Programs and results
What we aim to solve
In an industry facing critical shortages in all its professions, women make up only 6% of the aviation/aerospace workforce. While participation of women in the workforce has increased dramatically over the past four decades, despite all efforts, the percentage of women in the aviation industry remains stagnant. That must change. Recognizing that women are the key to the success of the global aviation community, Women in Aviation International is creating enduring support and programs to address the barriers faced by women in our industry.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Women in Aviation International
Women in Aviation International is the largest organization in the world devoted to increasing the number of women involved in all aspects of aviation and aerospace. With 16,000 members active in 186 chapters in 90 countries, we work to empower women to become leaders in aviation and aerospace. Our programs are robust and far-reaching, and include:
- Emerging Leaders professional development women's leadership course
- Active chapters providing community engagement devoted to women in aviation and aerospace
- Annual conference attracting 5,000 attendees
- Aviation for Girls STEM education program
- Scholarships for a variety of aviation technical skills training and tuition assistance
Where we work
External reviews

Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of students showing interest in topics related to STEM
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adolescents, Children, Preteens
Related Program
Women in Aviation International
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
16,000 girls around the world participated in our most recent Girls in Aviation Day.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The efforts of Women in Aviation International are vital to bringing diversity and gender parity to the aviation and aerospace industry. Our focus is to increase the number of women who work in every aspect of our industry.
Our goals are to …
• Build a diverse, inclusive, and sustainable aviation and aerospace industry around the world.
• Invest in our current and future global workforce.
• Inspire girls to pursue careers in aviation and aerospace.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
WAI provides year-round resources to assist women in aviation and to encourage women to pursue aviation and aerospace careers. We also offer educational outreach programs to young people around the world. In addition, WAI promotes public understanding of the accomplishments and contributions of women in aviation. Most importantly, Women in Aviation International strives to encourage, empower, and educate all those whose
interests, lives, and work involve aviation and aerospace without regard to race, ethnicity, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental abilities, or point of view. We know with certainty that our shared passion for aviation transcends any differences among us.
Women in Aviation International is a key partner with industry leaders who are working to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. WAI provides year-round resources to assist women in aviation and to encourage women to pursue aviation and aerospace careers. WAI also offers educational outreach programs to young people around the world. In addition, WAI promotes public understanding of the accomplishments and contributions of women in aviation. Most importantly, Women in Aviation International strives to encourage, empower, and educate all those whose interests, lives, and work involve aviation and aerospace without regard to race, ethnicity, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental abilities, or point of view. We know with certainty that our shared passion for aviation transcends any differences among us.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Nearly every corporation and organization involved in the aviation and aerospace industry supports Women in Aviation International in ways both big and small, from being corporate members to providing volunteers for Girls in Aviation Day, to being generous donors, to supporting WAI with scholarship funds.
Women in Aviation International is looking to the future by expanding our impact on diversity and inclusion in the aviation and aerospace industry. We expect this year will be critical as we partner with more and more key industry leaders.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
WAI Chapters: With 16,000 members active in 160 chapters in 90 countries around the world, Women in Aviation International is the largest organization dedicated to empowering women and girls to become leaders in aviation and aerospace. Local chapters involve members in networking, education, and community outreach projects to encourage pursuing aviation careers and interests, scholarship opportunities, as well as other activities during the year.
• Aviation for Girls: Designed for girls ages 8-17 to expand their interest in aviation and aerospace, this program invites young girls around the world to learn about all the exciting opportunities available in the field of aviation and aerospace by providing STEM education activities and other opportunities to experience the wonders of aviation.
Emerging Leaders Women's Leadership Professional Development: WAI in partnership with Harvard University offers on-campus leadership training for WAI members to help them advance their careers to the C-Suite of aviation and aerospace companies.
• Scholarships: Every year, Women in Aviation International offers hundreds of opportunities through scholarships and internships, presenting hundreds of thousands of dollars in support for our members.
- Annual Conference: Attracting nearly 5,000 attendees every year, the Annual Women in Aviation International Conference is known for its energy, excitement, networking opportunities, inspiring keynote speakers, education sessions, professional development seminars and workshops, a bustling exhibit hall, scholarship awards, and memorable times with women and men working in all areas of aviation and aerospace.
• WAI Jobs Connect: Women in Aviation International members have access to this members-only section on the website exclusively for members seeking new career opportunities.
• WAI Mentor Connect: Women in Aviation International members have access to a large network of seasoned, professional leaders in aviation who have stepped forward to act as mentors for our members who are early into their career paths.
• WAI College Connect: Colleges and universities offering aviation programs encourage students to become members of Women in Aviation International and take advantage of our resources. These provide aspiring young professionals with the tools they need for their career path.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
Women in Aviation International supports women, an underrepresented population in the aviation and aerospace industry. In most aviation occupations, women make up less than 20% of the workforce, and for the last 60 years, the introduction of women into the industry has been largely dormant. Much of the aviation workforce also lacks ethnic and racial diversity. Women who belong to additional underrepresented groups are part of a very small minority, facing unique barriers and often even greater challenges. Changing this dynamic is the root of everything we do.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
SMS text surveys, Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Paper surveys, Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Community meetings/Town halls,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
Every year, Women in Aviation International partners with our sponsoring organization to present hundreds of opportunities through scholarships and internships, awarding on behalf of our sponsors hundreds of thousands of dollars in support for our members. This year, our scholarship program will expand to include support for our members to participate in a new and unique professional development program called Women in Aviation International Emerging Leaders in Aviation and Aerospace, which came about as a result of the critical recommendations by the Federal Aviation Administration in their recent report, Breaking Barriers for Women in Aviation: Flight Plan for the Future.
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board,
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How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?
The feedback we receive from those involved in Women in Aviation International is critical to our ability to improve our programs and grow our organization.
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Women in Aviation International
Board of directorsas of 01/23/2023
Capt. Deborah Hecker
American Airlines
Term: 2022 - 2025
Michaela Lucas
Secretary
Deborah Baugh
Treasurer
Rhonda Larance
Vice Chair
Marci Veronie
Board member
Brittney Tough
Board Member
Deborah Hecker
Board chair
Shannon Weidekamp
Board member
Andrea Berry
Board member
Kathy Yodice
Board member
Linda Markham
Board member
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 09/27/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.