Become an NGO Partner
Airlink partners with more than 200 humanitarian organizations, both large and small. Partner missions and goals vary, but they all have one thing in common: their work to assist communities in crisis often requires travel. Airlink works closely with its partners to enable an efficient response in times of disaster and support preparedness and resiliency initiatives by providing travel for relief workers and airlift of aid cargo.
As a responsible humanitarian actor, Airlink policy requires each nonprofit partner to undergo a vetting process. Airlink and its partners are committed to sending only what is needed in response to disasters and other humanitarian crises.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does my organization become an Airlink Partner?
Organizations interested in partnering with Airlink should start by filling out our standard partnership application. The application covers basic information about your organization, as well as any operations and airlift needs. Once your application has been received, a member of our Humanitarian Programs team will reach out to speak with you to discuss how we may be able to help. Our volunteer-powered Vetting Committee will then review your application and approve or deny the partnership request.
In order to be eligible to become a partner, your organizations must meet the following basic criteria:
- Maintain a charitable organization registration, such as a designation as a 501(c)(3) organization, registered charity, or other international registration.
- Have a mandate related to major areas of humanitarian relief and coordination – health, food security and nutrition, emergency telecommunications, early recovery, shelter and camp management, WASH, and/or protection.
- Abide by the core principles of humanitarian relief, with particular emphasis on the practice of providing sustainable, non-discriminatory, and impartial aid to those in need.
Airlink partners exclusively with agencies who have a mandate to respond to humanitarian crises. Airlink does not partner with universities, individuals seeking to send goods in disasters, donation suppliers, or procurement agencies at this time.
My organization needs assistance from Airlink now. How long does it take to become an Airlink Partner?
We make every effort to ensure emergency requests for assistance are reviewed quickly. In your application, be sure to check the box signifying an immediate request, and give us as much information about your request as possible. We’ll reach out to coordinate further details once we’ve received your application – usually within one business day.
Non-emergency partnership applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and decisions on partnership eligibility are typically made within two weeks.
My organization doesn’t need air support from Airlink right now, but we may in the future. What should we do?
As a humanitarian organization, we place a high degree of importance on preparedness. If you think your organization may wish to become an Airlink partner, apply now to become part of our NGO partner network.
How is partnering with Airlink different than partnering directly with airlines?
Airlink partners with more than 40 airlines, providing insight into multiple route networks. Airlink is able to efficiently coordinate which airline and route are best matched with the disaster situation your organization is responding to. Working with Airlink also reduces the administrative burden on your staff. Airlink is practiced in humanitarian logistics and understands aviation’s role and abilities within this sphere. We provide our NGO partners with a centralized system to manage all current and past requests, response status, and GIK value. Additionally, Airlink connects your organization with other nonprofit agencies through disaster response coordination calls, helping build an understanding of the collective work in the field and opening channels of communication for collaboration.
Does Airlink take care of all costs related to airlift?
Most passenger flights that Airlink and its airline partners provide are completely free to the NGO. However, in some cases, NGO partners will be responsible for fees charged by the airline (landing fees, fuel surcharges, etc.) as well as any seat upgrades, excess/oversize baggage, and change/cancellation fees, where applicable.
When sending cargo, NGO partners are expected to cover the cost of first- and last-mile transportation (unless secured through their own in-kind partnerships). They are also responsible for any costs incurred in document preparation, hazmat handling, and customs clearance at the destination. From time to time, Airlink will offer its nonprofit network reduced-rate opportunities; in this case, the NGO is expected to cover the cost of the flight at the specified reduced rate.
I’m an individual with an organization and would like to volunteer or send supplies I’ve collected for a community affected by an emergency. Can I partner with Airlink to do this?
At this time, we are unable to support unaffiliated requests for transportation, including requests for spontaneous volunteers to travel to disaster areas and/or send unsolicited goods. In the interest of promoting coordinated, principled humanitarian aid, and in order to ensure your safety, we strongly advise against “self-deployment” in emergencies.
We would be happy to refer you to one of our many voluntary agency partners whom you can contact to volunteer or donate your supplies.
What kinds of supplies does Airlink help deliver to communities affected by emergencies?
Airlink is committed to streamlining the disaster response supply chain and effectively utilizing airfreight resources. Because of this, we support shipment of exclusively life-saving and life-sustaining supplies that are specified as being needed in a given emergency. These often include medical supplies and pharmaceuticals, water filtration equipment, non-perishable food aid, shelter kits, and emergency non-food items (NFIs) such as generators and solar lights. We work with regional coordination bodies and national emergency management agencies to understand the needs of a given disaster, and help our partners work within the guidelines set forth by national and local governments to ensure we and all of our partners are part of the solution.
We do not assist with shipment of educational materials, sports equipment, toys, office supplies, or clothing.
What if my organization isn’t very active with Airlink? Does our partnership expire?
Once your organization has been accepted as a partner of Airlink, you will have permanent access to our online platform as a member of our partner network. However, we cannot emphasize enough the importance of being an active and engaged partner, regardless of the volume of requests you submit. Helping Airlink to become familiar with your deployment protocols, ensuring you are well-versed in the online mission request system, and building strong relationships between key points of contact at Airlink and your organization are vital to ensuring we can work together effectively to help you respond to emergencies.
Does my organization have to be a certain size to work with Airlink?
Airlink helps organizations of all sizes – approximately one third of our partners have an annual revenue that is less than $1 million! For a full list of our partners, visit our Partners page.
How does my organization become an Airlink Partner?
Organizations interested in partnering with Airlink should start by filling out our standard partnership application. The application covers basic information about your organization, as well as any operations and airlift needs. Once your application has been received, a member of our Humanitarian Programs team will reach out to speak with you to discuss how we may be able to help. Our volunteer-powered Vetting Committee will then review your application and approve or deny the partnership request.
In order to be eligible to become a partner, your organizations must meet the following basic criteria:
- Maintain a charitable organization registration, such as a designation as a 501(c)(3) organization, registered charity, or other international registration.
- Have a mandate related to major areas of humanitarian relief and coordination – health, food security and nutrition, emergency telecommunications, early recovery, shelter and camp management, WASH, and/or protection.
- Abide by the core principles of humanitarian relief, with particular emphasis on the practice of providing sustainable, non-discriminatory, and impartial aid to those in need.
Airlink partners exclusively with agencies who have a mandate to respond to humanitarian crises. Airlink does not partner with universities, individuals seeking to send goods in disasters, donation suppliers, or procurement agencies at this time.