activities · 9
what they do
direct service · 9
- Conducts time-specific veteran trips Honor Flight Trips for VeteransOrganized and executed specific trips, including a November 2025 flight and prior trips focused on World War II veterans to reflect on their service and wartime experiences.
- Deploys volunteer guardians to support veterans during trips Honor Flight Trips for VeteransRecruits and organizes trained volunteers known as Guardians to accompany veterans throughout the trip, providing physical assistance at airports, during flights, and at memorial sites to ensure safety and a meaningful experience.
- Manages historical documentation and media from tripsMaintains a SmugMug account to preserve and share photos and videos from Honor Flights, allowing free viewing, downloading, and sharing of trip memories.
- Organize and conduct honor flights for veterans to Washington, D.C. memorials Honor Flight Trips for VeteransPlans and executes 8 to 10 annual three-day trips from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport for veterans, primarily to visit memorials in Washington, D.C. The organization has completed over 100 flights and transported more than 2,500 veterans, with a focus on World War II veterans in earlier years.
- Organizes and funds all-expenses-paid trips to Washington, D.C. for veterans Honor Flight Trips for VeteransPlans and conducts 8 to 10 annual three-day trips for veterans—primarily from Northern Arizona—to visit memorials in Washington, D.C., departing from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Covers all trip expenses, including charter or double flights, for veterans, guardians, and support staff, with each veteran trip costing approximately $1,300.
- Preserve and share trip memories through photo and video documentationMaintains a SmugMug account where photos and videos from honor flights are made available for free viewing, downloading, and sharing by participants and families.
- Recruit and coordinate volunteer guardians and support staff Honor Flight Trips for VeteransEngages volunteers, known as Guardians, to accompany veterans during flights and at memorials, providing physical and emotional support. Also seeks volunteers for clerical work, fundraising, community outreach, luncheons, and airport assistance.
- Tracks and celebrates cumulative impact of Honor Flights Honor Flight Trips for VeteransMonitors and publicly recognizes milestones such as the 100th flight, the 90th trip, and the total number of veterans served—over 2,500 from Arizona—and marks historically significant flights, such as the last all-WWII veteran group.
- Underwrite all-expenses-paid trips for veterans and support personnel Honor Flight Trips for VeteransCovers the full cost of charter or double flights for veterans, guardians, and support staff, with a per-veteran cost of approximately $1,300. Trips typically include 35–85 veterans per flight, along with accompanying guardians and medical personnel.
strategies · 10
how they think
Theories of action extracted from this org's own source material. Click any to see the full field of orgs running the same approach.
- Community-Funded Sponsorship Model community_fundraisingOperations and Veteran flights are fully funded by donations from local businesses, community organizations, and individuals, with community fundraising efforts directly sponsoring trips and related activities.
- Community-Funded Sponsorship Model community_fundraisingOperations are fully funded by donations from local businesses, community groups, and individuals who sponsor Veteran flights, creating broad civic ownership and sustainable, locally-supported programming.
- Guardian Support and Personalized Veteran Care guardian_support_modelEach Veteran is paired with a Guardian who provides one-on-one physical and logistical support during the trip, guided by a care philosophy of treating Veterans "as if they are family," ensuring safety, dignity, and emotional connection.
- Guardian Support and Veteran Care Model guardian_support_modelTrained volunteer Guardians provide physical, emotional, and logistical support to Veterans during travel and memorial visits, operating under a care philosophy of treating Veterans "as if they are family" to ensure dignity, safety, and honor.
- Memorial-Centric Veteran Honor Trips veteran memorial tripsProvides all-expenses-paid, three-day trips for Veterans of WWII, the Cold War, Korea, and Vietnam to visit their national memorials in Washington, D.C., as a core mechanism for recognizing and honoring their service.
- Memorial-Centric Veteran Honor Trips veteran memorial tripsProvides all-expenses-paid, three-day trips for Veterans of major 20th-century wars to visit their memorials in Washington, D.C., centering the experience on national recognition, remembrance, and personal closure.
- Volunteer-Dependent Operational Model volunteer-dependent_operationsHonor Flight Northern Arizona relies entirely on volunteers to plan, fundraise, and execute all aspects of its operations, including having volunteer Guardians who pay their own way to provide one-on-one support to Veterans during trips.
- Volunteer-Dependent Operational Model volunteer-dependent_operationsHonor Flight Northern Arizona operates entirely through volunteer labor, with volunteers managing all aspects of trip planning, fundraising, and execution, including Guardians who pay their own way to accompany Veterans. This model enables cost-effective, community-driven service delivery.
- Youth Engagement and Intergenerational Education youth_educationEngages K–12 students in age-appropriate activities—including fundraising, letter-writing, and veteran interviews—to educate youth about military history and sacrifice, while fostering meaningful intergenerational connections between young people and Veterans.
- Youth Engagement and Intergenerational Education youth_educationEngages K–12 students in age-appropriate activities—including letter writing, fundraising, coin drives, classroom visits, and veteran interviews—to educate youth about the sacrifices and contributions of Veterans, fostering intergenerational connection and civic awareness.
named programs · 2
what they call their work
Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.
Three-day, all-expenses-paid trip for veterans to visit their national memorials in Washington, D.C., including transportation, lodging, meals, and guided tours; veterans are accompanied by volunteer Guardians
Youth Education Initiative
Program to educate students and youth groups about the service and sacrifices of WWII, Cold War, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans and the freedoms secured through their service
relationships · 15
who they work with
- Daughters of the American Revolution Funder — In-kind/Other Contributor in 2025
- Elks Lodge #335 Funder — In-kind/Other Contributor in 2025
- Embry-Riddle ROTC Partner — ROTC cadets attended one of the last Honor Flight trips geared solely toward WWII veterans.
- Honor Flight Network Network — Northern/central Arizona chapter of the national Honor Flight Network.
- Phoenix Electricians Today Funder — In-kind/Other Contributor in 2025
- Republican Women of Prescott Partner — Honored WWII veterans.
- Semper Fi Heating & Cooling Funder — Ambassador level sponsor in 2025
- SmugMug Partner — Uses SmugMug, a third-party photo sharing service, for pictures and videos from trips.
- Southwest Airlines Partner — Proud sponsor of Honor Flight Arizona, supporting flight operations.
- VFW Partner — Received support from VFW.
- Veterans Heritage Project Partner — Suggests high school students visit the Veterans Heritage Project to learn how to conduct interviews with veterans.
- community groups Partner — Organizations that support fundraising efforts to fund Veteran trips.
- individuals Partner — Private donors who contribute funds to sponsor Veteran flights.
- local businesses Partner — Community partners that contribute financially to sponsor Veteran flights.
- wetransfer.com Partner — Uses wetransfer.com for free photo transfers and uploads from individuals to be included in trip galleries.