Children's Flight of Hope

What Children's Flight of Hope does

Children's Flight of Hope (CFOH) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1990 by pilot Al Wethington and incorporated in 1991, headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. Its core service is arranging and funding commercial airline flights for children (through age 18) with rare or serious medical conditions who need access to specialized care at accredited medical facilities across the continental United States. The organization books flights for both the child and one adult companion and commits to providing travel for the full duration of treatment, not just a single trip. Since shifting from private-plane operations to commercial flights in 2012, CFOH has grown to serve more than 1,000 children annually across 48 states. Referral channels include direct family applications via the website, social workers, case managers, and hospital systems, with complementary handoffs to private-flight partners (AeroAngel, Angel Flight network) and housing partners (Ronald McDonald House).

Name

Children's Flight of Hope

Legal name

Children's Flight of Hope

Website

https://childrensflightofhope.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Children's Flight of Hope is a Raleigh-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that arranges and funds free commercial airline flights for children with rare or serious medical conditions to access specialized care across the United States. Founded in 1990, it serves more than 1,000 children annually across 48 states in partnership with American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Chiesi USA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Medical Air Transportation

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Unaccompanied Minor (UM) Check-In/Out & Airline/Station Escort (HSAAAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Assistance & Medical Evacuation Services (EDAIAMAB), Service Coordination / Case Management (IDEA Part C) (EDACAFAK)

Keywords

• Medical flight services
• Charitable air transportation
• Nonprofit healthcare access
• Child patient travel
• Medical mission flights

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute one-time or recurring gifts to fund flight missions. Monthly giving program 'Flight Crew' allows donors to make ongoing monthly contributions.
2. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: Corporate partners including Chiesi USA (Champion of Hope sponsor at $75,000 annually), event sponsors for Golf Classic, Hops for Hope, and Denim & Diamonds, and airline partners provide significant funding and flight vouchers.
3. Airline Partner Contributions: American Airlines and Southwest Airlines provide flight vouchers and participate in the Miles for Global Health and Well-Being program to provide flights for children.
4. Foundation Grants: Foundation grants such as the $25,000 grant from Local Foundation of North Carolina help fund flights for families.
5. Event Fundraising: Signature events including Golf Classic, Hops for Hope, Denim & Diamonds, and Targeting Hope (DFW) raise significant funds annually through sponsorships, ticket sales, and auctions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Children's Flight of Hope provides free commercial airline tickets and flight coordination for children (through age 18) with rare or serious medical conditions traveling to specialized medical care at accredited hospitals and cancer centers across the United States. The organization books flights for the child plus one adult companion and continues flight support for the duration of treatment. Services are funded through donations, corporate sponsorships, airline partner vouchers, grants, and signature fundraising events.

Product overview

Children's Flight of Hope operates as a single-service nonprofit providing medical flight coordination. The core offering is arranging and funding commercial airline flights for children with serious medical conditions to access specialized healthcare nationwide. Supplementary programs include a monthly giving program (Flight Crew) for recurring donor support and donation processing services. The organization books flights for children and one adult companion through commercial airlines, primarily partnering with American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, to transport families from all 50 states to accredited medical facilities throughout the continental United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medical Flight Coordination Services Provides free commercial airline tickets and flight coordination for children (through age 18) with rare or serious medical conditions traveling to specialized medical care at accredited hospitals throughout the United States. Flights are booked for the child and one adult companion and continue for the duration of treatment.
• Flight Crew Monthly Giving Program Monthly recurring donation program for individual donors who want to provide ongoing financial support to fund flight missions for children with medical needs.
• Donation Processing Online one-time and monthly donation processing that funds children's medical flights, with an average roundtrip flight for a child and caregiver costing $1,100.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 1,000+ children annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Chiesi USAflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Cary-based specialty pharmaceutical company and CFOH's inaugural Champion of Hope sponsor with an annual commitment of $75,000. This partnership represents a long-term commitment to fund increased demand and support the organization's growth vision. The partnership extends through 2026.
• Southwest AirlinescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Southwest Airlines provides significant contributions to travel resources through their Medical Transportation Grant Program, providing hundreds of flight vouchers annually to help children and families access critical medical care. CEO Pat Nelli visited Southwest headquarters in Dallas to strengthen the partnership.
• American AirlinescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016American Airlines partnership through the 'Miles for Global Health and Well-Being' program. CFOH administers this program to provide flights for children to receive critical care at accredited medical facilities throughout the United States. American Airlines contributes miles to support the mission.
• AeroAngelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDenver-based nonprofit that provides private flights for seriously ill children on private jets at no cost. CFOH refers the most medically-fragile children who cannot fly commercially to AeroAngel for private air transportation.
• Angel Flight NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeographic-based organizations providing private flights for medical patients. CFOH shares resources and refers families to these partner organizations including Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic, Angel Flight North East, Mercy Flight South East, Angel Flight Central, Angel Flight South Central, and Angel Flight West based on the family's location.
• Ronald McDonald House CharitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partnership for housing support. CFOH refers families to Ronald McDonald Houses which provide 'home-away-from-home' accommodation near hospitals at little or no cost, complementing CFOH's flight services.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Miracle Flights: National nonprofit providing free commercial airline tickets to children with serious medical conditions needing distant specialized care. Operates essentially the same commercial-flight model for the same pediatric patient population as CFOH.
• AeroAngel: Denver-based nonprofit providing free private-jet flights for seriously ill children who cannot fly commercially. Cited by CFOH as a referral partner for its highest-acuity cases; directly comparable mission on a smaller, more medically-fragile segment.
• Mercy Medical Angels: National nonprofit providing free air and ground transportation (commercial tickets and pilot-flown private flights) for medical patients in need. Closely comparable mission and dual commercial/private model.
• Patient AirLift Services (PALS): Nonprofit arranging free volunteer-piloted flights for medical patients requiring distant care. Closely comparable medical-transportation mission, focused on private aviation rather than commercial airline tickets.
• Air Charity Network: Umbrella network of regional Angel Flight organizations (Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic, Angel Flight West, etc.) that CFOH actively partners with for referrals. Directly comparable flight-coordination mission and complementary geographic coverage.
• Lifeline Pilots: Volunteer-pilot nonprofit providing free private air transportation for medical passengers needing access to distant treatment. Directly comparable mission serving the same medically-fragile patient population.
• Corporate Angel Network: Nonprofit arranging free seats on corporate jets for cancer patients traveling to specialized treatment. Comparable mission focused on private/business aviation for a defined medical population.

Broad incumbents

• Ronald McDonald House Charities: Larger, established nonprofit providing housing and family-support services to families of seriously ill children receiving medical care. Directly cited as a CFOH referral partner; highly comparable target population (pediatric medical families) with overlapping hospital-based mission.
• Make-A-Wish Foundation: Largest U.S. nonprofit serving children with critical illnesses, granting wishes that often include travel. Comparable beneficiary population (children with serious medical conditions) and brand recognition in the pediatric medical-charity space.

Others

• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital: Major pediatric specialty hospital and research institution that absorbs patient travel and lodging costs for the children it treats. Serves as both a referral source (families flown to its facilities) and an indirect substitute for CFOH's transportation mission within its own catchment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/childrensflightofhope
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/childrensflightofhope

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Children's Flight of Hope