BiG Annual Report 2024

I hope someone brings BiG to heaven. Then we can be like, okay, I’m going to go do what I love.

- Citizen Marcus

ANNUAL REPORT

2024

SAVE THE DATE!

ROOM at the TABLE

12th Annual Art Auction

A MESSAGE FROM OUR

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

ELIZABETH GRIFFIN Dear Supporters of BiG, As I reflect on the few months I’ve spent here at BiG, I am filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and joy. Though my time with the organization has been brief, it already feels like I’ve found my place within a community that is truly special. Joining BiG as Executive Director has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life, and I am so thankful for the warm welcome I’ve received from each and every one of you.

What has been most profound for me during my time here is not what I’ve been able to contribute, but what I’ve learned. Our mission to create meaningful vocational and residential opportunities for adults with special needs is not just a goal—it is a transformative vision. I have been deeply moved by the resilience, determination, and grace of the Citizens I get to work alongside. They have taught me what it truly means to overcome challenges, to embrace the power of community, and to live each day with purpose and authenticity.

Through their stories, their accomplishments, and dynamic personalities, I’ve learned so much about the power of belonging. Our Citizens are constantly breaking through barriers, defying expectations, and showing the world what is possible when we are given the tools, the opportunity, and the support to thrive.

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As is their courage and perseverance that inspire me every day to do my very best for them, to advocate for their needs, and to remind the world that our Citizens are image bearers of Christ.

At BiG, we are not just providing jobs or homes— we are building lives and changing perceptions.

Every day, we create a space where individuals with special needs are celebrated for who they are, where they can pursue their dreams and contribute to society in meaningful ways. I’ve witnessed firsthand how powerful it is when someone gets their first job, moves into their own home, or simply feels seen and valued. These moments remind me that the work we do here is not just important, it is life changing.

This journey would not be possible without the support of so many—our amazing staff, our dedicated volunteers, our families, and all of you, our generous supporters. You make all of this possible, and I am profoundly grateful for your belief in BiG and our Citizens. Together, we are creating a more inclusive and interdependent world, one life at a time.

Thank you for welcoming me into the BiG family.I look forward to all that God has in store for us in the coming year.

Elizabeth Griffin

AT BIG, WE ARE NOT JUST PROVIDING JOBS OR HOMES—WE ARE BUILDING LIVES AND CHANGING PERCEPTIONS. 3

JOIN US AT

the

Sunflower Room WHAT IS THE SUNFLOWER ROOM? Previously known as the Shop Next Door, The Sunflower Room offers a welcoming space to shop, enjoy a cup of coffee, or savor a meal.

This inviting venue features a full range of Citizen-made products and serves as overflow space for the café.

Thank You

TEXAS CUSTOM SIGNS FOR THE NEW SUNFLOWER ROOM SIGN 4

CONTENTS Letter from Elizabeth

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Sunflower Room

4

Financial Review

6

Donor Thank You

7

Identifiable Needs

8

Volunteer Impact

9

Founder Message

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Citizen Enterprise Impact

11

Main Campus Impact

12-13

Light Campus Impact

14-15

ATX Campus Impact

16-17

A BiG God Story

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Grace Place Update

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS TIM CURTIS TOM FRANZ ERIN KILTZ JOHN KILTZ LINDA KNEBEL ASHLEY MORGAN P.J. STEVENS ALAN STEWART

BiG LEADERSHIP ELIZABETH GRIFFIN Executive Director ERIN KLITZ Founder

Our Mission

To provide a God-centered, innovative, vocational and residential community for adults with disabilities, as well as to change the way the world views this population.

ANNE MUILMAN Chief of Staff KEVIN THOMPSON Controller SUMMER KENNEDY Vocational Director LINDSAY GARNER Gift Shop Manager JASON FARQUE Outside Sales Manager

BiG is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, funded through a combination of revenue from tuition, Citizen enterprises, and donations from individuals, churches, foundations, businesses, and civic organizations.

