The aviation industry has a gender equity problem, and Aviation Women Inspiring the Next Generation (A-WING) is trying to do something about it. The organization promotes gender equality, encouraging young women to pursue careers in aviation, in any corner of the industry, while promoting fair pay and providing career resources.

It’s estimated that fewer than 10% of all jobs in the aviation industry are held by women today. Despite gains over the last few years, women are still underrepresented, especially in the upper echelons. A-WING works on both sides of the equation–by providing scholarships and networking opportunities for women building (or hoping to build) their careers in aviation and by collaborating with businesses on the industry side.

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Background

After working in the industry for decades without seeing many gains in gender equity, a group of aviation professionals founded A-WING in 2020. And they’re not just supporting pilots and mechanics. A-WING wants to see more women doing everything from manufacturing and repairs to business development and sales, to data analysis and technology, to owning their businesses. 

“We aim to create a welcoming environment for women, remove pay and benefits gaps, and provide support for women to balance work and life throughout their careers.” Nicole Ellis, Board member

A-WING leaders are among the few women who work in the highest levels of the aviation industry, and they volunteer their time for this important cause. The organization is staffed entirely by volunteers and has grown its community to over 2,200 members, sponsors, donors, and allies. Together, they host job fairs, outreach, and networking events, and provide online resources to close the gender equality gap in aviation.

On the one hand, the all-volunteer nature of the organization means every dollar raised can go to promoting and advancing the mission.y On the other hand, these business owners, executives, and vice presidents don’t have =spare time to waste on admin work. 

A-WING previously used a product that promised  to “manage membership activities, boost member engagement, and increase non-dues revenue.” 

The product kept member data sorted and accessible but was clunky, complex, and difficult to administer.

But that wasn’t the worst part. Their highest level concern was just how much money they were losing to fees. A-WING has raised over $140,000 since they were founded just four years ago. The average fundraising processor would take 5% of the total funds raised, meaning up to $7,000 would have disappeared to fees on a regular platform. But, because of the fundraising model used, the fees were much higher. 

A-WING leadership estimates that “up to 30% of the money earned through fundraising efforts was being absorbed in various monthly and per-transaction fees.”

With their robust fundraising successes, that’s up to over $10,000 lost to fees every year. For an organization without any paid staff, that’s a lot lost to operating costs.  

A-WING leadership heard about Zeffy by word of mouth and decided to give it a try at the end of 2023. They piloted Zeffy for their annual Giving Tuesday campaign —and leadership was stunned by how easy Zeffy made the entire process. 

The event went off without a hitch, and A-WING saved over $2,800 on the $57,300 they raised. On top of running a truly free event (and having access to indefinitely free fundraising), A-WING execs were thrilled to realize Zeffy’s donor management services could replace the expensive platform they’d been using. Goodbye 30% fees.

As industry execs, they were also impressed by Zeffy’s low barrier to entry and noticeable, continual product improvement efforts. In short, they found Zeffy just as top tier as their own work.

“Zeffy has made it possible for A-WING to handle Donations, Membership, Events, and more, with ease. Fundraising has never been more streamlined and we love not worrying about fees. We can't wait to start using more functionality with Auctions and the Online shop!” Nicole Ellis, Board member