Make-A-Wish Australia
Make-A-Wish Australia is a 100% donor-funded children's charity, founded in 1985 in Melbourne, that grants life-changing wishes to critically ill children across Australia via a national network of over 850 volunteers and corporate partners including Hungry Jack's and Qantas.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersRichmond, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Make-A-Wish Australia does
Make-A-Wish Australia (legal entity: Make-A-Wish Foundation Of Australia Ltd) is an Australian children's charity founded on 26 November 1985 at the Queen Victoria Medical Centre in Melbourne. It is the only Australian charity dedicated solely to granting life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses, operating a five-stage Wish Journey (Wish Capture, Wish Design, Wish Anticipation, Wish Realisation, Wish Impact) delivered by a national network of over 850 volunteers across all Australian states and territories. The organisation has granted more than 11,000 wishes in 40 years and currently supports over 900 children on active Wish Journeys, with recent examples spanning cerebral palsy, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, medulloblastoma, refractory epilepsy, and CNS sarcoma beneficiaries.
The organisation has no proprietary technology platform; its core 'product' is the personalised wish experience itself, coordinated through a Salesforce-based volunteer community portal, a Sanity-hosted CMS-driven website, and standard donation-processing infrastructure. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via makeawish.org.au, and the volunteer 'Wish Force' identifies and serves wish families in collaboration with healthcare providers and a formal cross-referral arrangement with Starlight Children's Foundation Australia. Wish delivery relies on an extensive pro-bono partner ecosystem including Hungry Jack's (flagship corporate partner since 2017), Qantas, Sydney Observatory, The Ginger Factory, NSW Police, AFP, BP, Perth Airport, and oOh! Media.
Make-A-Wish Australia is 100% donor-funded with no equity, venture, or public ownership. Revenue is generated through five streams: individual donations (one-time and recurring), corporate partnerships, event-based fundraising (Bake A Wish, Pickleball for Wishes, Trees of Joy, Noosa Triathlon), workplace giving, and legacy giving via Gifts in Wills. The charity holds Australian tax-deductible donation status (donations over $2 are deductible) and is an affiliate of Make-A-Wish International, the world's largest wish-granting charity, with information-sharing arrangements across NZ, UK, Ireland, Canada, USA, and Netherlands affiliates.
Make-A-Wish Australia firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Make-A-Wish Australia
- Legal name
- Make-A-Wish Foundation Of Australia Ltd
- Website
- https://makeawish.org.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Make-A-Wish Australia is a 100% donor-funded children's charity, founded in 1985 in Melbourne, that grants life-changing wishes to critically ill children across Australia via a national network of over 850 volunteers and corporate partners including Hungry Jack's and Qantas.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Make-A-Wish Australia industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Wish-Granting Charity Services
- NAICS
- Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Child and Youth Services (62411)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- MHPSS & Trauma-Informed Support for Displaced Populations (BPADAHAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Trauma-Informed & Resilience-Building Programs (Early Childhood) (EDACAOAD), Experiential & Cultural Programming (Tours, Activities, CSR/Voluntourism) (THAHADAF)
Keywords
Where Make-A-Wish Australia is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Richmond
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Make-A-Wish Australia business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, with donations over $2 being tax-deductible in Australia. Donors can give one-time donations or set up regular monthly giving through the Wish Express program.
- Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with businesses like Hungry Jack's (since 2017) who support through in-store donations, fundraising campaigns, and workplace giving programs.
- Events and Fundraising: Organized fundraising events including Bake A Wish (August), Pickleball for Wishes, Trees of Joy, and Noosa Triathlon participation. Schools program also engages young fundraisers.
- Legacy Giving: Gifts in Wills program allowing supporters to leave lasting legacies to help grant wishes for future generations.
- Workplace Giving: Employers can facilitate employee giving through workplace giving programs, offering simple tax-effective way for staff to support the charity.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Make-A-Wish Australia product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Make-A-Wish Australia grants inspirational, life-changing wishes to children with critical illnesses across Australia, delivered through a five-stage Wish Journey (Wish Capture, Wish Design, Wish Anticipation, Wish Realisation, Wish Impact). The wish-granting program is supported by a 100% donor-funded model that includes monthly giving (The Wish Express), workplace giving, Gifts in Wills, and signature fundraising events, and is delivered via a national volunteer Wish Force of 850+ people.
