What Make-A-Wish® Arizona does

Make-A-Wish® Arizona is the Arizona chapter of Make-A-Wish Foundation of America, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 86-0409636) headquartered at 2901 North 78th Street, Scottsdale, AZ, with 79 employees. The chapter grants transformative wishes to children aged birth through 17 who have been diagnosed with critical illnesses, having cumulatively granted more than 9,000 wishes as of June 2026, with 500+ Arizona children currently awaiting wish fulfillment. The chapter operates as an independent nonprofit corporation under the national foundation's umbrella, with its own Board of Directors and EIN, maintaining local autonomy over fundraising and wish-granting operations in Arizona.

The chapter's core technology stack is a multi-channel donation and engagement platform: an online donation portal supporting one-time and recurring gifts, the Wish Your Way peer-to-peer fundraising platform (built on Luminate), a dedicated iOS/Android mobile fundraising app for tracking and sharing DIY campaigns, an e-commerce merchandise storefront, and the Well Wishes Society recurring monthly giving program with tiered impact levels ($10/$25/$50). Wishes are referred through medical professionals, with 99% of doctors reporting wishes relieve family traumatic stress, and more than 80% of wishes involve travel requiring 2.8+ billion airline miles and points annually.

The revenue model is donation-driven across five primary streams: individual one-time and recurring gifts, the Well Wishes Society monthly subscription program, peer-to-peer Wish Your Way fundraisers, corporate partnerships and promotional activations (Fanatics $10M/3yr Official Sports Partner, Walmart Spark Good, Fry's Community Rewards, Allegiant Air in-flight donations, plus 15+ other retail/restaurant partners), and special appeal campaigns such as "100 Wishes in 100 Days." Distribution spans an owned digital hub (website, mobile app), point-of-sale retail promotions, national partner programs, specialty license plate revenue through Arizona MVD, and signature in-person events (Community & Volunteer Mixer, Noche de Deseos, Southern Arizona Community Breakfast, Trees of Joy). Customer segments split between primary beneficiaries (critically ill children and their families) and revenue-generating supporters (individual donors, corporate partners, peer-to-peer fundraisers), with a 2:1 waitlist-to-grant ratio signaling structural demand that materially exceeds current grant capacity.

Name

Make-A-Wish® Arizona

Legal name

Make-A-Wish Foundation of Arizona

Website

https://arizona.wish.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Make-A-Wish® Arizona is a Scottsdale-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit chapter that grants wishes to Arizona children with critical illnesses, funding operations through individual donations, monthly recurring giving, peer-to-peer fundraisers, corporate partnerships, and signature events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Scottsdale

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: One-time and recurring monthly donations from individual donors supporting wish granting. Includes options for memorial/honor gifts and e-cards.
2. Monthly Giving Program (Well Wishes Society): Recurring monthly donations with tiered impact: $10 for comfort items, $25 for excursions, $50 for room makeovers. Engages donors with regular updates and community.
3. Peer-to-Peer Fundraising: Wish Your Way program enables supporters to create personal fundraisers for special occasions (birthdays, anniversaries) with team capabilities and social sharing.
4. Corporate Partnerships & Promotions: Revenue through promotional partnerships with retailers (Wetzel's Pretzels, Salt & Straw, Papa John's), retail reward programs (Fry's Community Rewards), and national partners (Walmart Spark Good, Fanatics).
5. Special Appeals & Campaigns: Time-limited campaigns such as '100 Wishes in 100 Days' summer initiative with specific fundraising goals and donation matching options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Make-A-Wish® Arizona is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit chapter that grants life-changing wishes to Arizona children (birth through age 17) diagnosed with critical illnesses, including travel wishes, room makeovers, celebrity meetings, and dream role experiences such as zookeeper or park ranger for a day. The chapter raises funds through one-time and monthly donations, peer-to-peer fundraising, signature community events, and corporate cause-marketing partnerships to underwrite each wish at an average cost of approximately $10,000.

