Make-A-Wish Australia

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.

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

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

• Wish granting charity
• Children's charity services
• Charitable donations
• Community fundraising events
• Corporate charity partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

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: 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.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with businesses like Hungry Jack's (since 2017) who support through in-store donations, fundraising campaigns, and workplace giving programs.
3. 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.
4. Legacy Giving: Gifts in Wills program allowing supporters to leave lasting legacies to help grant wishes for future generations.
5. 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

Core 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

Named customers9 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Hungry Jack'sflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2017Hungry 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.
• QantascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQantas 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 ObservatorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSydney 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 FactorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 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 ShopcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe 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)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBP joined the wish force for Dylan's superhero wish at Perth Airport, contributing to the collaborative effort.
• Network AviationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork Aviation contributed to Dylan's wish experience at Perth Airport as part of the collaborative wish force.
• Australian Federal Police (AFP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFP participated in Dylan's emergency services-themed wish, helping create an authentic superhero experience.
• Perth AirportminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerth Airport served as the venue for Dylan's superhero wish day, providing facilities for the aircraft experience and final showdown with Ice Man.
• oOh! MediaminorGTM or Marketing PartneroOh! 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 AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMake-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 AffiliatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMake-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)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShawn 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

Direct 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCfSX2aXl8uyHErXMhtxXiMg
• Facebookfacebook.com/MakeAWishAust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/makeawishaust
• Instagraminstagram.com/makeawishaust
• Xx.com/makeawishaust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Make-A-Wish Australia