After your trip is complete and the commission is received, I make the donation on your behalf and send you confirmation so you can see exactly what your travel accomplished.
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Continue stewarding well
A gift lands differently when the recipient knows it came from someone that really believes in their cause. In the spirit of generosity, consider reaching out and letting the recipient know how much you appreciate their ministry.
What Does This Look Like in Practice?
A family books a 7-night Caribbean cruise through Steward Travel. Total booking: $6,200. Their Gratitude Gift: $310–$400, sent directly to their church’s Kenya mission fund after the trip is complete.
They paid the same price they would have paid booking directly through the cruise line. The trip was identical — same ship, same cabin with “kids stay free” deal, same “free drinks and Wi-Fi” promotion the cruise line was advertising that week. The only difference: their church’s missionaries in Kenya received several hundred dollars they weren’t expecting.
That’s the whole program. Simple, structural, and repeatable every time you travel.
Client Story
Hear From A Satisfied Client
“We really like doing our own research and finding our own travel deals, so we found the exact cruise that we wanted online and then called Steward Travel and they were able to get us the exact same deal, so we paid what we would have paid booking directly through the cruise line, but then we got to see $1,400 go to a missionary we love and support. It was really simple, the customer service was great for any problems we encountered, and then we had the satisfaction of knowing that part of our vacation money went to a great Christian cause.”
The Numbers
How Much Is the Gratitude Gift?
| Booking value | Gratitude gift |
|---|---|
| Under $2,000 | 5% of booking |
| $2,000–$4,999 | $100–$250 |
| $5,000–$9,999 | $250–$500 |
| $10,000–$19,999 | $500–$1,000 |
| $20,000+ | $1,000+ (custom arrangement) |
These are my standard gift amounts. On group bookings — church staff retreats, Holy Land tour groups, mission team travel — I’m happy to discuss a customized giving arrangement that reflects the size and significance of the booking.
Why Can You Give This Much at No Extra Cost?
Fair question. Here’s the honest answer.
Travel commissions are real, they’re substantial, and they’re built into every booking whether you use them this way or not. Hotels, cruise lines, and tour operators pay them as part of their distribution model — it’s how the industry has worked for over a century. When you book directly, or through an online travel agency like Expedia, that money goes to them. When you book through a travel advisor, it comes to the advisor instead. If you want the full mechanics of how that works — who actually pays it, why it doesn’t raise your price, and what advisors typically earn — I’ve laid it out in detail here.
Most travel advisors keep 100% of that commission. Steward Travel doesn’t. A meaningful portion — the amounts you see in the table above — goes to your designated recipient every time.
Steward Travel is still a real, sustainable business. But I built the Gratitude Giving Program into the business model from day one because I believe that’s what faithful stewardship of a business looks like.
A travel advisor’s guide to when you don’t need a travel advisor.
24 pages on the questions that change a booking-call price, the fees nobody mentions upfront, and how to build giving into a vacation budget.
Who Can Receive a Gratitude Gift?
Any faith-aligned organization or individual that can receive a charitable contribution:
- Your local church — general fund, missions budget, building fund, youth ministry, or any designated fund
- A missionary or missionary family you support personally
- A Christian nonprofit or parachurch ministry
- A student or individual raising support for a mission trip
I’ll ask for your recipient’s name and donation instructions when I begin planning your trip. You don’t have to be in ministry yourself — most people who use this program simply have a church or a missionary they already support. Not sure yet? That’s fine — you have until your booking is complete to decide.
Ready to Make Your Next Trip Count?
You were already going to take a vacation. The only thing that changes when you book through Steward Travel is where a portion of that money ends up.