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2024

FINANCIAL REVIEW FISCAL YEAR END 7|31|24

REVENUES 1%

19% TUITION - $885,214 RESIDENTIAL FEES - $242,361 BiG CAFE & BIG SHOP SALES - $1,504,858

43%

GOLF BENEFIT & ART AUCTION - $2,004,223 REPLICATION & CONSULTANT FEES - $24,000

TOTAL - $4,660,656

32%

EXPENSES 9% 7% PROGRAM - $3,578,869 ADMINISTRATION - $297,885 FUNDRAISING - $400,164

TOTAL - $4,276,918

84% 6

Saying thank you to our generous supporters does not feel like enough. Each and every gift ensures a change in the way the world views adults with disabilities. We are filled with gratitude for the contributions you made this year. Your gifts allowed us to say “yes” to more scholarships, forever homes for our Citizens at Grace Place and operational costs that keep the BiG vocational community running.

In 2025, join us as a monthly donor to help create a community where Citizens can grow, connect, and thrive. Your monthly gift provides stability and sustains meaningful work through artisan and entrepreneurial opportunities —empowering each Citizen to reach their God given potential.

With your continued support, we’re creating a community where everybody matters and belongs.

Thank you for believing in our mission.

TRANSFORM LIVES BECOME A MONTHLY DONOR IN 2025

bigtx.org 7

IDENTIFIABLE NEEDS GIVING WITH

PURPOSE At BiG, we’ve grown to serve over 100 Citizens across three campuses, with more waiting to join. Your support can help us address specific needs like transportation, expanding programs, and enhancing our campuses to better serve our Citizens. Each donation directly impacts their ability to create and thrive.

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15 PASSENGER TRANSIT VAN - $70,000 As Grace Place expands and grows so has our need for an additional van to transport Citizens around town and to work each day.

GRACE PLACE GROCERIES - $6,500 PER MTH Grace Place provides meals to over 50 plus people per month. Help provide a month worth of homemade meals for our Grace Place Community.

SHOWCASE REFRIGERATOR - $3,000 With our Sunflower Room opening as additional Cafe dining space, a new showcase refrigerator would be an amazing blessing to efficiently serve our community and display our Citizens’ delicious baked goods.

YOUR SUPPORT CAN HELP US ADDRESS SPECIFIC NEEDS LIKE TRANSPORTATION, EXPANDING PROGRAMS, AND ENHANCING OUR CAMPUSES TO BETTER SERVE OUR CITIZENS.

VOLUNTEER IMPACT Volunteers are essential to the success at BiG. We are so thankful to have our weekly volunteers who are not only a part of our Vocational Program but also are a huge part of helping both our Café and Shop operate, and now at Grace Place. In addition to showing up week to week, our volunteers help with after-hour events, fundraisers, and spread the word about and mission of BiG. We want to express our deepest gratitude for the invaluable contributions of each volunteer. Their dedication and selfless efforts are the heartbeat of our mission. Their passion and commitment resonate in every program, event, and initiative.

Each year, we also have multiple volunteer groups from churches and organizations who come and serve together on various projects.

From deep cleaning buildings to assembling furniture and building garden beds, groups work together as a team to bless BiG. Thank you for making a meaningful impact on our Citizens, staff, and each guest that walks through our door.

thank you V O L U N T E E R S 9

A MES SA

FROM OUR E G

founder...

ERIN KILTZ Dear BiG Friends & Family, “Chain, Chain, Chain,” reminds me of the 1970’s hit by Aretha Franklin, Chain of Fools. However, I would rename the song in honor of our BiG Citizens, “Change, Change, Change” because of what they have proven to the world.

One truth is the anchor to our core values--they are made in God’s image and are a beautiful reflection of our Creator. Yes, our Citizens are changing the way the world views adults with disabilities! And yet in tandem, BiG has a sacred opportunity of revealing their intrinsic value through a collaborative vocational and now 127acre residential community, Grace Place.

On November 1, 2011, our Citizens were given a long-awaited opportunity and have surprised the world with their handmade products. For decades, individuals with special needs have been WE ALSO LIKE TO THINK BIG overlooked and underestimated.

