Virtual trips are a way to build homes, develop community, and make a difference without physically traveling. Each team works together to fund the construction of one or more homes through a locally-led Fuller Center Covenant Partner. As you raise the money, you’ll receive updates about your international partner family and the home you’re helping to build.
Join a team that is entirely virtual, or tag-along virtually with a physical trip.
*T-shirts, hats, and other GB materials can only be shipped to participants in the USA
Country | Trip # | Leader | Deadline | Sponsorship Goal | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
El Salvador | 00003 | Mike Goodloe and Lee Zwanziger | January 31, 2024 | $12,000 | Join |
Country | Trip # | Team leaders (click for more info) | Trip dates | Cost | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thailand | 47036 | Bill Burnett | January 27 - February 4, 2024 | $1430 | Join |
Thailand | 47039 | Stirling Davidson | February 10 - 18, 2024 | $1330 | Join |
El Salvador | 20089 | Thomas Monnier | March 9 - 16, 2024 | $1460 | Join |
Nepal | 46032 | Mary Beth Yantz | March 17 - 24, 2024 | $1300 | Join |
Madagascar | 36016 | Bob and Leslie Bell | April 1 - 11, 2024 | $2060 | Join |
Peru | 50141 | Duane Hershberger | April 20 - 28, 2024 | $1520 | Join |
El Salvador | 20091 | John Budway | April 13 - 21, 2024 | $1530 | Join |
El Salvador | 20092 | Tom Olschner | April 27 - May 5, 2024 | $1680 | Join |
Armenia | 10129 | Duane Hershberger | May 4 - 12, 2024 | $1655 | Join |
Portugal | 11036 | Bill Burnett | May 5 - 12, 2024 | $1500 | Join |
Nepal | 46037 | John Mitchell | May 10 - 20, 2024 | $1900 | Join |
Romania | 12010 | Tammy Carter | May 11 - 18, 2024 | $1640 | Join |
Armenia | 10123 | Michelle Pavliv | May 18 - 28, 2024 | $1690 | Join |
Armenia | 10120 | Chris Goodrich | June 1 - 11, 2024 | $1700 | Join |
Armenia | 10125 | Nicole Simmons | June 15 - 30, 2024 | $1785 | Join |
El Salvador | 20090 | Cole Chatterton and Lesylee Hodge | June 16 - 23, 2024 | $1530 | Join |
Portugal | 11038 | Perry Shull | June 16 - 23, 2024 | $1470 | Join |
Armenia | 10124 | John Mangassarian | June 23 - July 7, 2024 | $2020 | Join |
Portugal | 11039 | Annette Holdman | June 30 - July 7, 2024 | $1460 | Join |
Armenia | 10126 | Amanda Shenk and Charlie Buracker | July 6 - 13, 2024 | $1530 | Join |
Madagascar | 36018 | Sanjay Rodrigo | July 19 - 28, 2024 | $1850 | Join |
Armenia | 10130 | Susan Lusty and Christine Fisher | July 24 - August 5, 2024 | $1800 | Join |
Peru | 50140 | Chris Roose | August 3 - 10, 2024 | $1200 | Join |
Peru | 50145 | Paul Drake | August 31 - September 7, 2024 | $1310 | Join |
Peru | 50146 | Alaine Bunce | September 21 - 29, 2024 | $1350 | Join |
Thailand | 47037 | Lou Cappiello | November 3 - 13, 2024 | $1620 | Join |
Nepal | 46035 | Kevin Liddle | November 17 - 26, 2024 | $1700 | Join |
A standard fundraising goal will be the base cost of one home plus $500 to cover all related expenses, like hats, shirts, postage, and financial transaction fees. Your team can choose to sponsor more than one home if you’re feeling up to it. Visit our list of locations and find your chosen country’s webpage to learn more about that location, including house costs.
