We support the future of commercial aviation through investment in learning & development and social responsibility, utilizing funds and resources from the ISTAT community.
A $781,135 grant to Airlink for the 2022 Ukraine Relief Fund shows the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading Foundation’s willingness to move significant resources quickly when aviation can support crisis response. That pattern sits alongside a clear long-term interest in commercial aviation’s workforce pipeline: the foundation funds scholarships, educational grants, and internship support for students and interns entering aviation-related careers. Recent awards also include support for organizations such as Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the National Aviation Hall of Fame, and the Intrepid Museum Foundation, indicating that the foundation backs both formal education and broader aviation learning environments. Its stated purpose is to support the future of commercial aviation through investment in learning and development and social responsibility, using funds and resources from the ISTAT community. The grant record shows a mix of humanitarian aviation aid and education-related support, with awards to nonprofits, universities, museums, and scholarship recipients. Across those categories, the foundation appears to favor practical, program-based support rather than open-ended funding, and its 2025 activity includes both scholarship grants and humanitarian aid grants.
Education is a major part of the foundation’s work. In 2024, it gave $21,444 to Embry Riddle Aeronautical University for a 2023 grant, and in 2025 it provided $10,000 scholarships to the San Diego Air and Space Museum, the National Aviation Hall of Fame, and Youth Aviation Adventure. The grant descriptions point to aviation-focused educational initiatives, student pathways, and workforce development. Humanitarian aviation aid is the other clear thread. Airlink received $290,000 for humanitarian aid in 2023 after a much larger $781,135 award for the 2022 Ukraine Relief Fund, and Mercy Air US Inc received $9,900 for humanitarian aid in 2023. The foundation also supports aviation organizations that widen participation in the field, including Women in Aviation International, Pathways to Aviation, and International Aviation Women’s Association.
$176K
$7.7M
$1.4M
$1.2M
Most grants fall between $8K and $14K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$14K
About 2% of grants go to recipients in OH.
JANET HUYNH
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Typical grants cluster around five figures: the 25th percentile is $7,500, the median is $10,000, and the 75th percentile is $14,075. The distribution suggests a steady stream of modest awards, with a few much larger humanitarian grants at the top end. The same organizations can appear in multiple years, including Airlink, Women in Aviation International, Pathways to Aviation, Intrepid Museum Foundation Inc, National Aviation Hall of Fame, and We Were Once Them, which points to recurring relationships rather than one-off giving only. The foundation funds from an institutional program structure and also offers scholarships, internship reimbursement, education grants, humanitarian aid grants, and event sponsorship opportunities. Several programs accept unsolicited applications, while the scholarship program includes an invitation-only route through university nomination.
Grantmaking is national, and every listed recipient is in the United States. The most frequent recipient state is Missouri, though the recent grants list shows awards reaching Washington, DC; New York, NY; Dayton, OH; and Reno, NV, among others. Chicago is the headquarters city, but only 3% of grants go to Illinois recipients. Recent awards also reached organizations in Florida, California, Texas, Georgia, and Maryland, showing broad U.S. distribution rather than a single-region focus.
It supports aviation education, scholarships, internships, humanitarian aviation aid, workforce development in aviation, and aviation finance training. The grant program descriptions also note commercial aviation advancement and aviation-related humanitarian efforts, with 2025 prioritizing educational projects supporting environmental sustainability within aviation.
Yes. Recent examples include $781,135 to Airlink for the 2022 Ukraine Relief Fund and $290,000 to Airlink for humanitarian aid in 2023. It also gave $9,900 to Mercy Air US Inc for humanitarian aid in 2023.
The grant-size distribution centers on $10,000 awards: the 25th percentile is $7,500, the median is $10,000, and the 75th percentile is $14,075. That places many grants in a relatively narrow five-figure band, with a few larger awards at the top.
Yes. Airlink appears multiple times, as do Women in Aviation International, Pathways to Aviation, Intrepid Museum Foundation Inc, National Aviation Hall of Fame, and We Were Once Them. That suggests ongoing relationships across multiple years rather than isolated awards.
