Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego
Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego is a 501(c)(3) chapter, founded 1983, that grants wishes to children with critical illnesses in the San Diego region, funded through individual donations, corporate partnerships, and fundraising events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego does
Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit chapter of Make-A-Wish Foundation of America, founded in 1983, that grants wishes to children with critical illnesses in the San Diego region. The chapter operates within a national network of 57 chapters that have collectively granted more than 400,000 wishes since 1980. Its "product" is the wish experience itself, delivered at no cost to beneficiary families, with operating capacity funded through individual donations, corporate partnerships, signature fundraising events, planned giving, and in-kind contributions.
Technology infrastructure supporting chapter operations includes a dedicated fundraising application for donor acquisition and event registration, a health data API to coordinate wish-candidate intake with hospital and clinical referral partners, a charity streaming integration for digital fundraising channels, and a fitness application integration for activity-linked giving. Major corporate relationships underpinning revenue include Disney as a foundational long-tenured partner, JPMorgan Chase with cumulative philanthropic support above $9.2M, and Fanatics with cumulative contributions of $10M at the national level. The chapter does not operate a commercial pricing model; revenue mechanics are donation-driven, and beneficiary families are the served end-users rather than paying customers.
Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego
- Legal name
- Make-A-Wish Foundation of America
- Website
- https://wish.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego is a 501(c)(3) chapter, founded 1983, that grants wishes to children with critical illnesses in the San Diego region, funded through individual donations, corporate partnerships, and fundraising events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Wish-Granting Charity
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (624110), Child and Youth Services (62411)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Maternal, Child & Family Health Organizations (BPAGACAF)
Keywords
Where Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Contributions: Direct donations from individuals via online portal, phone, mail, and monthly giving programs.
- Corporate Partnerships: Sponsorships and promotional partnerships with companies like Chase, Fanatics, Southwest Airlines, and others who donate funds or support wish-related activities.
- Foundation Grants: Grants from private foundations supporting wish-granting operations.
- Planned Gifts: Legacy gifts, bequests, and estate planning vehicles that provide long-term funding.
- Special Events: Chapter-organized fundraising events including galas, golf outings, walks, car shows, and community events.
- In-Kind Donations: Non-cash contributions including airline miles, hotel points, products, and services that reduce operational costs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Standard donation amounts ranging from $25 to $500 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego grants life-changing wishes to children ages 2.5 to 18 diagnosed with critical illnesses. The chapter is one of 57 local chapters nationwide operating as part of the national Make-A-Wish organization and is funded entirely through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, planned giving, and community fundraising events.
Product overview
Make-A-Wish is a nonprofit wish-granting organization operating a unified service delivery model centered on granting life-changing wishes to children ages 2½ to 18 with critical illnesses. The organization functions through 57 local chapters in the U.S. and nearly 50 countries internationally. The product portfolio comprises the core Wish Granting Program (fully funded wishes including travel), supplemented by digital donation platforms (online/mobile giving), a Fundraising App with health data integration for peer-to-peer fitness fundraising, and various fundraising programs including Walk for Wishes, Kids For Wish Kids, Wishmakers On Campus, Wishmakers at Work, Trailblaze Challenge, and Stream For The Wishes. Supporting giving programs include Planned Giving, In-Kind Donations, Car Donation, Airline Miles Donation, and Hotel Points Donation. Recognition programs include the Starblazer Awards, while signature events include Wish Night, Wish Ball, Wish Week, and Season of Wishes campaigns. All programs are supported through corporate partnerships and promotions such as Chase, Disney, Fanatics, and Royal Caribbean.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Make-A-Wish Fundraising App: Mobile application for nonprofit peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns that tracks fitness activities and credits users with activity rewards
- Starblazer Awards
- Legacy of Wishes
- Kids for Wish Kids
- Wishmakers On Campus
- Walk for Wishes
- Trailblaze Challenge
Products and services
- Wish Granting Program Core service that grants wishes to children ages 2.5 to 18 with critical illnesses, covering all costs of the wish experience including travel, accommodations, and special items. Available to eligible children referred by medical professionals.
Quantifiable outcome
- 99% of doctors say wishes help relieve a family from traumatic stress
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
Feature2 records
Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered national partner, official sports partner, core, major partner and minor.
- Chasenational partnerChase is a National Corporate Partner supporting travel-related wishes. Has donated over $9.2M to date including $1.5 million in Ultimate Rewards points and $500,000 cash donation. Chase cardholders can donate points through Pay Yourself Back program.
- Fanaticsofficial sports partnerOfficial Sports Partner donating $10M over three years to support sports-related wishes. Fanatics is the Official Sports Partner of Make-A-Wish.
- The Walt Disney CompanycoreDisney is involved in approximately half of all wishes granted by Make-A-Wish, providing theme park experiences, character meet-and-greets, and magical wish experiences.
