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Delta Air Lines Foundation

Annual Giving
$63.0M
Grant Range
$100K - $3.0M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $63 million (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $100,000 - $3,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: National (priority to Delta hub cities and communities where Delta operates)

Contact Details

Address: 1020 Delta Blvd Dept 983, Atlanta, GA 30354-1989

Phone: 404-715-2600

Email: deltaairlinessupport@cybergrants.com (for matching gifts program)

Note: No public-facing website or online application portal is available for the Delta Air Lines Foundation's general grant programs.

Overview

Established in 1968, the Delta Air Lines Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) foundation (EIN: 58-6073119) that serves as the philanthropic arm of Delta Air Lines. Over the past decade, the Foundation has awarded more than $130 million in grants to nonprofit organizations across the United States. In 2016, CEO Ed Bastian announced that Delta would contribute 1% of its annual net income to charitable organizations, describing it as "our version of profit sharing for our community." In 2024, the combined giving of Delta Air Lines and the Foundation reached $63 million. The Foundation focuses its charitable giving on four strategic pillars: Environment, Equity, Education, and Entire Wellness, with priority given to communities where Delta has a significant presence, including its hub cities of Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Boston, New York, and Los Angeles.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Foundation operates primarily through strategic partnerships and multi-year commitments rather than discrete grant programs. Recent major grants have ranged from $100,000 to $3 million, with the median grant around $1 million.

Recent Grant Examples:

  • Aviation Education: $3 million to Middle Georgia State University's Aviation School (2023) to expand flight and technical training capacity
  • Human Trafficking Prevention: $1 million to Wellspring Living (2023) for domestic sex trafficking victim recovery services
  • HBCU Support: $1.5 million annually to UNCF for Emergency Retention Grants, Degree Completion Aid, and scholarships
  • Children's Hospitals: $2.5+ million distributed to 19 children's hospitals globally (2024)
  • Community Investment: $16.5 million commitment to Clayton County, Georgia over five years
  • Higher Education: $2 million to Spelman College's Center for Innovation & the Arts; $1 million to Agnes Scott College

Priority Areas

Environment: Cultivating sustainable, livable communities through tree plantings and green space enhancements. Partners include Trees Atlanta, TreePeople (Los Angeles), Speak for the Trees (Boston), Forterra (Seattle), and MANG Foundation (Miami).

Equity: Providing equitable access to quality education, economic mobility, and sustainable careers. Supports diverse communities through partnerships with OneTen, National Urban League, and workforce development programs.

Education: Aviation workforce development, STEM education, HBCU support, and K-12 programs. Supports 3DE programming at 60 public high schools in 13 states, 10 KIPP schools, and the National Flight Academy (3,000+ scholarships funded).

Entire Wellness: Physical, emotional, financial, and social wellness through partnerships with children's hospitals, food banks (21 food banks on three continents providing 100,000+ meals annually), American Red Cross ($1 million annual disaster relief), and Breast Cancer Research Foundation ($28 million raised over 19 years).

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the Foundation appears to focus exclusively on:

  • Communities where Delta operates
  • Organizations aligned with their four strategic pillars
  • 501(c)(3) organizations (for matching gifts program)
  • U.S.-based organizations (though they may serve needs worldwide)

Governance and Leadership

Peter Carter, Chief External Affairs Officer at Delta Air Lines, serves as a board member/trustee of the Delta Air Lines Foundation. Carter oversees Delta's international, legal, regulatory, government affairs, sustainability, and diversity, equity, and inclusion teams. He also serves on the boards of Virgin Atlantic Airways, the Chick-fil-A Foundation, United Way of Greater Atlanta, Minnesota Business Partnership, and Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines, has been instrumental in shaping the Foundation's strategic direction. In 2016, he announced the 1% net income commitment, stating: "this is our version of profit sharing for our community."

Meg Taylor, Deputy General Counsel at Delta, has emphasized the company's anti-human trafficking efforts: "We have the opportunity to educate millions of travelers each year on ways to identify and stop human trafficking."

