Everything you need to write about Donate ATC — quick facts, copy you can lift, founder quotes, and contact info. Reach out anytime.
At a glance
What it is
A free website that helps passengers donate to aviation charities in honor of the air traffic controllers and pilots who got them home.
Why it exists
Controllers and pilots are legally restricted from accepting tips. Until now, there was no easy way to thank them — even though most people fly multiple times a year.
Launched
[LAUNCH DATE]
Founder
[FOUNDER'S NAME — must be the LLC owner/stepfather, NOT the FAA-employed family member], retired air traffic controller, [X] years at [FACILITY]
Funds routed to
NATCA Charitable Foundation (ATC), ALPA Pilots for Pilots, Delta Pilots' Charitable Fund, 9/11 legacy aviation scholarships
Cut taken by Donate ATC
Zero. The site never collects or holds donor funds — donors give directly to the listed 501(c)(3) charities.
Every commercial flight in the United States involves a coordinated handoff between 8 to 12 air traffic controllers — invisible voices ensuring that 45,000 daily flights and 2.9 million daily passengers land safely. The pilots in the cockpit have spent more hours training than most surgeons spend in residency.
Neither group can accept a tip. Federal ethics rules (5 C.F.R. § 2635) prohibit controllers, as federal employees, from accepting gratuities. Airline pilots are similarly restricted by company policy and FAA guidance. So the gratitude most passengers feel after a turbulent flight, a tricky landing, or simply getting home for the holidays has nowhere to go.
Donate ATC is built to be that channel — directing public thanks into the charitable foundations these professions run for themselves. The NATCA Charitable Foundation supported 123 charities across 38 states in 2025. ALPA's Pilots for Pilots fund has aided hundreds of pilot families recovering from natural disasters. None of these organizations have a major public presence; most travelers have never heard of them. Donate ATC changes that.
Quick numbers
45,000
flights handled daily by U.S. air traffic controllers
2.9 million
passengers safely guided home each day
80,000+
airline pilots represented by ALPA alone
123 / 38
charities supported across 38 states by the NATCA Charitable Foundation in 2025
Below 5%
NATCA Charitable Foundation operating expense ratio since 1998
Zero paychecks
controllers received during recent government shutdowns while still required to work
Founder quotes (yours to use)
"Every time you land safely, two groups of people made that happen — and you'll never meet either of them. They can't take a tip. So how do you ever say thank you? That's what we built."
— [FOUNDER'S NAME — stepfather], FOUNDER
"This isn't a tipping app — it's a thank-you app. The money goes to disaster relief, scholarships for controllers' kids, and emergency aid for pilots' families. The people you're honoring don't see a dollar of it, and that's exactly what makes it legal and right."
— [FOUNDER'S NAME — stepfather], FOUNDER
"Air traffic control has a 3,000-controller shortage. Pilots flew through two shutdowns in the last seven years without paychecks. These aren't abstractions — they're real people, and they could use the public's support. We're just giving people a way to actually deliver it."
— [FOUNDER'S NAME — stepfather], FOUNDER
Boilerplate descriptions (copy and paste)
Short description (one sentence)
Donate ATC is a free website that helps passengers donate to aviation 501(c)(3) charities in honor of the air traffic controllers and pilots on flights that mattered to them — because tipping the people who got you home isn't legally possible.
Medium description (one paragraph)
Donate ATC (donateatc.com) is an independent project that gives passengers a way to thank air traffic controllers and pilots through tax-deductible donations to vetted aviation charities. Because federal employees and airline pilots cannot legally accept tips, donors instead give "in honor of" a specific facility, airline, or flight. Funds are routed directly to registered 501(c)(3) organizations including the NATCA Charitable Foundation and ALPA Pilots for Pilots. Donate ATC takes no cut and never holds donor funds.
Long description (full pitch)
Every commercial flight in the United States is shepherded by 8 to 12 air traffic controllers and a flight crew that spent thousands of hours in training. Yet neither can legally accept a tip — federal ethics rules prohibit gifts to controllers, who are FAA employees, and airline policy and FAA guidance bar pilots from taking passenger gratuities. Donate ATC, an independent project launched in [YEAR], offers passengers a legal alternative: making a tax-deductible donation to one of several vetted 501(c)(3) aviation charities in honor of the controllers or crew on a specific facility, airline, or flight. The site never collects funds; donors give directly to the receiving charity. Beneficiary organizations include the NATCA Charitable Foundation (which supported 123 charities across 38 states in 2025), the ALPA Pilots for Pilots emergency relief fund, the Delta Pilots' Charitable Fund, and 9/11 legacy aviation scholarships. Donate ATC is independently operated and is not affiliated with the FAA, NATCA, ALPA, or any airline.
Topics we can speak to
Why federal employees and airline pilots can't accept tips
How chronic ATC staffing shortages affect U.S. aviation safety
The financial impact of government shutdowns on controllers and TSA employees
How aviation charities work and what they actually fund
The legal architecture of "in honor of" charitable giving
Building independent civic tech projects that connect public goodwill to existing infrastructure
Press contact
For interviews, additional quotes, founder availability, screenshots, or specific data requests — reach out anytime. We respond fast.