- Southwest Airlinesmajor partnerThrough Points for a Purpose program, customers can donate Rapid Rewards points to Make-A-Wish for wish travel.
- United Airlinesmajor partnerMileagePlus members can donate unused airline miles to help wishes take flight.
- Allegiant AirminorDonates $1 from every Wingz Kid Snack Pack sold in-flight to support wish granting.
- AvisOffers up to 30% off base rates when booking through avis.com/wish, with 5% of rental donated to Make-A-Wish.
- Royal Caribbean Internationalmajor partnerWishes at Sea program offering free cruises to wish kids and fundraising opportunities across all ships.
- IT'SUGARminorSells wish-themed products (Wish Pop lollipop, Wish Gummy Bears, Make-A-Wish Chocolate Bar) with 20% of sales donated.
- Dave & Buster'sminorDonates $1 from every Strawberry Shortcake purchase, 100% of cash donations from 'throwback arcade' and hosts Charity Benefits silent auctions.
- TopgolfminorDonates $1 from each Topgolf Donut Hole-In-Ones dessert item with minimum guarantee of $250,000 per year.
- Breyer Horsesminor2024 Hope Horse models 'Love & Hope' collection benefits Make-A-Wish.
- BuzzRxminorDonates $1 when prescription discount card is used, with funds going to Make-A-Wish.
- Blackhawk Network (Giving Good Cards)minorMake-A-Wish branded Giving Good Cards sold at retailers with 3% of load net value donated.
- ARS Car Donation ServicesminorCar donation service partnering with chapters including Alaska & Washington, Connecticut, Eastern NC, Greater Bay Area, Greater Virginia, Hudson Valley, New Jersey, and Philadelphia.
- Wheels for Wishes (Car Donation Foundation)minorCar donation service benefiting local Make-A-Wish chapters across most U.S. states including San Diego.
- Charitable Auto Resources (CARS)minorCar donation service partnering with Make-A-Wish Oklahoma and Orange County chapters.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Dreams Come True: Florida-based wish-granting organization serving children with critical illnesses. Direct peer in mission and operating model, though smaller in scale and regional in geographic focus.
- Kids Wish Network: Wish-granting nonprofit serving children with life-threatening illnesses, directly competing for both wish recipients and donor dollars using a similar chapter-free national model.
- Starlight Children's Foundation: National nonprofit delivering wish-like programs (toy deliveries, hospital wear, gaming stations) to children with serious illnesses. Closely comparable mission, donor base, and corporate partnership model to Make-A-Wish.
- Special Wish Foundation: Ohio-based nonprofit granting wishes to children with life-threatening or terminal conditions. Comparable in mission, age eligibility, and referral-driven delivery model.
Broad incumbents
- National Children's Cancer Society: Nonprofit providing direct financial and emotional support to children with cancer and their families. Overlaps in beneficiary population, donor base, and pediatric oncology mission.
- Ronald McDonald House Charities: Global nonprofit serving families of critically ill children through housing and supportive services. Operates in the same family-and-child-health charitable niche but addresses lodging rather than wish fulfillment.
- Children's Miracle Network Hospitals: National nonprofit fundraising on behalf of 170+ children's hospitals. Overlaps in donor base, corporate partner roster, and pediatric health mission, but funds clinical infrastructure rather than wishes.
- Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation: National nonprofit funding childhood cancer research. Comparable in donor-base composition, fundraising event format (lemonade stands), and pediatric-cancer beneficiary focus, but operates in research funding.
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital: Leading pediatric research and treatment hospital, reliant on philanthropic donations. Targets similar donor demographics and corporate partners as Make-A-Wish but operates in treatment rather than wish fulfillment.
Regional players
- Sunshine Foundation: Chartered wish-granting organization serving children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses. Comparable in mission and referral-based wish model, but with a primarily mid-Atlantic geographic focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego social profiles
Digital presenceMake-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego
What does Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego do?
Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego grants life-changing wishes to children ages 2.5 to 18 diagnosed with critical illnesses. The chapter is one of 57 local chapters nationwide operating as part of the national Make-A-Wish organization and is funded entirely through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, planned giving, and community fundraising events.
Is Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego a public or private company?
Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego founded?
Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego was founded in 1980. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego based?
Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Individual Contributions are the primary driver. The others are corporate Partnerships, foundation Grants, planned Gifts, special Events and in-Kind Donations.
Who are Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Dreams Come True, Kids Wish Network, Starlight Children's Foundation and Special Wish Foundation. Broad incumbents are National Children's Cancer Society, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Sunshine Foundation is listed as a regional player.
Does Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego have an API?
No public API is recorded for Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego.
What industry is Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego in?
Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego's product category is Children's Wish-Granting Charity. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGACAF, Maternal, Child & Family Health Organizations. Its NAICS code is 624110 and its SIC code is 8300.