Programs and results
What we aim to solve
More than ever, schools need to prepare students for life. Leaders in education and business agree that soft skills are the missing link for student workforce readiness and success after graduation. Yet, education focuses on academics at the expense of real world learning. According to a 2017 Deloitte Insights Report ‘Generation Z Enters the Workforce’, 2016 Monster Multi-Generational Survey: 74% of US high school students believe their work should have a higher purpose 49% of US high school students want to have their own business someday 37% of US high school students worry that technology is weakening their ability to maintain strong interpersonal relationships 29% of US employers are concerned that they won’t be able to successfully recruit, train, and retain Generation Z employees due to the gap between Generation Z skills and employer expectations. Our whole-student approach to education includes teaching students how to think critically, feel deeply, and act confidently.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Big Idea Project
We provide schools with a comprehensive leadership development program that goes beyond academic skills to meet the needs of the whole student, equipping them for life beyond the classroom.
We work closely with teachers (the heroes in the classroom) to provide training, resources, business mentors, and on-site support so they can unlock their students’ potential.
Our proven model is to use service learning as a tool for learning, in parallel with highly relevant content. Students observe the world around them to identify an issue that negatively impacts others. They then work together in teams to be the solution.
As they work in and outside of the classroom, they grow as people. They see the world from a new perspective. They learn skills such as responsibility, communication and project management. They recognize what it means to care for themselves and others. They recognize their value and find meaning in their work.
Where we work
External reviews

Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsNumber of students enrolled
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adolescents
Related Program
Big Idea Project
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Due to the nature of the curriculum COVID impacted the number of schools that implemented BIP curriculum.
Number of children who have a sense of their own feelings and an ability to express empathy for others
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adolescents
Related Program
Big Idea Project
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Students completed both a pre and post program survey. 87% indicated a growth in their ability to express empathy for others.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The desired outcome of BIP is to unleash students to lead with skill, compassion and confidence.
We do this by:
1. Increasing the reach and accessibility of Big Idea Project to all types of communities across Colorado (urban, rural, mountain).
2. Continue to hone the implementation process so that we may serve more students and teachers each year.
3. Deepen the long-term effect of the Big Idea Project experience for current students by engaging professional mentors to help move students from 'entry level' learners to practicing generous leaders.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
To bridge the nation's leadership gap, BIP brings an innovative, experiential learning program to high school students. At BIP, leadership starts with a way of seeing self, others and the world that is based on empathy, generosity and responsibility. Big Idea Project is unique. Led by trained teachers with a proven curriculum, it is integrated into regular classroom studies as students are challenged to identify a problem in their community that they want to impact. High school teachers attend a one-day, in person training to become certified in implementing the BIP curriculum in their classrooms.
In groups of three or four, students choose a social issue they want to address and develop a plan to make a difference in that area. With the coaching of a business mentor (a volunteer from the community), the team comes up with positive, innovative solutions. Real work, real solutions, for real life. The students then carry out their Big Idea, positively affecting their community. Throughout this experience, students put into practice the skills and values of Generous Leaders. At the culmination of their project, these teams create a storytelling video that chronicles their journey and their results. The top team from each school is invited to a statewide presentation to vie for college scholarships. By empowering students with choice in their project selections, BIP builds entrepreneurial confidence, activates student passions, and helps them discover their real ability to affect meaningful change.
For example, a team of four boys at Legend High School chose to make a deeper impact on a few people. They connected with a single mother and her two children and asked how they could help. The mom was working two jobs and wanted to take a financial and debt management class once a week. The teens started by caring for the children each week so that she could attend the class. They went far beyond babysitting by engaging the younger children in activities such as crafts and cooking and tutoring them. The 12-year-old son had a D in math. After the teens tutored him for a while, he raised that grade to a B and was able play football for his school. This BIP team intentionally became a part of the family. They continue to see them and attend the children's activities. The mother was able to get out of debt and quit one job, and the younger boy has volunteered in the community, following the example of the older boys.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Tricia Halsey is the Co-founder and Executive Director. She has worked with nonprofit organizations and for-profit companies to build organizational capacity, identity, culture, strategy, programs, product and teams. As a business leader, she was instrumental in taking a small business from start-up to recognized expert; designing everything from company identity, messaging, product offering, leadership training curriculum and strategic relationships. As a senior leader in an international nonprofit organization, she oversaw staff and programs in four countries, developed the direction for programs, led staff development and directed process improvement. She holds an M.A. in Leadership and a B.A. in English. In three years operating as a nonprofit, BIP has built strong relationships with schools throughout the Denver Metro area and local and national businesses that serve as a solid base from which to grow the organization throughout the state and nation.
Mike Ramsey is the Director of Operations. He has over 20 years of experience with non-profit, student focused organizations, both in the US and abroad. Having helped lead student organizations and events in over 30 countries on 4 continents, Mike has a well rounded skill set for helping to lead a growing organization to empowering leaders.
Krystal Tucker is our Program Manager. Krystal has a social work and education background and brings the expertise to bridge the wide gap between social/emotional learning and curriculum delivery in a classroom setting.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Since 2014 Big Idea Project has trained 4,000 high school students from all races and economic levels across the front range of Colorado. These students have directly made an impact on over 40,000 people in our communities.
BIP has trained over 75 teachers to deliver curriculum and empowered them to be the hero in their classrooms.
BIP has enlisted the help of over 900 professional, business mentors who have helped to coach, lead and mentor students.
Because BIP has seen demand increase from educators in Colorado and across the United States, the long-term goal is to certify and support Big Idea Project Educators from every state in the country.
During the 2019-20 school year, BIP is built a sustainable infrastructure and operations for increased scalable impact, while continuing to develop program implementation allowing for easy teacher and student on-boarding.
During the COVID year of 2020-21 BIP had to pivot quickly to retool curriculum for hybrid and remote learning environments. They developed the Generous Leadership Challenge which unleashes student potential by forming students’ foundational leadership perspectives and skills while challenging them to grow their leadership skills through real-world practice and reflection.
BIP in 2021-22 is poised and ready to work in most any learning environment - in-person, remote, hybrid - to equip schools and educators to unleash student potential.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
We serve school districts, schools, administrators, teachers, students, parents/guardians, community.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.),
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve,
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
BIG IDEA PROJECT
Board of directorsas of 08/05/2021
Mr. Todd Johnson
Legacy Capital Partners
Term: 2017 - 2020
Todd Johnson
Legacy Capital Partners
Kurt Meyers
TD Ameritrade
Sara van Rensburg
Colorado Thought Leaders Forum
Tricia Halsey
Big Idea Project
Frank DeAngelis
Columbine High School
Lori Jones
Avocet Communications
Lance Sherwood
Mosiac HCM
Randy Niemann
ART
Denise Burrows
CO State Auditors Office
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 08/05/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.