With BiG, that has CHANGED. COULD STAND FOR WHAT Their God-given talents have OUR CITIZENS EXPERIENCE been recognized, developed, EVERY DAY AT WORK, and elevated with their beautiful and delicious offerings.

BASKING IN GRACE! Our team has had the privilege for 13 years of serving alongside Citizens.

We call that co-laboring, collaboration, and interdependence as we learn from each other.

Just to give some perspective, in 2012, Georgetown Rotary awarded BiG a kiln. Since then, our Citizens have produced and sold over a million dollars in pottery over the past 12 years.

If you come to know a Citizen at BiG - I mean really know them - you quickly realize they have more to teach you than anything you will ever impart to them.

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We rejoice in what God has done through Brookwood in Georgetown, BiG. We also like to think BiG could stand for what our Citizens experience every day at work, Basking in Grace! “The proof is in the pudding,” as my mom used to say, through the excellence of the Citizens’ products, the joy of their

community and the true meaning they experience daily. Furthermore, Citizen Lizzy says that she, alongside her co-workers at BiG, are “living their best life ever”!

We celebrate this much needed CHANGE for our BiG Citizens and want to be a conduit of spreading the “gospel of BiG” across the world!

Thank you for partnering in and being a part of that change!

Erin Kiltz

FOR DECADES, INDIVIDUALS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS HAVE BEEN OVERLOOKED AND UNDERESTIMATED. WITH BIG, THAT HAS CHANGED.

IMPACT

2024

Sustaining the Mission ENTERPRISE NUMBERS TOTAL CITIZENS EMPLOYEED

100

TOTAL CITIZEN PRODUCTS SOLD

30,201

TOTAL CITIZEN MADE PRODUCT SALES

$360,535

BiG employs over 100 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, who we call Citizens, across three campuses in the Greater Austin area.

Each campus thrives as a hub of creativity, producing over 18 artisan product lines sold at our award-winning Shop and Café in Georgetown, TX. Our work program educates, trains, and empowers Citizens in a supportive, no-fail environment. The program focuses on adaptable, marketable enterprises, giving Citizens the opportunity to rotate between two different enterprises daily, Monday through Thursday. Every product is handcrafted with care by BiG Citizens from raw ingredients to packaging and skuing. Supervisors provide tailored job modifications, ensuring every Citizen experiences the dignity of meaningful work.

To sustain the BiG mission, our Shop and Café sell unique Citizen-made products alongside curated market items, celebrating their talents and creativity.

Every Citizen-made product sold powers our program’s future sustainability. The following pages showcase the incredible work and artisanship of our Citizens’ enterprises from each campus: Main, LIGHT, and ATX.

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MAIN

enterprises

ENTERPRISE HIGHLIGHT: BIG PIE BAKERY EXPANSION What a year it has been! Here at the BiG Main Campus, we’ve seen remarkable growth and transformation. We’re no longer just making pies—our Citizens have been pouring their hearts into creating an array of delicious new offerings for the café. From perfectly baked scones and muffins to savory quiches, the BiG Bakery has truly come to life.

Now there’s more to love than just the baked goods. Every Citizen-made item includes a card introducing the individual who crafted it, connecting each purchase to the amazing people behind the scenes.

These personal touches allow us to celebrate the talents and dedication of the incredible men and women of BiG, one handcrafted item at a time.

Every day, the bakery is filled with excitement as our Citizens work together to craft new seasonal flavors—many of which have been dreamed up by the Citizens themselves! The joy and pride they feel in their creations are contagious, and every bite tells a story of their hard work and creativity.

This year was a record breaking year with 110 pies baked in one day! We’re so proud of how far we’ve come, and we can’t wait to share even more delicious creations with you in the year ahead. Keep an eye out for new treats from the BiG Bakery—helping others never tasted so good!

pie

more than this years sales

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QUICHE

2,312 MUFFINS

1,129 SCONES

4,644

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EACH CAMPUS THRIVES AS A HUB OF CREATIVITY, PRODUCING OVER 18 ARTISAN PRODUCT LINES.

