bbq mission

What bbq mission does

BBQ Mission is an Arizona-based Section 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2015 by Jeff and Kate Simpson in Surprise, Arizona. The organization's sole operational mission is to provide free, handmade barbecue meals to homeless individuals and other marginalized communities in Arizona, including food banks, women's shelters, foster care services, and senior, veteran, and children's services facilities. The organization commits that 100% of public donations fund feeding programs and publishes photo evidence and updates for each project as a transparency mechanism. There is no proprietary technology platform; operations run on mobile food preparation at recurring church partner sites (Grace Lutheran Church in Downtown Phoenix on Mondays, Avondale Baptist Church in West Valley on Wednesdays, September through July) and at rotating special-event locations.

Revenue is generated entirely through donations, including standard individual giving via the website, the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit program, branded "Jesus Won" merchandise sold through a partner retail site (starting at $25), and an annual Charity Golf Event held at Palm Valley Golf Club in Goodyear, AZ, where individual registration is $160 per person and multi-tier corporate sponsorships are sold. The organization is supported by an Advisory Board (Chad Bechert, Jeff Thiessen) and a network of brand partners including Pit Boss Grills, Louisiana Grills, Humble Salt, and EMC church, alongside distribution partners such as You Matter Ministry, Teen Challenge, Sunshine Acres, House of Refuge, MANA House, VFW Post, and Justa Center. Marketing is conducted through Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, email newsletters, the website, and the annual golf event, with merchandise sales functioning as a referral/affiliate partner channel.

The business model is best characterized as a community-led, event-driven donation nonprofit with no traditional product revenue, no app or SaaS offering, and no disclosed paid workforce beyond volunteer mobilization. The headcount is not disclosed, and the organization has no parent company, subsidiaries, or institutional ownership. The entity is registered under EIN 92-1863234 and operates exclusively within Arizona despite occasional aspirational language about global reach on its website.

Name

bbq mission

Legal name

BBQ Mission

Website

https://bbqmission.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

BBQ Mission is an Arizona-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015 that provides free handmade barbecue meals to homeless and underserved communities through recurring volunteer events at church and nonprofit partner sites, funded entirely by donations, merchandise sales, and an annual charity golf fundraiser.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Meal Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAHAKAF

Gala, Fundraiser & Nonprofit Event Catering

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Catering & Banqueting Services for Events

Keywords

• Homeless meal services
• Community meal programs
• Charitable food distribution
• Volunteer feeding programs
• Faith-based nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Surprise

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: BBQ Mission operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies entirely on public donations. They explicitly promise that 100% of all public donations are used to fund feeding underserved communities. Donations are solicited through their website and at events.
2. Merchandise Sales: The organization sells branded merchandise (Jesus Won apparel) through an external partner (jesuswonapparel.com) with proceeds benefiting BBQ Mission. This includes t-shirts and hoodies priced at $25.
3. AZ Charitable Tax Credit: BBQ Mission accepts Arizona Charitable Tax Credit donations, allowing Arizona taxpayers to redirect state tax credits to the organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BBQ Mission is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that prepares and distributes free, handmade barbecue meals to homeless individuals and other marginalized communities in Arizona. The organization operates recurring volunteer-driven meal service events at partner church locations in Downtown Phoenix and West Valley, accepts public donations (including Arizona Charitable Tax Credit contributions), sells branded "Jesus Won" merchandise, and hosts an annual Charity Golf Event to raise funds, with 100% of public donations pledged toward feeding programs.

Product overview

BBQ Mission is a Christian non-profit organization (501(c)(3), EIN 92-1863234) that operates as a single, unified charitable service rather than a platform product. The organization delivers hand-made food to underdeveloped and marginalized communities across Arizona and globally, functioning through four interconnected offerings: Meal Distribution Services as the core mission, Volunteer Programs enabling community participation, Jesus Won Apparel merchandise generating supplementary donations, and Charity Golf Events as major annual fundraisers. The organization commits to directing 100% of public donations toward feeding programs while maintaining full transparency through photo documentation and project updates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Meal Distribution Services Provides free, homemade barbecue meals to underserved and marginalized communities including homeless populations, food banks, women's shelters, and foster care services in Arizona.
• Volunteer Programs Organizes individual and group volunteer opportunities at various serving locations in Phoenix and West Valley areas, with flexible scheduling for groups of 8–25 people.
• Jesus Won Apparel Branded merchandise including t-shirts and hoodies with 'Jesus Won' messaging; proceeds benefit BBQ Mission's feeding programs. Priced from $25.
• Charity Golf Events Annual charity golf tournament fundraising events held at Palm Valley Golf Club in Goodyear, AZ, featuring various sponsorship tiers and prizes, with proceeds supporting BBQ Mission's feeding programs.