The Foundation operates with a "Skills-First, purpose-driven approach" to charitable giving, aiming to deliver "both immediate and sustainable impact" while meeting "the evolving needs of society and our planet."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Delta Air Lines Foundation does not have a public application process for general grant requests. The Foundation primarily works through strategic partnerships and multi-year commitments that are initiated through relationships with Delta's corporate leadership, community relations teams, and board members.

According to foundation databases, the Foundation "accepts applications" and "recommendations may be made by individuals," but there is no publicly available application portal, guidelines document, or submission process. The Foundation appears to identify potential partners based on alignment with their four strategic pillars and presence in Delta hub cities and communities where Delta operates.

Matching Gifts to Education: Delta employees, retirees, and board members can request matching gifts of up to $5,000 per year to accredited nonprofit educational institutions (pre-K through post-graduate). These requests must be registered via the Matching Gifts site within 180 days of the donation and are processed monthly.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed. Given the strategic nature of the Foundation's partnerships, major grants appear to involve extended relationship-building and due diligence periods before formal commitments are made.

Success Rates

Not publicly disclosed. The Foundation awards approximately 20-24 grants annually from what is presumably a limited pool of invited or strategically identified organizations.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly disclosed.

Application Success Factors

Given the Foundation's strategic partnership approach, organizations seeking funding should consider:

1. Geographic Alignment: The Foundation prioritizes communities where Delta has a presence, particularly hub cities (Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Boston, New York, Los Angeles) and focus cities (Austin, Cincinnati, Raleigh-Durham). Clayton County, Georgia receives special attention as Delta's home base.

2. Strategic Pillar Alignment: Successful grant recipients demonstrate clear alignment with one or more of the four pillars (Environment, Equity, Education, Entire Wellness). Aviation workforce development, HBCU support, anti-human trafficking, and environmental sustainability are particularly strong focus areas.

3. Multi-Year Impact Potential: The Foundation favors partnerships that create systemic change rather than one-time projects. Examples include the $16.5 million five-year commitment to Clayton County and ongoing partnerships with YMCA (20 chapters), Junior Achievement (30 chapters), and American Red Cross (annual disaster relief partner).

4. Employee Engagement Opportunities: Several funded organizations offer Delta employee volunteer opportunities, such as Habitat for Humanity (287 homes built since 1995) and KABOOM! (playground builds since 2013).

5. Scale and Capacity: Recent grants suggest the Foundation prefers established organizations with proven track records. Grant amounts typically range from $100,000 to $3 million, indicating a preference for organizations that can effectively deploy and steward significant resources.

6. Workforce Development Focus: Given Delta's business needs, organizations addressing aviation workforce development, STEM education, and career readiness receive strong consideration. The $3 million grant to Middle Georgia State University specifically aimed to "build a pipeline of future aviation talent."

7. Leverage and Matching: The Foundation's matching gifts program and multi-year commitments suggest they value opportunities to leverage their investment and create sustainable funding models.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists – the Foundation works through invitation and strategic relationships identified by Delta's leadership and community relations teams
  • Geographic focus is critical – being located in or serving a Delta hub city significantly increases relevance
  • Think partnership, not grant – the Foundation seeks multi-year strategic partnerships rather than one-off project funding
  • Align with the Four Pillars – Environment, Equity, Education, and Entire Wellness must be central to your mission and proposed work
  • Scale matters – with a median grant of $1 million and only 20-24 grants annually, the Foundation targets significant impact opportunities
  • Aviation and workforce development are priorities – organizations addressing Delta's business ecosystem and workforce needs have an advantage
  • Employee engagement adds value – opportunities for Delta employee volunteerism strengthen partnership appeal
  • Consider indirect approaches – building relationships with Delta's corporate leadership, participating in industry events where Delta is present, and engaging with existing Delta foundation partners may create pathways to visibility

References

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