Make-A-Wish Foundation® of America

Founded in 1980, the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.

How do you help people in my community?

The Make-A-Wish Foundation serves every community in the United States and its territories through its 65 chapters and their field offices.

Children who are older than 2 ˝ and younger than 18 (at the time of referral), are diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition and haven’t received a wish from another wish-granting organization may be eligible. We define a life-threatening medical condition as a progressive, degenerative or malignant condition that has placed the child’s life in jeopardy. We don’t consider the child’s background, beliefs, income or any other demographic factor.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of America – based in Phoenix – provides operational, financial, training, marketing and developmental support to the chapters.

Areas outside of the United States are served by the Make-A-Wish Foundation International, also based in Phoenix, which has affiliates in more than 35 countries.

Why do you need my support?

For the Make-A-Wish Foundation, every donation truly makes a difference. Even small donations add up to help grant wishes. And there are other ways besides donating cash to support our mission: The majority of our wishes involve travel, and we accept donations of frequent flier miles from many airlines. These donations allow us to get wish kids to their destinations while devoting donated cash for non-travel-related aspects of the wishes.

Though we fulfill our mission in a grassroots fashion, the Make-A-Wish Foundation is the largest wish-granting charity in the United States. Last year, we granted more than 13,400 wishes. Each of these wishes brought a much-needed emotional lift to eligible children and their families – and to their communities and our supporters.

How can I be sure that you will use my money wisely and won't waste it?

More than 75 cents of every dollar we receive go directly to granting a child’s wish. This percentage exceeds the standard established by organizations that monitor the work of charities. The Foundation’s national and chapter finances are audited annually by an independent, nationally recognized accounting firm.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of America meets the BBB Wise Giving Alliance Standards for Charity Accountability and was among the first recipients of its charity seal, in 2003. The Wise Giving Alliance is a national charity watchdog agency affiliated with the Better Business Bureaus system. The alliance and its predecessor organizations have more than a century of combined experience in charity evaluation. Unlike other charity monitoring groups that focus solely on review of charity finances, the Alliance completes comprehensive, in-depth evaluations of the charity’s governance, fundraising practices, solicitation and informational materials, and how it spends its money. The charity seal signifies our adherence to the Alliance’s strict standards.

Can I Volunteer? How?

We have nearly 25,000 volunteers – 35 for each staff member – all dedicated to delighting wish kids. You can help us grant wishes, raise funds, translate and interpret, plan events and more; we have a task to suit nearly every talent. No matter what you choose, you can be a key part of helping to share the power of a wish®.

Learn more about volunteer opportunities at the Make-A-Wish chapter nearest you by visiting the Volunteer section of our Web site, wish.org.