The legacy of Cessna’s active role in the communities where Cessnans live and work lays a strong foundation for the creative, impactful and strategic approach to Cessna’s continued commitment to the communities we call home.

Reaching out, helping others, making a difference – this is the heart and soul of Cessna.

• Human services initiatives — Services provided to enable people to manage their personal environments and gain control over their own lives. For Cessna, this means helping to provide much needed resources like food, shelter, adult services, and more — when the community needs them most. Cessna’s United Friendship Fund (CUFF) has a history of over 50 years supporting Cessnans and the local community. During the last 10 years, Cessnans and the company have combined to pledge more than $15 million to the local United Way organizations. Typical beneficiaries include the United Way, local food banks, and Habitat for Humanity.


• Quality-of-life initiatives — Services provided to improve the general well-being of individuals and help to foster their sense of connectedness and belonging within their community. For Cessna, this means supporting organizations that transform the communities where we live and work into vibrant places to call home. In 2007, Cessna delighted Wichita by bringing Humboldt penguins to one of the top zoos in the United States, the Sedgwick County Zoo. The exhibit, which includes a 52-foot long underwater viewing area for visitors to see the penguins gliding gracefully through the water, has brought thousands of people from all over the country to visit Wichita, the headquarters of Cessna. Past projects have also included Cessna Penguin Cove, Music Theatre of Wichita, and the Wichita River Festival among others.


• Education initiatives — Services that provide development opportunities that will advance an individual’s knowledgebase as well as his impact on the workforce and society. For Cessna, this means helping to sustain programs that get students interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and business related education and encourage them to pursue a career in those fields. Each year, Cessna partners with Wichita State University to develop future talent through the Kansas BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology) competition—exposing high school students to the challenges and rewards of engineering. Past community investment projects in the education category include, Real World Design Challenge, Kansas BEST and Exploration Place Aviation Camp among others.


• Promotion of Aviation — Investing in the promotion of the general aviation industry by providing time and resources that introduce people to the freedom of flying. Cessna dedicated one of their own Citation Mustang business jets to take wounded American war heroes home for the holidays, visit their families after being in the hospital for months, and to attend military ceremonies in their honor. Cessna flew approximately 100 vets and their caretakers more than 110 hours and covered more than 34,000 miles in 2012. As the only aviation manufacturer to contribute flights to VAC during