Ex: The cost of a new house in Haiti is $6000, so if your team plans to sponsor two homes there the fundraising goal is $12,500. ($6000 + $6000 + $500)
Raising enough funds to pay for the construction of homes is always crucial, but typically our international volunteer teams provide much of that funding and the pandemic has severely cut back travel. Raising money with a virtual team ensures we can still build homes with families even though volunteers can’t physically go there themselves.
Importantly, just like when we go, building homes in this way helps to create local jobs through the materials we purchase nearby and the construction work. Especially during the time of the pandemic, these essential construction jobs allow families a way to earn income even when much of the economy has been shuttered.
Your effort also helps spread the word and get more people involved, multiplying your impact over time!
Connection.
Donating as part of a Global Builders virtual team builds a connection between yourself, your team, and the international family you’re partnering with. Giving a one-off donation does make a difference, but most of the time you have no idea what the true impact is. Working with a virtual team, you’ll see the progress made in real time and get to know the family who will be the owners of this home. These aren’t faceless “others,” but real people with personalities, dreams, and stories.
Only on a virtual team can you make a difference and a connection like this without actually traveling abroad.
You can do that too!
You’ll contribute the virtual trip fee of at least $500 through payments and/or fundraising, receive the FCH hats and t-shirts like everyone else, and then get regular updates on the team’s progress during the build. Click the link at the top of the page to sign up as a virtual participant.
Here are the basic steps you’ll follow:
1. Propose your virtual trip.
2. Receive the link to your team’s fundraising page and start raising money.
3. Recruit people to join your team. You’ll be the primary point of contact between FCH and your participants.
4. Receive updates on the build progress and family story. Share these with your team and donors.
Here is the story of one church that decided to take their entire youth group to Nepal — virtually.
There are no restrictions on age, language ability, construction skills, or citizenship. Everyone qualifies! All contributions are tax-deductible in the United States.
For questions, email us at globalbuilders@fullercenter.org.
As the team leader you will be responsible for:
1. Submitting the trip proposal
•Choose your Covenant Partner country (see list of options)
•Set your fundraising goal at 1 or more house sponsorships. We’ll include an extra $350 to cover the costs of the merchandise and their mailing.
•Determine your fundraiser deadline. We recommend no shorter than 1 month and no longer than 6.
2. Connecting with your team and donors
•Recruit people to join you
•Distribute the provided family profile to your participants and donors
•Serve as the point of contact between FCH and your team, including sharing construction updates
3. Fundraising towards your goal
•We will create your team fundraising page and send you the link
•Lead by example! Make a gift or start raising funds.
•Encourage your participants in their own fundraising efforts
You also have the option of hosting group connection events to build team unity. This can be done through Zoom calls, Facebook groups, GroupMe chats, etc. A sample call agenda is available here, or email globalbuilders@fullercenter.org to ask for more ideas or materials.
Joining a virtual trip as a participant is a great way to make a difference and connect with families in need around the world. Here’s what you can expect:
Have more questions? Email globalbuilders@fullercenter.org and we’ll be more than happy to help!
If there’s a physical trip you really want to be a part of, but just can’t make it, this is a great alternative!
As a virtual tag-along, you’ll go through the same process as everyone else in preparing for a physical trip, right up until the trip dates. Here’s what you can expect:
Armenia | $12,000 | Nepal | $5,050 |
Bolivia | $15,000 | Nicaragua | $7,000 |
El Salvador | $12,000 | Papua New Guinea | $6,900 / $4,500 |
Ghana | $6,100 | Peru | $6,500 |
Haiti | $6,500 | Puerto Rico | $5,000 (repair) |
India | $5,500 | Sri Lanka | $1,500 (repair) |
Madagascar | $3,750 | Thailand | $7,000 |
These figures don’t include the $500 of indirect costs necessary to complete a home through the virtual trips program. Please add $500 per trip to account for these expenses. (Example: 2 Haiti homes @$6,000 each + $500 indirect costs = $12,500 total needed.)