Helping with healthcare needs
- American Cancer Society – Airline: Delta, Hawaiian Airlines, United
The American Cancer Society uses donated miles to transport patients to needed medical treatment centers.
- Angel Flight – Airline: JetBlue
Angel Flight is a nonprofit organization that coordinates and schedules free flights for patients and their families who need to travel to access medical treatment.
- Blood Bank of Hawaii – Airline: Hawaiian Airlines
The Blood Bank of Hawaii is a nonprofit organization that provides blood products for cancer therapy, surgical procedures, trauma treatment and more to almost 20 hospitals in Hawaii.
- Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) – Airline: Delta
The BCRF uses donated miles to connect researchers from around the world to advance the study of breast cancer science.
- Cleveland Clinic – Airline: United
The Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit group that works to provide better patient care through dedicating resources to research and education programs.
- Dream Foundation – Airline: Southwest
The Dream Foundation is dedicated to granting wishes for adults through the dedication of hundreds of volunteers and more than 600 hospices and healthcare organizations nationwide.
- Golfers Against Cancer – Airline: United
Golfers Against Cancer is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that raises money for cancer research.
- MD Anderson Cancer Center – Airline: United
The MD Anderson Cancer Center is one of the world’s most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, prevention, and education.
- Mercy Medical Airlift – Airline: United
Mercy Medical Airlift uses donated miles to provide medical flights for patients suffering from disabilities, rare disorders, injuries, burns and other conditions that require treatment at medical facilities.
- Miles for the Cure – Airline: American
They support breast cancer research through the Susan G. Komen Young Investigators Grant Program.
- Miles to Stand Up – Airline: American
Miles to Stand Up raises funds for many types of cancer research.
- Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) – Airline: United
MDA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, ALS and other related muscular diseases through healthcare, support services, advocacy and education
- National Cancer Prevention Fund (NCPF) – Airline: United
The NCPF raises funds to support comprehensive research programs that help prevent and treat cancer while educating the public.
- ORBIS International – Airline: United
ORBIS is a nonprofit humanitarian organization dedicated to treating blindness through hands-on training, public health education, improved access to quality eye care and partnerships with local healthcare organizations.
- Transplant Recipients International Organization (TRIO) – Airline: United
They are a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of transplant candidates, recipients, their families and the families of organ and tissue donors.
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute (VCCRI) – Airline: United
The VCCRI is researching heart disease and cardiovascular biology provides cardiovascular research training and facilitates the rapid application of research discoveries to patient care.
Other ways to donate points and miles
If you don’t want to donate your miles through an airline loyalty program, there are other options on how you can donate. For example, if you are interested in helping immigrants or refugees, there is a program called Miles 4 Migrants that uses donated frequent flyer miles to help those displaced due to war and persecution.
Credit card issuers
Many credit card issuers also offer a way for cardholders to donate their rewards.
Tips and traps to watch out for
Donating points and miles isn’t necessarily a replacement for cash donations, and it’s important to consider whether or not donating points and miles is the right fit for your situation. Points and miles donations are not tax deductible because they are considered discounts instead of income. There are also differences in how credit card issuers and loyalty programs treat points and miles donations. Because some issuers and airlines convert miles donations to a cash value rather than actually donating the points or miles themselves, rewards donations can have a lower cash value due to redemption value variations. Take into consideration whether rewards donations is the best option for your situation and the specific charity you are looking to donate to.
Unfortunately, there are also scammers looking to profit from a donor’s good intentions. Be wary of third-party sites claiming they will donate miles for you. Airlines demand control of miles transfers, so it’s likely best to use their sites to donate your rewards. Charities too small to partner with airlines can request miles donations through sites such as MileDonor.com, but donors have to grant enough miles to cover a ticket and then book the flight in the user’s name.
Also, remember that if you want a tax deduction on charitable contributions, you won’t get one by donating miles. Miles donations are not refundable and will register as anonymous to the charities. If you prefer to be personally involved, consider donating miles directly to the charities or via donation requests at MileDonor.
All charitable organizations require travel, and many absolutely depend on it. So if you want to help a good cause and you’re sitting on a pile of unused miles or travel rewards, keep your eyes open, show your big heart and donate them.
