Aviation is known to be a very close-knit industry. With many opportunities and different career paths in aviation, it is also one of the most exciting ways to live your life, both professionally and personally. Thankfully, there are many different avenues and associations with which to get involved in aviation. There are so many great people, many with amazing histories and backgrounds, who are always willing to share their love and passion for the industry. Unfortunately, the industry is also fragmented with a variety of associations and ways to connect with one another. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were one central place as the hub of the broader aviation community?
Welcome to Aviation Gives Back!
Aviation Gives Back is a philanthropic aviation social community that gives its profits back to directly support the development of scholarships, provide mentorship opportunities, and provide associations with financial backing that helps support their great missions.
What it is
The best way to think of Aviation Gives Back is as the new LinkedIn/Facebook of the aviation community, but with a specific aviation PURPOSE. With LinkedIn, there is a lot of other industry noise, it is too formal, and now almost becoming another Facebook within itself. Aviation Gives Back provides a welcoming community where not only current professionals of the industry connect, but also a space that provides the next generation of aviators a resource where they can ask about career development, find a mentor, and even apply for scholarships.
Aviation Gives Back operates as a not-for-profit entity where the site's profits go directly back to support the aviation industry, its people and the great causes that already exist. It is free to join!
We want to be the resource where people can go to learn more about aviation and about each other!
Our Goal
Aviation Gives Back’s goal is to provide a fun, aviation-specific environment to those in the industry, those interested in the industry, and those wanting to make a career pivot toward aviation.
For some, when we were growing up, either we had to be around aviation, with parents or a relative in the industry, or we just had to know that it was the career path for us. There was no go-to resource to which one could reach out, read about, or research hyper-specific career paths in aviation. For example, if while in high school someone were interested in Network Planning at the airline level, where would they turn? Thankfully, there are now many websites for aviation enthusiasts and airplane spotters, and many associations, from the National Business Aviation Association to the American Association of Airport Executives. But many of these organizations come with high costs of membership for someone interested in researching the industry. Or, if while in high school, one were interested in airport planning or air service development, to whom could they reach out to take their first step into aviation? This is where Aviation Gives Back wants to fit in. As a resource where people from all areas of the industry, come together to help strengthen the aviation industry at all levels.
AGB Goal: Be a novel and best source for aviation networking while reinvesting the community’s profits.
AGB Mission: Be the network for aviation professionals.
AGB Values: Support those in aviation with the ways and the means, we wish we had had.
Philanthropy
The philanthropic mission of the organization is to give all net profits back to support causes in aviation. For example, if an individual were to help support us with the code UND, the profits would go to The University of North Dakota for the development and support of an Aviation Gives Back – UND scholarship fund. Or, if an aviator signs up with the code WAI, the profits would go to directly support Women in Aviation International. Aviation can be a costly industry to break into and AGB wants to help break barriers for those aspiring to enter the industry, and to support those organization whose mission is to give back.
How to join
Aviation Gives Back delivers 100% of its net profits to support development of aviation. There is no cost to join and all we hope is that you will help support us. We want the cost to be free, especially for aspiring and young professionals, and simply ask professionals and companies to support us through small monthly subscriptions.
For students (through college), we want the cost to be free. If you are pursuing aviation as a career, there shouldn’t be another cost to enter our great industry! We are asking aviation professionals and businesses to sponsor students’ seats within the website. Sponsoring a student will provide an “instant” mentor and help create the sense of community. Interested in sponsoring? Please let us know here: [email protected]
For professionals and businesses, through a small monthly subscription you will help support the website and its associated causes. Your support is essential. Please enroll here: Corporate or Professional
Codes
We are in the throes of gathering a list of all the organizations that exist in aviation. You can help by submitting a cause, association, etc. you’d like to see supported. Contact us at [email protected]
Mentors and Volunteers
Volunteers are a crucial part of how Aviation Gives Back will succeed in connecting the aviation industry. We need mentors. If you’re interested in helping the next generation, others in aviation, or anyone with questions, please reach out to us!
Mentors should be interested in explicitly becoming a resource – one you wish you had had growing up, while in the industry, or if you could go back and do it all over again. Connecting through meetings (virtual or in-person) and job shadowing are the foundation of helping someone interested in aviation becoming informed before making the commitment.
– Be a mentor
– Be open to questions
– Be the resource you wish you had had
Mission-Based Volunteers
We are also looking for help to spread our mission to aviators across the industry.
If you want to help support our mission through marketing, partnerships, outreach, and more, please connect with us at [email protected]
As a small but mighty team of volunteers, we hope that you too will become interested in helping us spread the word about the new Aviation Gives Back platform. Help us generate creative aviation content to enlighten us about all the areas of aviation that exist.
On the Site
Each member will be required to make a profile where you can update your name, add a headline, add pictures, and all your socials to your account page. To help make it easy, you can sign up with email, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Gmail!
From your profile page, you’ll have the opportunity to join different spaces or communities related to specific aviation causes. This will enable others interested in those areas to have an active place to connect with other aviation professionals.
Make a post! Unlike the algorithms of Facebook, Linkedin, and more, we don’t manipulate what is shown first. Everything remains in chronological order.
Oh, with respect to formal connections: There are no formalities here. Simply “follow” someone who interests you. We have removed the “add a friend” or the need to send a “connection request” in favor of the basic understanding that we are here to connect.
While it takes a few people to build a community, we hope you will join us at Aviation Gives Back and help us grow into a great tool for all aviation professionals and aspirants.
Key things to note!
– You can invite others to the community.
– You can log in with your Facebook, LinkedIn, or Gmail credentials.
– The cost is free (but we hope you will help support the platform).
Be on the lookout for new updates!
In development for your use and coming soon:
⁃ Messaging
⁃ An app
⁃ Frequent virtual interviews with aviation industry professionals
⁃ College ambassador program
⁃ A structured mentorship program
⁃ Aviation learning and development