Product overview
Make-A-Wish Australia operates as a single, unified charitable service focused on granting inspirational, life-changing wishes to critically ill children. The organization offers wish granting as its core product, supplemented by multiple fundraising programs including Regular Giving (The Wish Express), Workplace Giving, Gift in Wills, and event-based initiatives (Bake A Wish, Pickleball for Wishes, Trees of Joy, Noosa Triathlon). These programs are supported by a national volunteer network and outreach initiatives like the Schools Program. The company does not operate a platform-plus-modules architecture but rather a collection of interconnected programs designed to fulfill its mission of granting wishes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Wish Granting Program The flagship charitable service that grants inspirational, life-changing wishes to Australian children with critical illnesses, delivered through a five-stage Wish Journey: Wish Capture, Wish Design, Wish Anticipation, Wish Realisation, and Wish Impact. Free of charge to wish families.
- The Wish Express (Regular Giving) Monthly recurring donation program that lets individual supporters provide ongoing funding for wish granting through automated monthly gifts, with tax-deductible receipts for amounts over AUD $2.
- Workplace Giving Corporate giving program that enables employers and employees to make tax-effective regular donations to Make-A-Wish Australia directly from payroll.
- Gift in Wills (Legacy Giving) Legacy/bequest giving program allowing supporters to leave a gift in their Will to Make-A-Wish Australia to create a lasting impact on future wish children.
- Bake A Wish Community fundraising event program held in August where supporters host bake sales to raise funds for wish granting.
- Pickleball for Wishes Sports fundraising tournament (e.g., held at The Jar in South Melbourne) where teams and individuals compete to raise funds for wish granting.
- Trees of Joy Seasonal festive fundraising initiative where supporters contribute to wish granting during the holiday period.
- Noosa Triathlon Fundraising Athletic fundraising participation program in Queensland where Noosa Triathlon participants raise funds for Make-A-Wish Australia.
- Volunteer Program (Wish Force) National volunteer program with 850+ volunteers across all Australian states and territories who help facilitate the Wish Journey for critically ill children.
- Schools Program Educational outreach program engaging Australian schools in awareness activities and peer-to-peer fundraising for Make-A-Wish Australia.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 11,000 wishes granted in 40 years
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Make-A-Wish Australia
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Make-A-Wish Australia technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Make-A-Wish Australia partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Hungry Jack'sflagshipHungry Jack's has proudly partnered with Make-A-Wish Australia since 2017, helping create hope, joy and lasting memories for critically ill kids. Every in-store donation helps make more wishes possible.
- QantascoreQantas partnered with Make-A-Wish for Dylan's wish to 'save people' at Perth Airport. The Qantas team worked hand-in-hand with wish volunteers for over 6 months to bring the superhero wish to life, including a flight around Perth skies.
- Sydney ObservatorycoreSydney Observatory staff played a key role in Quinn's unicorn wish, providing telescope observations and narrative elements that built anticipation for the wish day.
- The Ginger FactorycoreThe Ginger Factory on the Sunshine Coast hosted Roxy's Rainbrella Project wish experience. The marketing coordinator and staff engaged extensively over 6 months to create a custom wish experience including private tours, ginger cookie making with rainbow candy, live music, and a specially created rainbow gelato named after Roxy.
- The Cheesecake ShopcoreThe Cheesecake Shop ran a fundraising campaign featuring Quinn-designed Unicorn Cupcakes, with $1 from every cupcake sold helping Make-A-Wish grant more wishes. They also sold unique wish tokens with 100% of token values going directly to Make-A-Wish.
- BP (Beyond Petroleum)minorBP joined the wish force for Dylan's superhero wish at Perth Airport, contributing to the collaborative effort.
- Network AviationminorNetwork Aviation contributed to Dylan's wish experience at Perth Airport as part of the collaborative wish force.
- Australian Federal Police (AFP)minorAFP participated in Dylan's emergency services-themed wish, helping create an authentic superhero experience.
- Perth AirportminorPerth Airport served as the venue for Dylan's superhero wish day, providing facilities for the aircraft experience and final showdown with Ice Man.
- oOh! MediaminoroOh! Media displayed Ice Man's suspicious tag on billboards across metro areas as part of Dylan's wish build-up narrative.
- Starlight Children's Foundation AustraliacoreMake-A-Wish cross checks eligibility with Starlight Children's Foundation Australia to ensure wish children have not already received a wish and are eligible for acceptance into the Make-A-Wish program.