2024

MAIN CAMPUS IMPACT TOTAL PRODUCTS SOLD

CITIZENS EMPLOYEED AT MAIN CAMPUS

60

TOTAL MAIN CAMPUS PRODUCTS SOLD

2,609

WHOLE PIES

3,031

15,811

PIE BY THE SLICE MAIN CAMPUS CITIZEN PRODUCT TOTAL SALES

$226,185.35

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6,172 POTTERY ITEMS

486 LASER ENGRAVING

2,365 GREETING CARDS

1,147 JEWELRY

EVERY CITIZEN-MADE PRODUCT SOLD POWERS OUR PROGRAM’S FUTURE SUSTAINABILITY. 13

LIGHT

enterprises

ENTERPRISE HIGHLIGHT: FUDGE Since launching in 2018, BiG’s Fudge has become one of our most popular products.

Our Citizens take pride in every step of the process — hand cutting the butter, adding and ensuring the ingredients get mixed in the kettle, pouring the fudge into pans to cool, and carefully cutting and wrapping each piece by hand. Every batch is crafted with joy, love, and camaraderie, making each piece of fudge truly special.

During the holiday season alone, over 3,600 pounds of fudge is poured, wrapped, and packaged in single piece, 2-piece, and 4-piece variety options.

That’s over 12,000 pieces of fudge!

fudge by

SHOP PIECES SOLD

5,222

THE NUMBERS 3,600 LBS HOLIDAY POUNDS MADE

SEASON TOTALS

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KALAHARI POUNDS MADE

1,500 LBS

When the holiday months are not in session, we have a great partnership with Kalahari and their sweet shop, The Last Bite, where both fudge and pies are sold. Kalahari receives over 1,500 pounds of fudge throughout the year, and it is always a joy to share the mission. In the BiG Shop alone, 5,222 pieces were sold in 2024!

Our fudge has made such an impact to those far and wide, we even taught the Brookwood Community in Houston, TX how to make fudge! It was such a full circle experience to attend the Brookwood Community as a guest in the diner and have them offer Citizen-made fudge that BiG Citizens helped teach and guide.

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EVERY PRODUCT IS HANDCRAFTED WITH CARE BY BIG CITIZENS

FROM RAW INGREDIENTS TO PACKAGING AND SKUING.

2024

LIGHT CAMPUS IMPACT TOTAL PRODUCTS SOLD

CITIZENS EMPLOYEED AT LIGHT CAMPUS

23 5,222

FUDGE

LIGHT CAMPUS TOTAL PRODUCTS SOLD

SPICES

821 CANDLES

320 COOKIES

1,147 ROOM SPRAY

1,292

8,544 LIGHT CAMPUS TOTAL PRODUCT SALES

247 HONEY

$84,355 FROM COMB TO JAR Did you know that BiG LIGHT honey goes through three different filtering processes before it reaches your jar? The first removes wax, while the second and third filter out air and any remaining wax.

Honey can come in different colors, influenced by the age of the honeycomb and the flowers the bees pollinated. No matter the hue, it’s guaranteed to taste delicious!

Processing honey is no simple task.

Each comb is carefully de-capped (to release the honey), spun in a centrifuge, and filtered.

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Extracting and filtering takes 8 hours, while bottling over 30 gallons of honey spans more than a month.

Over 350 bottles are handpoured, measured, cleaned, labeled, and packed by BiG LIGHT Citizens each year for our annual Honey Launch. This special event typically held in August celebrates the hard work of our LIGHT Citizens and the bees themselves, resulting in a limited, mouthwatering treat crafted with care and dedication!

SUPERVISORS PROVIDE TAILORED JOB MODIFICATIONS, ENSURING EVERY CITIZEN EXPERIENCES THE DIGNITY OF MEANINGFUL WORK. 15

ATX

enterprises

ENTERPRISE HIGHLIGHT: ATX’S SHOWER AND SOAP SENSATIONS Every shower steamer, liquid soap, and solid soap at BiG is more than just a product—it’s a testament to the dedication and skill of our ATX Citizens. At the ATX campus, BiG Citizens pour their creativity and care into every step of the process.

