Southwest Florida Honor Flight

What Southwest Florida Honor Flight does

Southwest Florida Honor Flight, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization (Federal Tax ID: 75-3262246) that operates as a regional hub of the national Honor Flight Network, serving Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Manatee, and Sarasota Counties in Southwest Florida. Founded in 2008 as a local chapter and headquartered in Port Charlotte, Florida, the organization's sole mission is to transport U.S. veterans to Washington, DC at no cost to them, so they can visit the memorials built in their honor, with priority given to WWII veterans, terminally ill veterans, and female veterans from all eras. The program executes 2-3 chartered flights annually from PGD (Punta Gorda) and SRQ (Sarasota-Bradenton) airports, with each veteran paired with a paid guardian costing approximately $550. The organization maintains a fleet of 70 lightweight 'honor chairs' (wheelchairs) for veteran mobility during flights.

The organization is entirely volunteer-run with no paid employees and a 13-member Board of Directors led by President Naomi Copeland. Six board members hold specialized operational roles (Veteran Coordinators, Historian, Database, Technology, Presentations, Orientation/Send-Off, Special Events). Funding is derived from individual donations, fraternal organization contributions (American Legion, VFW, AmVets, DAV, MOPH), event fundraising (golf tournament, Memorial Day Sandbar Bash, poker runs, comedy nights, car shows), and tiered corporate sponsorships ranging from $300 (Bronze) to $50,000 (Platinum). The organization claims 100% of donations go directly to the mission. The technology stack is non-proprietary: Weebly website, Zeffy for donation processing, FlipCause/HonorApps for application management, SmugMug for photo hosting, and Amazon Wish List for in-kind supplies. Upcoming missions include Mission XXIII (October 14, 2025), Mission XXIV (Spring 2026), and Mission XXV (October 20, 2026), with over 400 veterans currently on the waitlist. The organization has a 2026 partnership with Wreaths Across America for wreath sponsorship fundraising.

Name

Southwest Florida Honor Flight

Legal name

Southwest Florida Honor Flight, Inc.

Website

https://swflhonorflight.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Southwest Florida Honor Flight is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free chartered flights for U.S. veterans from Southwest Florida to Washington, DC to visit their memorials, serving seven counties with 2-3 annual missions through an entirely volunteer-run operation funded by donations and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veteran Memorial Transportation Services

NAICS

Historical Sites (71212), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation (487)

SIC

Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Alumni, Reunion & Affinity Group Educational Travel (THAKAGAJ)

Keywords

• Veteran memorial flights
• Nonprofit veteran support
• Memorial pilgrimage services
• Veteran transportation programs
• Honor flight services

Headquarters

HQ city

Port Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Donations from individuals across the country who recognize the accomplishments and sacrifices of veterans and want to support their travel to memorials.
2. Organizational/Fraternal Organization Donations: Funding from fraternal organizations like American Legion, VFW, AmVets, DAV, MOPH, and other posts and chapters.
3. Event Fundraising: Revenue from events such as golf tournaments, poker runs, comedy nights, car shows, and raffles.
4. Platinum/Gold/Silver/Bronze Donor Tiers: Corporate sponsors at various donation levels ($50,000-$90,000 for Platinum, $5,000-$15,999 for Gold, $900-$2,399 for Silver, $300-$899 for Bronze).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Southwest Florida Honor Flight is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that transports U.S. veterans free of charge from Southwest Florida to Washington, DC, to visit and reflect at their war memorials. Veterans are paired with paid guardians who provide physical assistance and companionship throughout a one-day "day of honor" itinerary that includes visits to the WWII Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Wall, Lincoln Memorial, and other monuments. The program is funded entirely through donations, sponsorships, and volunteer support.

Product overview

Southwest Florida Honor Flight is a nonprofit organization that operates as part of the Honor Flight Network, providing free flights for veterans to Washington, DC to visit their memorials. The core offering is the Honor Flight Program, which pairs veterans with guardians for a day of honor. The organization supplements its mission through multiple fundraising products including donation services via Zeffy, annual events (Golf Tournament, Memorial Day Sandbar Bash), and wreaths sponsorship. Supporting services include veteran and guardian applications via FlipCause/HonorApps platforms, orientation training, and the provision of 70 'honor chairs' (wheelchairs) for veteran mobility. The organization operates 100% on volunteers with no paid employees, and 100% of donations go toward the mission. The organization conducts multiple flights annually, with upcoming missions including Mission XXIII (October 2025), Mission XXIV, and Mission XXV (October 2026).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Honor Flight Program
• Annual Fall Golf Tournament

Quantifiable outcome

• Veterans fly absolutely free - entire cost covered by donations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Honor Flight NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Southwest Florida Honor Flight is a local hub of the Honor Flight Network, founded by Earl Morse and Jeff Miller in 2005. The Network establishes general protocols, policies, credentialing, and maintains national website and oversight of regional programs across America. This partnership enables resource pooling, experience sharing, and coordinated efforts to transport veterans to their memorials in Washington DC.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/swflhonorflight
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southwest-florida-honor-flight

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Southwest Florida Honor Flight