- Make-A-Wish International AffiliatescoreMake-A-Wish Australia is an affiliate of Make-A-Wish, the world's largest wish-granting charity. Information may be shared with affiliates in NZ, UK, Ireland, Canada, USA, and Netherlands for mission purposes.
- Western Bulldogs (Footscray)minorShawn Cleland, Make-A-Wish Australia's first wish recipient in 1986, wished to watch the Western Bulldogs (Footscray) play football.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Make-A-Wish Australia competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Redkite: Australian cancer charity providing financial, emotional, and educational support to children with cancer and their families. Operates in overlapping donor and corporate partnership segments with a different (non-wish) service model.
- Starlight Children's Foundation Australia: Australia's other major wish-granting and children's serious-illness charity. Cross-checks wish eligibility with Make-A-Wish Australia and serves the same critically ill children segment with complementary (but not identical) programs, making it the closest direct peer.
- Children's Cancer Foundation (Australia): Australian not-for-profit funding research, clinical care, and family support for children with cancer. Competes directly for cancer-focused cause-marketing dollars and shares overlapping hospital partner relationships.
- Make-A-Wish America: The originating and largest Make-A-Wish affiliate, sharing the same global brand, methodology, and five-stage Wish Journey. Functions as both global parent and the benchmark for affiliate operating practices.
- Camp Quality Australia: Australian charity supporting children living with cancer through camps, recreation, and family support. Competes for the same donor and corporate partnership pool with a different delivery modality (experiential recreation vs. wish granting).
Regional players
- Make-A-Wish New Zealand: Closest geographic peer within the Make-A-Wish affiliate network, operating the same wish-granting model in the trans-Tasman market. Highly comparable in scale, methodology, and donor-base profile.
- Make-A-Wish Canada: Another major English-language Make-A-Wish affiliate, comparable in operational maturity and donor-base composition to Make-A-Wish Australia, providing a peer benchmark for affiliate-level KPIs.
- Make-A-Wish United Kingdom: Major international Make-A-Wish affiliate with a larger operational scale and longer-running corporate partnerships. Provides a comparable model and benchmark for UK-style corporate fundraising translated to Australian conditions.
Broad incumbents
- Ronald McDonald House Charities Australia: Larger Australian children's health charity focused on family accommodation near hospitals. Competes for workplace giving and corporate partnerships and serves overlapping hospitalised-children demographics, but with infrastructure rather than wish-based delivery.
Others
- Cure Cancer Australia: Australian cancer research funding charity that competes for the same individual and corporate donor pool with a research-grant model. Functions as an indirect competitor for discretionary donation share rather than a direct service peer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Make-A-Wish Australia social profiles
Digital presenceMake-A-Wish Australia financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Make-A-Wish Australia leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Make-A-Wish Australia funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Make-A-Wish Australia 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 Australia
What does Make-A-Wish Australia do?
Make-A-Wish Australia grants inspirational, life-changing wishes to children with critical illnesses across Australia, delivered through a five-stage Wish Journey (Wish Capture, Wish Design, Wish Anticipation, Wish Realisation, Wish Impact). The wish-granting program is supported by a 100% donor-funded model that includes monthly giving (The Wish Express), workplace giving, Gifts in Wills, and signature fundraising events, and is delivered via a national volunteer Wish Force of 850+ people.
Is Make-A-Wish Australia a public or private company?
Make-A-Wish Australia is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Make-A-Wish Australia founded?
Make-A-Wish Australia was founded in 1985.
Where is Make-A-Wish Australia based?
Make-A-Wish Australia is headquartered in Richmond, United States, in the North America region.
How does Make-A-Wish Australia make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Partnerships, events and Fundraising, legacy Giving and workplace Giving.
Who are Make-A-Wish Australia's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Redkite, Starlight Children's Foundation Australia, Children's Cancer Foundation (Australia), Make-A-Wish America and Camp Quality Australia. Regional players are Make-A-Wish New Zealand, Make-A-Wish Canada and Make-A-Wish United Kingdom. Ronald McDonald House Charities Australia is listed as a broad incumbent. Cure Cancer Australia is listed as an others.
Does Make-A-Wish Australia have an API?
No public API is recorded for Make-A-Wish Australia.
What industry is Make-A-Wish Australia in?
Make-A-Wish Australia's product category is Children's Wish-Granting Charity Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAHAJ, MHPSS & Trauma-Informed Support for Displaced Populations, with a secondary code of EDACAOAD, Trauma-Informed & Resilience-Building Programs (Early Childhood). Its NAICS code is 813212 and its SIC code is 8300.