By John Hennessy
Delta Airlines, through their SkyWish program, lets SkyMiles members donate flight miles to 16 designated SkyWish charities. Delta will cap off this year by donating 5 million miles.
The SkyWish program was launched by Delta in 1995 and has donated more than 1 billion miles over the past 10 years. The program also launches additional mileage donation campaigns in response to hurricanes, tsunami's, floods and other natural catastrophes throughout the world.
According to Jeff Robertson, managing director of the SkyMiles program, "Some of the miles that Delta and its SkyMiles members donated have flown relief workers to disaster-stricken regions and flown victims to safety. These miles have helped organizations with research and fundraising, sent athletes to the Special Olympics and sent patients to receive medical treatment at the world's best hospitals."
SkyWish mileage donations may be made via e-mail at delta.bids@delta.com, by calling 1-800-325-3999 or via FAX at 404-773-1945. There is a 5,000-mile minimum donation, and Delta will boost all donations by 20 percent until Jan. 31, 2006. Additional SkyWish donation information can be found at delta.com/skywish.
Moderator's Comment: What are other, indirect ways - outside the scope of a loyalty program - can organizations create an atmosphere that fosters loyalty?
According to the U.S. Department of Education, American public schools need to find 2.4 million new teachers by 2012 to replace the 42 percent of all K-12 teachers who are currently over 50 and soon will be retiring.
CIO magazine publisher Gary Beach writes that this group includes up to 80 percent of the current teaching corps who are teaching science and math "out of field" (that is, without math or science degrees). Gary has become aware of a program and company attempting to solve this dilemma.
IBM has a Transition to Teaching Program. This program helps any IBM employee interested in teaching gain the appropriate credentials. According to IBM, "so that employees with bachelor's degrees or credentials in math, science and related fields can more easily complete the preparation to become K-12 teachers."
Through this program IBM helps satisfy the need for new teachers in general and particularly those skilled in math and the sciences. It also helps retiring IBM employees, who still have a lot left to give, gain teaching certification and continue to contribute.
This isn't done as part of a loyalty program. However, IBM's Transition to Teaching program will certainly place folks with IBM pedigrees and experiences in front of young minds who will eventually be making career decisions. Stories about this program will resonate favorably with certain IBM customers and prospects and how they perceive IBM. - John Hennessy - Moderator