Take our shower steamers. With steady hands, BiG Citizens mix baking soda, citric acid, and scents to create one of BiG’s favorite holiday gift items. For lemon lavender, they pour the mixture into cube and hex molds, combining soft purple and yellow hues. Eucalyptus mint steamers feature a fresh blend of green and white coloring, all packaged in sleek silver tins to highlight their craftsmanship.

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Our soaps are equally unique. BiG liquid and foaming soaps are each hand poured by our Citizens while creating the best blend of fragrances ranging from rosemary mint to green tea cucumber. Our solid soaps are carefully poured into each mold by the citizens and heat wrapped to be becoming little works of art. Each product reflects perseverance and creativity making them one of The BiG Shop’s gifting sensations.

Since 2011, BiG has grown from serving 8 Citizens to over 100 across three campuses, including our ATX program in the heart of Austin. The ATX campus has the greatest need for volunteers—join us and help these amazing individuals thrive!

GET INVOLVED

OUR ATX PROGRAM HAS THE GREATEST NEED FOR VOLUNTEERS. 16

AT ATX

2024

ATX CAMPUS IMPACT TOTAL PRODUCTS SOLD

624

2,245

SHOWER STEAMERS

SOAP

176 RESIN BOARDS

1,208

DOG TREATS

54 JEWELRY

ATX CAMPUS CITIZENS EMPLOYEED

17

TOTAL ATX CAMPUS PRODUCTS SOLD

4,298

ATX CAMPUS PRODUCT TOTAL SALES

$49,995

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TO SUSTAIN THE BIG MISSION, OUR SHOP AND CAFÉ SELL UNIQUE CITIZEN-MADE PRODUCTS ALONGSIDE CURATED MARKET ITEMS 17

a God Story BiG Dog Treats are handmade by our Citizens using all-natural, gluten-free ingredients. Each treat is carefully cut into a unique dog-biscuit shape, baked, and packaged entirely in-house. At the beginning of 2024, dog treats were made exclusively at our ATX campus. Due to their popularity, BiG Main joined the treat-making fun to help meet demand, making it the only enterprise produced across two campuses. This year, The BiG Shop sold 1,208 bags of Citizen-made dog treats!.

When Pastor Tim learned how much our Citizens enjoyed making dog treats—and that they had the capacity to produce more if only we could sell them— he began seeking a retail partner. That’s when he discovered Tomlinson’s Feed and Supplies, a familyowned business founded in 1946 with 18 locations across the Austin area. We began praying for a connection with them.

A few weeks later, after guest preaching at a church in Austin, Pastor Tim and his wife were invited to lunch by a couple they had never met before. About 20 minutes into the conversation, he asked the couple what they did for a living. To his surprise, they replied, "We are the owners of Tomlinson’s." When he regained his composure, Pastor Tim responded, "I believe we have a divine appointment."

This past spring, BiG Dog Treats made their debut at Tomlinson’s—and it was love at first bite! After a successful pilot run in five stores, our Citizen-made treats are now available in all 18 locations.

Additionally, we’ve developed a new product—dog shampoo—which will be available at Tomlinson’s in 2025.

We are deeply grateful for our partnership with this incredible family and business, and we look forward to many more shared successes in the future.

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Grace Place UPDATE

FRONT VIEW

t h a e r G i n e g h T

PLACE

BACK VIEW

PROPERTY FEATURES 10,000 SQUARE FEET

The community center will be complete in 2025 and we couldn’t be more excited!

EVENT SPACE RENTAL

Thank you to everyone who made this possible and supported our mission. We could not be where we are without you.

THE BIG WORK OUT CENTER

FUTURE HOME OF 2ND BIG BAKERY ENTERPRISE

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905 N. CHURCH STREET GEORGETOWN, TX 78626

Georgetown comes alive each year for Art From the Heart — a magical evening where extraordinary, one-of-a-kind pieces created by our talented Citizens are auctioned to benefit our community.

Last year, thanks to generous supporters, we raised over $1.25 million, but the true highlight of the event is seeing the unique personalities and creativity of our Citizens shine.

Art from the Heart ?

ROOM at the TABLE