AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2013 - 22

FOUNDATION FOCUS

Giving back
Recognizing those who do amazing things
I’LL ADMIT IT. As president of the AOPA Foundation, I
spend a lot of time asking people like you to give—your
money, your time, and your commitment. Your gifts
make it possible for us to fund the important work of
strengthening general aviation and keeping pilots safe.
But now’s time to consider giving something back to
the aviation community we love. I’ve spoken about how
everyone can do something. Can you afford to donate
the equivalent of two cups of coffee a month, or just
one hour of flight time a year? Most of us can financially manage that, and some of us can do much more.
Your contributions to the AOPA Foundation help to
support the Air Safety Institute with its dozens of free
online courses and in-person safety seminars; benefit
the Center to Advance the Pilot Community as it finds
ways to grow the pilot population; preserve community airports across the country; and educate decision
makers and the public about the true value of GA to all
Americans, whether they fly or not.
As a charitable organization, the AOPA Foundation
ON THE
WEB
acts as a force multiplier. When we fund a program,
that program should deliver far
TAKE A STAND for general aviation’s
more than the cost of creating it.
future—make a tax-deductible contribution
The Air Safety Institute’s online
to the AOPA Foundation today. Visit the
courses are a great example.
website (www.aopafoundation.org).
A course may reach hundreds
of thousands of pilots with vital safety information,
making the cost per user just pennies. But even more
important, the information can and does save lives.
But the AOPA Foundation can’t do it all. It’s about
cooperation and collaboration. There are thousands of
charitable organizations doing excellent work using
general aviation. The GA community participates in
disaster response, medical relief flying, and transportation provided by volunteer pilots.
With so much competition for resources, funding
is tight. Every dollar needs to be maximized and leveraged. So, we’ve created a new program called Giving
Back, which allows us to put money in the hands of
groups that are doing amazing things through GA.
We plan to award the funds in three ways. First, we’ll
give grants of up to $10,000 to nonprofit groups that
perform charitable work through GA. Second, several
flight training scholarships are awarded to individuBRUCE LANDSBERG
was named
als who want to learn to fly or pursue aviation careers.
president of
And third, free memberships are provided to armed
the AOPA
forces personnel and teens who want to be part of the
Foundation in
May 2010.
GA community.

22 | AOPA PILOT June 2013

BY BRUCE LANDSBERG
AOPA Foundation President

This program is a great way to recognize the good
things happening in the GA community, and we’ll partner with the beneficiaries to get the publicity their work
so rightly deserves. In the case of grant recipients, we’ll
ask the organizations to spread the word about the good
work they do and the role general aviation plays in
those efforts. Through their own websites, newsletters,
press releases, annual reports, and other communication tools, these nonprofits will create a ripple effect,
helping more people recognize and understand the
contributions made by general aviation and the many
charitable organizations that use it. In return, AOPA’s
own far-reaching communications channels will tell
the heartwarming stories of these wonderful charities.
Individuals who receive scholarships are natural
ambassadors for general aviation who can inspire others to achieve their own aviation goals. How many times
when you were learning to fly, or had just earned your
pilot certificate, did you just casually let it slip that you
were a pilot? How many times did others want to know
more about it? For many scholarship recipients, earning
a pilot certificate will be just the first step in a lifetime
of personal and professional aviation achievements. For
others, it will be their proudest accomplishment.
Service members and their families give so much,
but often have to count every penny. Offering free memberships to those who serve our country is one small
way we can give back.
And young people are the future of GA. Giving them
“insider” status with a free membership through AOPA’s
new youth program—AV8Rs—exposes them to GA
while encouraging them to take a greater interest in science, technology, engineering, and math. It’s a great way
to welcome the next generation of pilots while helping
young people discover rewarding career possibilities.
The AOPA Foundation’s Giving Back program is
brand-new, but we’ve set some lofty goals. We hope to
award 10 grants, 10 scholarships, and 2,500 free AOPA
memberships in 2013. Will you help?
Whether you want to join us and “give back” by
donating to the AOPA Foundation to help support our
new Giving Back program—or you’d like to apply for
a grant, scholarship, or free membership—you’ll find
everything you need to know on our website (www.
aopafoundation.org). We’re accepting grant applications through July 1.
Safety, pilot population growth, airports, or giving
back—it’s up to you and me. Will you help?
AOPA

http://www.aopafoundation.org http://www.aopafoundation.org http://www.aopafoundation.org

AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2013

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