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Pit Boss GrillscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPit Boss Grills is a key brand partner known for durability and craftsmanship with a family-style approach to business. They provide grilling equipment and support for BBQ Mission's feeding programs, with their grills used to prepare meals for underserved communities.
• EMC (Evangelical Mission Church)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMC (Evangelical Mission Church) is a brand partner whose mission is driven by understanding of the gospel. Everything they do is guided by the 'good news' announcement of what God has done through Jesus Christ, aligning with BBQ Mission's faith-based approach.
• Louisiana GrillsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLouisiana Grills provides quality grilling products and supports BBQ Mission's meal preparation efforts with their innovative products.
• Humble SaltminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumble Salt is a brand partner supporting BBQ Mission's mission and operations.
• You Matter MinistrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Rick Smith, You Matter Ministry is where founders Jeff and Kate Simpson first partnered to serve the homeless on the first Saturday of each month. The ministry provides meals, clothing, and church services to the local homeless population.
• DanzonmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerDanzon is the Platinum Sponsor for the 2026 BBQ Mission Charity Golf Event.
• Ironwood RoofingmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerIronwood Roofing is the Golf Shirt Sponsor for the 2026 BBQ Mission Charity Golf Event.
• AIM (Consider It Finished)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAIM is the 'Hole In 2' Sponsor for the 2026 BBQ Mission Charity Golf Event.
• RSOminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRSO is the Luncheon Sponsor for the 2026 BBQ Mission Charity Golf Event.
• ARC (Signage Supplier)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerARC provides signage for the 2026 BBQ Mission Charity Golf Event.
• Grace Lutheran ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDowntown Phoenix location where BBQ Mission serves meals on Mondays from 10AM-1:30PM, September through July. Address: 1124 N 3rd St STE A, Phoenix, AZ 85004.
• Avondale Baptist ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWest Valley location where BBQ Mission serves meals on Wednesdays, September through July. Address: 1001 N Central Ave, Avondale, AZ 85323.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• World Central Kitchen: Global nonprofit that provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. Comparable in mission (free meals to those in need through organized events) but operates at vastly larger scale with disaster-response focus rather than steady-state community feeding.
• Feeding America: National network of 200+ food banks serving all 50 U.S. states. Comparable mission of addressing food insecurity among vulnerable populations, but operates at vastly larger scale through food bank infrastructure and grocery partnerships rather than direct meal service.

Direct peers

• UMOM New Day Centers: Phoenix-based nonprofit providing shelter, meals, and supportive services to families and individuals experiencing homelessness. Comparable beneficiary base and Arizona geography to BBQ Mission, with overlapping service offerings and donor base.
• St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance: Arizona's largest food bank serving Phoenix and surrounding areas with food distribution to those facing hunger. Comparable to BBQ Mission as a community food service organization serving the same Arizona geography and beneficiary segments, though operating at vastly larger scale.
• Lasagna Love: National nonprofit that connects volunteers who cook meals with families experiencing hardship, providing free home-cooked meals. Directly comparable volunteer-driven meal-delivery model to BBQ Mission, operating through similar community-organized channels across the U.S.
• Phoenix Rescue Mission: Faith-based nonprofit in Phoenix providing meals, shelter, and recovery services to homeless individuals. Operates in the same Arizona service region as BBQ Mission with overlapping beneficiary populations and faith-aligned fundraising approach.
• Mobile Loaves & Fishes: Community-supported nonprofit that provides mobile meal service to the homeless and impoverished populations in Austin, TX. Directly comparable to BBQ Mission's volunteer-driven, faith-rooted model of delivering hot meals to underserved populations through partner-site distribution.
• Andre House of Arizona: Phoenix-based nonprofit that serves hot meals to people experiencing homelessness daily, relying heavily on volunteer support and donations. Highly comparable to BBQ Mission in geography, beneficiary population, and volunteer-driven meal service model.
• Catholic Charities of Arizona: Faith-based nonprofit serving Arizona with food assistance, housing support, and community services. Comparable as a faith-rooted community services organization in the same Arizona geography serving overlapping beneficiary populations including the homeless and food insecure.

Regional players

• Midwest Food Bank: Faith-based nonprofit distributing meals through food banks and partner agencies across the Midwest and beyond. Comparable faith-rooted community food service model, though primarily operates through food distribution infrastructure rather than direct meal preparation and service like BBQ Mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BBQ-Mission-108270314158734
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bbq-mission
• Instagraminstagram.com/bbqmissionllc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about bbq mission