Yes, through scholarship and internship-related programs. The foundation offers scholarships for academically qualified students pursuing aviation-related degrees, and internship reimbursement for interns placed through the ISTAT Career Center. Some scholarship funding is by invitation only through university nomination in the ISTAT University Network.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: ISTAT Foundation scholarship recipients and ISTAT University students receive complimentary registration to ISTAT conferences. Students attending their first ISTAT conference must complete the Student Conference Interest Form.
Track these deadlines, get reminders, and see how well your nonprofit fits — free with a Kindora account.
Create a free accountDeadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIRLINK INC | SAN FRANSICO, CA | $80,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| WE WERE ONCE THEM | WAXAHACHIE, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| NATIONAL AVIATION HALL OF FAME | DAYTON, OH | $10,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| OPAS FOUNDATION | JACKSONVILLE, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| YOUTH AVIATION ADVENTURE | COLUMBUS, OH | $10,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| INTREPID MUSEUM FOUNDATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| SAN DIEGO AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM | SAN DIEGO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| PINHEAD INSTITUTE INC | TELLURIDE, CO | $8,272 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| AIRSERV INTERNATIONAL | RIVERDALE, MD | $8,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| INTERNATIONAL AVIATION WOMENS ASSOCIATION | CORAL GABLES, FL | $7,850 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| HAITI AIR AIMBULANCE SERVICE INC | MELLVILLE, NY | $7,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| PARTNERS FOR ANDEAN COMMUNTIY HEALTH | WEATOGUE, CT | $5,250 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| EMBRY RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY | DAYTONA BEACH, FL | $21,444In-kind (goods, not cash) | 2024 | 2023 GRANT, ISTAT U |
| INTERNATIONAL AVIATION WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION | MOUNT ROYAL, NJ | $14,600In-kind (goods, not cash) | 2024 | 2023 GRANT |
| NATIONAL AVIATION HALL OF FAME | DAYTON, OH | $10,000In-kind (goods, not cash) | 2024 | 2023 GRANT |
| WE WERE ONCE THEM | WAXAHACHIE, TX | $10,000In-kind (goods, not cash) | 2024 | 2023 GRANT |
| INTREPID MUSEUM FOUNDATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000In-kind (goods, not cash) | 2024 | 2023 GRANT |
| AIR CAMP INC | DAYTON, OH | $7,300In-kind (goods, not cash) | 2024 | 2023 GRANT |
| WINGS OF HOPE INC | ST LOUIS, MO | $6,000In-kind (goods, not cash) | 2024 | HUMANITARIAN AWARD |
| MUSEUMS AT MITCHEL | GARDEN CITY, NY | $5,250In-kind (goods, not cash) | 2024 | 2023 GRANT |
| AIRLINK | WASHINGTON, DC | $781,135 | 2023 | 2022 UKRAINE RELIEF FUND |
| AIRLINK | WASHINGTON, DC | $290,000 | 2023 | HUMANITARIAN AID |
| AIRLINK | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2023 | 2022 HUMANITARIAN GRANT |
| AIRLINK | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2023 | 2022 AIRLINK GRANT |
| WOMEN IN AVIATION INTERNATIONAL | GERMANTOWN, OH | $15,000 | 2023 | 2022 GRANT |
| PATHWAYS TO AVIATION | RENO, NV | $15,000 | 2023 | 2022 GRANT |
| OPAS FOUNDATION | OMAHA, NE | $15,000 | 2023 | 2022 GRANT |
