What Make-A-Wish America does

Make-A-Wish America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, incorporated in Arizona in 1983 and headquartered in Phoenix, that grants life-changing wishes to children with critical illnesses in the United States and its territories. Founded in 1980 following the granting of the first wish (Chris Greicius), the organization serves eligible children ages 2.5 to 18 with progressive, life-threatening, or life-limiting medical conditions, regardless of family ability to pay. As the world's largest wish-granting organization, it operates through a federated network of approximately 59 local chapters supported by nearly 40,000 volunteers, granting 302 wishes per week in the U.S. and over 650,000 wishes globally since inception.

The operational model is volunteer-coordinated and referral-driven: physicians, nurses, child-life specialists, and social workers identify eligible children and submit wishes through a formal referral pipeline, and local chapters execute wish discovery, planning, and delivery. Wishes are funded entirely through philanthropy with no cost to families. The underlying technology stack is described as volunteer coordination, donor management, and wish-granting logistics platforms rather than a proprietary technology product; no AI/ML, patents, APIs, or SDKs are disclosed.

Make-A-Wish America's revenue model is diversified donation philanthropy across individual donations, corporate partnerships (United Airlines as official airline for 40 years; Disney with 170,000+ Disney-involved wishes since 1980; Subaru's Share the Love event, $38M since 2011; Dave & Buster's, $20M since 2012; NFL/Fanatics at Super Bowl LX; Fairmont Hotels since 2022), special events and galas, and emerging planned giving via the Office of Planned Giving. Marketing and donor acquisition run through wish.org, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, email, earned media, and corporate activation events. The organization is BBB Wise Giving Alliance accredited, holds 86-0481941 as its EIN, and reports under a fiscal year ending August 31, with FY 2024 and FY 2025 financial disclosures available on its website.

Name

Make-A-Wish America

Legal name

Make-A-Wish Foundation of America

Website

https://wish.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Make-A-Wish America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona that grants free, life-changing wishes to U.S. children ages 2.5–18 with critical illnesses, operating through 59 local chapters and nearly 40,000 volunteers funded by individual donations and corporate partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Wish-Granting Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Maternal, Child & Family Health Organizations (BPAGACAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

Keywords

• Wish-granting services
• Children's charity
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Corporate partnerships
• Volunteer programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute through one-time and recurring donations via the website, direct mail campaigns, and fundraising events. This represents the primary revenue stream supporting wish fulfillment operations.
2. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: Corporate partners including Subaru, United Airlines, Dave & Buster's, NFL/Fanatics, and Fairmont Hotels provide monetary donations, in-kind contributions (flight services), and event sponsorships. Subaru's Share the Love event alone has generated $38 million since 2011.
3. Special Events and Galas: Annual fundraising events including galas, walk-a-thons, and corporate-sponsored events generate revenue while also building community engagement and awareness.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Make-A-Wish America is a nonprofit charitable organization that grants life-changing wishes to children with critical illnesses (ages 2.5–18) at no cost to families. The organization operates through a network of approximately 59 local chapters across the United States, supported by nearly 40,000 volunteers and funded through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising events.

Product overview

Make-A-Wish America is a nonprofit charitable organization that grants life-changing wishes to children diagnosed with critical illnesses. The organization operates through a network of local chapters across the United States and its territories, supported by a national office in Phoenix, Arizona. Rather than offering technology products, the organization's core service is wish-granting programs funded through donations, corporate partnerships, and volunteer efforts. The mission centers on granting eligible children's one true wish, with the vision to grant the wish of every eligible child. Programs include volunteer-based wish discovery and granting, fundraising campaigns, corporate partnership programs, and a Wish Alumni Community for past wish recipients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Starblazer Awards: Recognition program for stellar wish alumni making a positive impact in the world.

Products and services

• Wish-Granting Program
• Starblazer Awards
• Wish Alumni Community

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 650,000 wishes granted globally since 1980
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• United AirlinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Airlines has served as the official airline of Make-A-Wish for 40 years, flying wish families to their destinations around the world. The partnership provides in-kind flight services enabling children and their families to travel to wish experiences.
• NFL and FanaticsflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerThe NFL and Fanatics partnered with Make-A-Wish for Super Bowl LX, creating exclusive experiences for wish kids including behind-the-scenes access and once-in-a-lifetime football experiences.
• Subaru of AmericacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSubaru has partnered with Make-A-Wish through the Share the Love event since 2011, raising $38 million for the organization over 13 years. The partnership includes vehicle donations and extensive marketing support.
• Dave & Buster'scoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDave & Buster's has partnered with Make-A-Wish since 2012, raising $20 million through various fundraising initiatives including in-store donations and special events.
• Fairmont Hotels & ResortsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFairmont Hotels & Resorts has partnered with Make-A-Wish since 2022 during the holiday season, providing wish families with magical holiday experiences at their properties.
• Walt Disney CompanyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDisney has been a long-standing partner with Make-A-Wish, with over 170,000 wishes granted involving Disney since 1980. Disney provides wish experiences including theme park visits, cruise vacations, and encounters with Disney characters.
• Alfred Music and Brian BalmagesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA special musical collaboration where composer Brian Balmages created a unique composition for Make-A-Wish, symbolizing the organization's mission and the transformative power of wishes.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Sunshine Foundation: Smaller U.S. nonprofit granting wishes specifically to children with chronic/acute medical conditions. Comparable as a niche wish-granting peer with partial overlap in donor base and similar (though narrower) eligibility criteria.

Broad incumbents

• American Cancer Society: Large, established U.S. health nonprofit with a broader pediatric and adult mission including research, support, and advocacy. Comparable as a national CSR-funded health nonprofit competing for the same corporate partner and major-donor budgets.
• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital: Large pediatric-focused nonprofit hospital and research institution. Comparable because it serves the same critically ill pediatric population through donor and corporate funding, and overlaps in hospital referral relationships.

Direct peers

• The Dream Factory: U.S.-based nonprofit granting dreams to children with chronic illnesses and disorders. Direct peer with the same grant-a-wish model, competing for the same corporate partner and donor dollars.
• Starlight Children's Foundation: National nonprofit delivering wish-like experiences, gaming, and hospital programs to seriously ill children in the U.S. Directly comparable because both serve critically ill children through experiential programs funded by corporate partnerships and individual donors.
• Kids Wish Network: U.S. nonprofit granting wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses. A direct competitor in the wish-granting space, with overlapping referral sources, donor base, and eligible-child criteria.
• Children's Miracle Network Hospitals: North American nonprofit raising funds for children's hospitals. Comparable because it channels corporate partner donations (Panda Express, Costco, etc.) toward pediatric care, overlapping heavily with Make-A-Wish's referral and partner ecosystem.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities: Global nonprofit supporting families of sick children through housing near hospitals and related programs. Comparable as a marquee pediatric-health nonprofit funded by corporate partnerships (McDonald's) and serving families of children with critical illnesses.
• A Special Wish Foundation: Regional U.S. nonprofit granting wishes to children under 18 with life-threatening disorders. Direct peer operating a scaled-down version of Make-A-Wish's model across multiple U.S. states.
• SeriousFun Children's Network: Global network of camps and programs founded by Paul Newman for children with serious illnesses. Directly comparable as a wish-equivalent experiential nonprofit serving the same population of critically ill children through donor-funded programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MakeAWishFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/makeawish
• Instagraminstagram.com/makeawishamerica
• Xx.com/MakeAWish

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Make-A-Wish America