Badger Honor Flight

What Badger Honor Flight does

Badger Honor Flight is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2009 and based in Madison, Wisconsin, that provides free, all-expenses-paid flights for U.S. military veterans to visit their war memorials in Washington D.C. The organization operates as an officially recognized regional hub of the national Honor Flight Network and serves veterans from 11 southern Wisconsin counties (Columbia, Dane, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Lafayette, Richland, Rock, Sauk, and parts of Dodge Counties). Each veteran is accompanied by a dedicated guardian on a 1:1 ratio, with the organization handling all transportation, meals, lodging, shirts, jackets, and hats at no cost; veterans pay only for souvenirs. Since its inaugural flight in April 2010, Badger Honor Flight has transported over 3,987 veterans across 35 flights.

The organization operates a volunteer-driven service model: it is staffed 100% by volunteers, including a Board of Directors (Chairperson Brian Ziegler, Treasurer Ed Brown) and functional leads covering Flight Operations, Medical Support, Administration, Inventory, and Volunteer Events. It runs 4-5 chartered flights per year out of Dane County Regional Airport (MSN) to Reagan National Airport (DCA), with American Airlines as the primary carrier, transporting approximately 85-90 veterans per flight at a cost of over $130,000 per flight. Veterans apply through the website or printable PDF and are placed on a first-come, first-served waiting list, with priority given to terminally ill veterans (TLC Program, <12 months life expectancy) and WWII veterans. The current waitlist exceeds 1,100 veterans. The organization also runs the Remember Fallen Heroes Program, which honors deceased veterans via memorial ceremonies.

Badger Honor Flight's revenue model is donation-based, supported by individual contributions (online via credit card/Venmo, by check), fraternal organizations (American Legions, VFW posts), and local corporate sponsorships (e.g., TDS corporate giving program). Guardian fees of $500 (standard) or $300 (for U.S. military veteran guardians) are collected but are explicitly not considered operating revenue, as they offset the guardian's own flight costs. The organization does not accept donations from veterans. Annual fundraising events include a Clay Shoot and Golf Outing. No funding rounds, investments, or institutional capital are involved; governance and operations are entirely volunteer-led.

Name

Badger Honor Flight

Legal name

Badger Honor Flight, Inc.

Website

https://badgerhonorflight.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Badger Honor Flight is a Madison, Wisconsin-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit and regional Honor Flight Network hub that flies U.S. military veterans free of charge to Washington D.C. memorials, transporting 85-90 veterans per flight on 4-5 annual flights operated entirely by volunteers and funded through individual and corporate donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veteran Memorial Flight Services

NAICS

Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation (481211)

SIC

Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)

akta.pro primary industry

Religious & Pilgrimage Charter Operators (e.g., Hajj/Umrah) (THABADAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pilgrimage/Religious & Event Air Charters (TLAFABAK)

Keywords

• Veteran honor flights
• Memorial tour services
• Nonprofit veteran services
• Charter flight veterans
• Veteran memorial visits

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations from individuals: Primary funding comes from individuals across the service area who recognize the sacrifices of veterans. Donations may be made online via credit card, Venmo, or by check through mail.
2. Corporate and organizational donations: Funding comes from fraternal organizations such as local American Legions, VFW posts and chapters, as well as various corporations at the local level.
3. Guardian fees: Volunteer guardians pay a $500 trip fee ($300 for those who served in the U.S. military). This covers the guardian's flight costs but is not considered a revenue stream for operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Badger Honor Flight provides all-expenses-paid, fully escorted charter flights for U.S. military veterans from south-central Wisconsin to Washington, D.C. to visit war memorials including the WWII, Korean War, Vietnam, Marine Corps (Iwo Jima), and Arlington National Cemetery memorials. Each veteran is paired one-to-one with a volunteer guardian, and the trip includes transportation, meals, lodging, commemorative shirts/jackets/hats, and medical support at no cost to the veteran. The organization runs approximately five flights per year out of Dane County Regional Airport.