| WOMEN IN AVIATION INTERNATIONAL | WEST ALEXANDRIA, OH | $12,500 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL GRANT |
| INTREPID MUSEUM FOUNDATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2023 | 2022 GRANT |
| PATHWAYS TO AVIATION | RENO, NV | $10,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL GRANT |
| AIR CAMP INC | DAYTON, OH | $10,000 | 2023 | 2022 GRANT |
| INTREPID MUSEUM FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL GRANT |
| ANGEL FLIGHT OF NEW ENGLAND | NORTH ANDOVER, MA | $10,000 | 2023 | 2022 HUMANITARIAN GRANT |
| MERCY AIR US INC | HOLLAND, MI | $9,900 | 2023 | HUMANITARIAN AID |
| PARTNERS FOR ANDEAN COMMUNITY HEALTH | WEATOGUE, CT | $9,000 | 2023 | 2022 HUMANITARIAN GRANT |
| ANGEL FLIGHT SOARS INC | CHAMBLEE, GA | $8,000 | 2023 | 2022 HUMANITARIAN GRANT |
| THE NINETY-NINES MUSEUM OF WOMEN PILOTS | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $7,800 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL GRANT |
| VIRGINIA AIR AND SPACE CENTER | HAMPTON, VA | $7,500 | 2023 | 2022 GRANT |
| AIR CAMP INC | DAYTON, OH | $7,500 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL GRANT |
| LEWIS UNIVERSITY | ROMEOVILLE, IL | $7,500 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL GRANT |
| NATIONAL AVIATION HALL OF FAME | DAYTON, OH | $7,500 | 2023 | 2022 GRANT |
| OPAS FOUNDATION INC | OMAHA, NE | $7,500 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL GRANT |
| NORTH COUNTRY LIFE FLIGHT INC | SARANAC LAKE, NY | $7,368 | 2023 | 2022 HUMANITARIAN GRANT |
| INTERNATIONAL AVIATION WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION | MOUNT ROYAL, NJ | $7,300 | 2023 | 2022 GRANT |
| STEM SANTA FE | SANTA FE, NM | $7,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL GRANT |
| WINGS OF HOPE INC | ST LOUIS, MO | $6,000 | 2023 | 2022 HUMANITARIAN GRANT |
WE WERE ONCE THEM
$10,000SCHOLARSHIP
NATIONAL AVIATION HALL OF FAME
$10,000SCHOLARSHIP
YOUTH AVIATION ADVENTURE
$10,000SCHOLARSHIP
SCHOLARSHIP
SAN DIEGO AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM
$10,000SCHOLARSHIP
AIRSERV INTERNATIONAL
$8,000SCHOLARSHIP
INTERNATIONAL AVIATION WOMENS ASSOCIATION
$7,850SCHOLARSHIP
HAITI AIR AIMBULANCE SERVICE INC
$7,000SCHOLARSHIP
PARTNERS FOR ANDEAN COMMUNTIY HEALTH
$5,250SCHOLARSHIP
EMBRY RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY
$21,444In-kind (goods, not cash)2023 GRANT, ISTAT U
INTERNATIONAL AVIATION WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION
$14,600In-kind (goods, not cash)2023 GRANT
NATIONAL AVIATION HALL OF FAME
$10,000In-kind (goods, not cash)2023 GRANT
WE WERE ONCE THEM
$10,000In-kind (goods, not cash)2023 GRANT
MUSEUMS AT MITCHEL
$5,250In-kind (goods, not cash)2023 GRANT
WOMEN IN AVIATION INTERNATIONAL
$15,0002022 GRANT
PATHWAYS TO AVIATION
$15,0002022 GRANT
WOMEN IN AVIATION INTERNATIONAL
$12,500EDUCATIONAL GRANT
PATHWAYS TO AVIATION
$10,000EDUCATIONAL GRANT
ANGEL FLIGHT OF NEW ENGLAND
$10,0002022 HUMANITARIAN GRANT
MERCY AIR US INC
$9,900HUMANITARIAN AID
PARTNERS FOR ANDEAN COMMUNITY HEALTH
$9,0002022 HUMANITARIAN GRANT
THE NINETY-NINES MUSEUM OF WOMEN PILOTS
$7,800EDUCATIONAL GRANT
VIRGINIA AIR AND SPACE CENTER
$7,5002022 GRANT
NATIONAL AVIATION HALL OF FAME
$7,5002022 GRANT
NORTH COUNTRY LIFE FLIGHT INC
$7,3682022 HUMANITARIAN GRANT
INTERNATIONAL AVIATION WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION
$7,3002022 GRANT
STEM SANTA FE
$7,000EDUCATIONAL GRANT