Southwest Airlines®: Bringing People Together in the Air and on the Ground
In an era where corporate social responsibility is increasingly vital, businesses can maximize their impact by forging strategic partnerships with community foundations. These collaborations between companies and community foundations serve as powerful catalysts for amplified giving, allowing companies to strengthen community ties while driving meaningful change.
By investing in initiatives that uplift employees, individuals, and communities in need, businesses can build an outstanding corporate philanthropy program. Continue reading to explore how to enhance your company’s giving strategies and gain insights from Southwest Airlines®, which has successfully aligned its philanthropy with its values to create a continuous and lasting impact.
LUV Happens Here.
As the airline with heart, Southwest Airlines® is all about connecting people and championing community, with a dedication to making a meaningful impact in areas where they can uniquely and authentically show up. The airline’s philanthropic priorities are assessed through the lens of loving people, building resilience, and living responsibly. They focus on sustainability, education, and life-changing transportation.
Access to education has been a pillar of Southwest’s giving for more than 50 years, with a strong belief that educated communities are empowered communities. They recently selected Greater Houston Community Foundation (Foundation) to help administer their Southwest Airlines® Founders Scholarship and the Southwest Airlines® Community Scholarship.
Power in Partnership
The Southwest Airlines® Community Scholarship benefits students pursuing higher education and career interests in the airline industry. In 2024, the Southwest Airlines® Community Scholarship awarded $140,000 in scholarships to 28 students, with 18 of these scholarships being renewal awards. Additionally, the Southwest Airlines® Founders Scholarship honors the founders of Southwest Airlines®, Herb Kelleher and Rollin King, and benefits dependents of Southwest Airlines® employees. In 2024, the Southwest Airlines® Founders Scholarship awarded 22 scholarships totaling $80,000, with 12 of those awards being renewal awards. Renewal scholarship awards are critical, as they allow students to have continued support on their educational journey.
In addition to managing two scholarship programs, Southwest Airlines® chose the Foundation to be a philanthropic partner for its corporate donor advised fund, a tax-advantaged giving vehicle that allows businesses to enhance their community investment through direct charitable gifts. Southwest’s corporate donor advised fund helps many of its corporate responsibility initiatives, including community programs like Repurpose with Purpose. A global sustainability initiative, Repurpose with Purpose, is one of the airline’s signature programs that gives back to communities, all while helping Southwest show its heart for the planet.
Through Repurpose with Purpose, more than a million pounds of aircraft seat leather has been upcycled into new products. In 2024, through supporting organizations like Magpies & Peacocks, Inc., Turnip Green Creative Reuse, Unshattered, Inc., and Help Heal Veterans, Southwest has helped repurpose thousands of pounds of leather, keeping those materials out of landfills while simultaneously providing employment, skills training, and other social benefits for communities.
Propelling Progress
In 2024, the company awarded over $3.2 million to various nonprofits that align with their philanthropic priorities through their corporate donor advised fund with the Foundation. Because the Foundation manages the complex administration and best practices with the fund, Southwest Airlines® can focus on advancing its work and maximizing its impact.
“Our partnership with Greater Houston Community Foundation encourages and inspires us. It’s important to have a [philanthropic] partner who serves as an extension of our team and whose values align so well with Southwest’s culture and guiding principles. We lean on the Foundation to guide and consult on our giving strategy that stays true to our corporate responsibility approach and generates the greatest impact across our communities.” –Laura Nieto, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility, Southwest Airlines®
It’s evident that Southwest Airlines® believes corporate responsibility is a critical element to corporate success, impacting not only its communities but its employees, customers, brand reputation, and, ultimately, its bottom line. Nieto stated, “We know that a strong corporate responsibility philosophy promotes employee retention, instills company pride, and boosts productivity through a more engaged workforce. And at Southwest, these programs drive our culture of caring and the hospitality we are known for—directly impacting the customers we serve.”
Through strategic initiatives and partnerships with philanthropic partners like Greater Houston Community Foundation, Southwest Airlines® is a positive force for social good. Whether in the air or on the ground, Southwest Airlines® believes that community is more than a place—it’s at the heart of what brings us together.
Take Flight With Your Company’s Philanthropy
By collaborating with the Foundation, businesses can deepen community connections and drive meaningful change. Investing in initiatives that support employees, individuals, and communities in need not only strengthens corporate social responsibility efforts but also fosters a company culture of generosity.
At Greater Houston Community Foundation, we are committed to harnessing the power of collaboration, and we proudly partner with some of Houston’s most influential businesses to enhance their giving efforts through a range of impactful programs and initiatives. Here are three ways your company can amplify its giving through a partnership with the Foundation:
Corporate Scholarship Fund
Creating a scholarship fund is a popular way for businesses to support hard-working students in your community and beyond, as well as potentially serving corporate employees and their dependents. By investing in education and empowering students through scholarships in Houston, your company can make a lasting difference in the lives of individuals and the broader community, including your employees’ loved ones.
The Foundation is here to remove the administrative burden of application and scholarship processing, allowing your company to take on the fun part of establishing criteria and celebrating scholarship winners. Our experienced team manages the entire scholarship fund process in compliance with IRS regulations.
Continue reading: How do you start a scholarship fund?
Employee Disaster Relief Fund
In times of great need, Greater Houston Community Foundation is here to help your business address both employee and community needs in the wake of a disaster. As your disaster relief partner, we empower you to distribute critical disaster relief support quickly and efficiently following a local or national emergency. Establishing employee relief funds for natural disasters in Houston and communities where your employees reside offers critical assistance to those in need, while supporting your internal team during times of crisis.
Corporate Donor Advised Fund
A corporate donor advised fund is a tax-advantaged giving vehicle that allows your business to easily amplify its community investment through direct charitable gifts to existing causes you care about. By channeling your corporate philanthropy through a donor advised fund instead of a private foundation, you can concentrate on strategically directing your philanthropic initiatives while we expertly handle the complexities of administration and governance.
A corporate donor advised fund is a great way for a business to streamline its philanthropic activities and is often a simple way to get started. Donor advised funds offer flexibility, enabling you to cultivate a culture of giving within your organization, whether at the individual level or across your entire corporate structure.
Continue reading: What is a donor advised fund?
Partnership for Good
Partnering with Greater Houston Community Foundation enables companies—whether large corporations or small local businesses—to amplify their philanthropic impact. Our experienced team of philanthropic advisors is prepared to work alongside you and your clients, including corporate executives and small business owners, to create meaningful change in the communities they serve, building connections that benefit all.
To develop a customized corporate giving program tailored to your company, please contact Greater Houston Community Foundation at 713-333-2200 or reach out to our Director of Corporate Relations, Stephanie Blair, to get started.
More Helpful Articles by Greater Houston Community Foundation:
- Maximizing Corporate Philanthropy
- Bob Harvey’s Amplified Giving: Evolving Philanthropy to Shape Houston’s Future
- Mustang Cat: Committed to a Workplace Culture of Servant Leadership
- Corporate Citizenship: Good for the Community, Stakeholders, and Businesses
- 30 Ways We Amplify Giving
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