Product overview

Badger Honor Flight is a nonprofit organization operating as a regional hub of the national Honor Flight Network. The organization provides a single unified service—flying veterans (primarily WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam War era) from Madison, WI to Washington D.C. to visit their war memorials at no cost to the veteran. The core offering includes the honor flight experience with all transportation, meals, lodging, shirts, jackets, and hats provided free of charge. The organization also supports related services including a Veteran Application system for flight eligibility, a Guardian Application for volunteer companions, a Remember Fallen Heroes program for honoring deceased veterans, and an online donation/fees payment platform. Guardians pay a $500 trip fee ($300 for military veterans) and veterans fly completely free. The operation is funded entirely by donations and runs approximately 5 flights per year serving 85-90 veterans per flight.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Honor Flight to Washington D.C. All-expenses-paid, fully escorted charter flight for eligible U.S. military veterans (served December 7, 1941 to July 31, 1991) from Madison, WI to Washington, D.C. to visit the WWII, Korean War, Vietnam, Marine Corps (Iwo Jima), and Arlington National Cemetery memorials. Includes ground transportation, meals, lodging, commemorative apparel, wheelchair and oxygen support, and a dedicated 1:1 volunteer guardian.
• Remember Fallen Heroes Program Program honoring veterans who passed away before they could take a trip, including photo ceremonies at memorials and Welcome Home ceremonies for families of deceased veterans.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Honor Flight NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2009Badger Honor Flight is an officially recognized regional hub of the national Honor Flight Network. The Honor Flight Network coordinates memorial tours for veterans across 140 hubs in 45 states. Badger Honor Flight was officially recognized as a hub in July 2009 and conducted its first flight in April 2010. The network provides shared resources, best practices, and coordination for flights.
• TDSminorOthersTDS (Telecommunications Data Services) has a corporate giving program that allows TDS associates to donate to Badger Honor Flight through payroll deductions or direct donations.
• Stars and Stripes Honor FlightminorOthersRegional hub serving the Milwaukee area. Veterans can choose which hub to fly from based on proximity to their location or their guardian's location.
• Old Glory Honor FlightminorOthersRegional hub serving the Fox Valley/Green Bay area in Wisconsin. Regional coordination for veterans to determine appropriate hub for applications.
• Freedom Honor FlightminorOthersRegional hub operating out of La Crosse, Wisconsin. One of the first Honor Flight hubs established in Wisconsin in 2008.
• Never Forgotten Honor FlightminorOthersRegional hub serving the Wausau area of Wisconsin. Regional coordination for hub selection.
• Honor Flight NorthlandminorOthersRegional hub serving the Superior area of Wisconsin. Regional hub coordination.
• American AirlinesminorOthersPrimary airline carrier for flights into Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Washington D.C.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW): National veterans service organization and a key fraternal partner/fundraising contributor to Badger Honor Flight. Comparable as a veteran-serving nonprofit with overlapping member base and donor pool, though it operates a broader membership/lobbying model rather than a charter-flight service.
• American Airlines: Primary commercial airline carrier providing charter flights into Reagan National Airport (DCA) for Badger Honor Flight. Functions as an ecosystem partner — not a peer in service delivery — but is materially comparable as the supply-side counterpart in the charter-flight-to-DCA value chain.

Direct peers

• Freedom Honor Flight: Regional Honor Flight Network hub based in La Crosse, WI — one of the first Wisconsin hubs established in 2008. Operates the same nonprofit charter-flight-to-DC model with comparable veteran/guardian fee structure and volunteer base.
• Honor Flight Northland: Regional Honor Flight Network hub serving the Superior, WI area. Operates the same charter-flight-to-DC-memorials service with a comparable volunteer-staffed, donation-funded model.
• Greater Rochester Honor Flight: Regional Honor Flight Network hub serving the Rochester, NY area. Same charter-flight-to-DC-memorials model with comparable volunteer fundraising and guardian program structure.
• Stars and Stripes Honor Flight: Regional Honor Flight Network hub serving the Milwaukee, WI area. Operates the same exact model — charter flights from a Wisconsin airport to Washington D.C. memorials, veteran-priority system, volunteer-staffed — making it the most directly comparable peer to Badger Honor Flight.
• Old Glory Honor Flight: Regional Honor Flight Network hub serving the Fox Valley/Green Bay, WI area. Runs identical charter-flight-to-DC-memorials operations, with the same veteran prioritization and volunteer-driven cost structure as Badger Honor Flight.
• Never Forgotten Honor Flight: Regional Honor Flight Network hub serving the Wausau, WI area. Direct regional peer running the same memorial-flight charter model, with overlapping donor pools and similar per-flight cost structure.
• Heart of America Honor Flight: Regional Honor Flight Network hub serving the Kansas City area. Operates the same charter-flight model for veterans to Washington D.C. memorials, demonstrating the replicability of the hub structure outside Wisconsin.

Broad incumbents

• Honor Flight Network: The national umbrella organization coordinating 140 hubs across 45 states. Functions as the broad incumbent — Badger Honor Flight is an officially recognized hub under its network — providing shared branding, best practices, and coordination that define the operating model across all member hubs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BadgerFlightWI
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/badger-honor-flight-incorporated

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Badger Honor Flight