Product overview

Make-A-Wish® Arizona operates as a nonprofit charitable organization (EIN: 86-0409636, 501(c)(3)) that grants wishes to children with critical illnesses. The organization offers a digital ecosystem consisting of an Online Donation Platform for direct contributions, the Wish Your Way peer-to-peer fundraising platform with an associated mobile app for iOS and Android, the Well Wishes Society monthly giving program, and promotional partnerships through the Shop For A Cause program. Together, these products enable donors, volunteers, and community partners to contribute financially to wish fulfillment through one-time donations, recurring monthly gifts, DIY fundraisers, and cause-related commerce.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wish Granting for Critically Ill Children Core service that grants life-changing wishes to Arizona children (birth through age 17) with critical illnesses, including travel wishes, room makeovers, celebrity/athlete meetings, and dream role experiences such as zookeeper or park ranger for a day. Each wish is funded through donations and coordinated end-to-end by the chapter.
• Online Donation Platform Secure online donation platform enabling one-time and recurring gifts to fund wish granting, with options for memorial and tribute donations and e-cards. Open to individual donors across Arizona and beyond.
• Wish Your Way Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Platform Self-service fundraising platform that empowers individuals, companies, and community groups to create custom fundraisers (birthdays, bake sales, trivia nights, workplace challenges) to support children's wishes, with team and social sharing capabilities.
• Make-A-Wish Fundraising Mobile App Companion mobile application to the Wish Your Way platform that lets fundraisers track progress, share campaigns with their networks, and inspire donations directly from smartphones. Available on iOS and Android.
• Well Wishes Society Monthly Giving Program Subscription-style recurring giving program where donors contribute small monthly amounts ($10 for comfort items, $25 for excursions, $50 for room makeovers) to help grant wishes for Arizona children with critical illnesses, with regular updates to sustain donor engagement.
• Shop For A Cause Promotional Partnerships Curated portfolio of promotional partnerships with retail, restaurant, and service brands enabling consumers to support wish granting through point-of-sale donations, percentage-of-sale contributions, round-up programs, and coupon-based giving.
• Make-A-Wish Arizona Specialty License Plate Official Arizona MVD specialty license plate featuring Make-A-Wish branding, with $17 from each order directed to the Arizona chapter to help grant wishes.
• Volunteer and Engagement Sign-Up Portal Online intake form enabling individuals and organizations to inquire about volunteering, fundraising, events, workplace giving, and other involvement opportunities with the Arizona chapter.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% of doctors say wishes help relieve a family from traumatic stress
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Salt & StrawminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 July 2026Arizona locations from 3-7pm on Friday, July 24: 25% of sales donated to help grant wishes. Limited-time promotional event.
• Wetzel's PretzelsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 July 2026July 2-August 20 promotional partnership: customers who donate $5 or more at participating Arizona locations receive free Pretzel Bitz. Supports local wish granting.
• Zoyo YogurtminorGTM or Marketing Partner'110 Days' promotion: whenever temperature reaches 110 degrees, Zoyo donates $110 to Make-A-Wish Arizona. Ongoing summer campaign.
• Papa John's Pizza (Phoenix)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerUse code 'WISHPHX' for 20% off regularly priced menu items plus 10% of order donated to Make-A-Wish Arizona.
• Fry's Food StorescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity Rewards Program: enroll in V.I.P Card and select Make-A-Wish Arizona using code GA607. Earn rewards for wish kids with every purchase.
• Walmart Spark GoodcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRound up purchase total on Walmart.com and app with Make-A-Wish Foundation of Arizona as designated charity. National program supporting local chapter.
• BuzzRxminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFree Prescription Discount Card program: each prescription savings generates $1 donation to Make-A-Wish. National partnership.
• IT'SUGARminorGTM or Marketing Partner20% of purchase price of each star lollipop sold donated to grant wishes. National promotional partnership.
• Allegiant AircoreGTM or Marketing Partner$1 donation per Wingz Kids Snack Pack sold on flights (includes Allegiant wings, Goldfish, Oreos, fruit snacks). Supports travel wishes.
• AvisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUp to 30% off base rates with code wish.com; 5% of rental fee donated to Make-A-Wish. Supports travel-related wishes.
• Mt. Olive Pickle CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational partnership: with each purchase of Mt. Olive product, supports wishes in the community. Ongoing cause marketing.
• Main EventminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonate $5 or more at any location through May 31 to receive $20 in free game play with $20 purchase. Supports local wishes.
• FanaticscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Sports Partner donating $10M over three years to support sports-related wishes. Major national partnership with significant impact.
• TopgolfminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSignature Donut Hole-In-Ones: $1 from each order donated to Driving for Good benefiting Make-A-Wish. 24 cinnamon-sugar dusted donut holes.
• Rocket Mortgage (Rocket Community Challenge)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAugust 3-28: Phoenix Rocket Mortgage employees fundraising during nationwide competition. Donate or become a fundraiser to participate.
• Arizona MVD (License Plate)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Make-A-Wish Arizona license plate available through AZ MVD. $17 per order benefits the chapter to grant wishes.
• Piper Family Painting (Tucson)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerTucson-area partnership: for every project completed, $100 donated to Make-A-Wish Arizona to help grant wishes.
• Paul's Ace Hardware (Tucson)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMay 1-31 round-up at register program at three Tucson/Oro Valley locations to help grant wishes.
• Discover Financial ServicesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSpecial thank you to Discover Card for helping to grant a wish for the Arizona chapter in 2025.
• Maggiano'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerYear-round online ordering option to donate to Make-A-Wish. National restaurant partnership.
• SugarwishminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOnline sweets and treats ordering with 10% of value loaded into new corporate accounts donated to Make-A-Wish.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Starlight Children's Foundation: National nonprofit that delivers programs — including wish-like, hospital, and gaming experiences — to seriously ill children and their families. Directly comparable in mission scope (children's health emotional support), donor base, and corporate partnership model.
• National Pediatric Cancer Foundation: Nonprofit funding pediatric cancer research and family support programs. Comparable as a 501(c)(3) children's-health organization with event-driven fundraising, corporate partnerships, and recurring donor engagement.
• Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation: National nonprofit funding pediatric cancer research and family support. Comparable as a children's health charity with P2P fundraising (lemonade-stand model), recurring donor programs, and individual/corporate donor base.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities: National nonprofit supporting families of critically ill children through lodging, meal programs, and family-centered services. Comparable in mission (serving critically ill children and families), donor-funded 501(c)(3) structure, and major corporate-partnership fundraising model.
• Children's Miracle Network Hospitals: Charity raising funds for children's hospitals through corporate partner campaigns and peer-to-peer fundraising. Directly comparable in cause-marketing-driven revenue model, P2P/donation mechanics, and serve-children-with-critical-illnesses mission.

Broad incumbents

• Make-A-Wish Foundation of America: National parent organization that grants wishes to children with critical illnesses across the US. Comparable directly as the umbrella brand and operator of the Arizona chapter, with shared mission, national partnerships (Walmart, Fanatics), and the same wish-granting operating model.
• March of Dimes: Established national nonprofit addressing maternal and infant health. Comparable as a long-tenured, broad-incumbent voluntary health organization with similar individual-donor, event-based, and corporate-partnership fundraising mechanics.
• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital: Donor-funded pediatric treatment and research institution serving children with catastrophic illnesses. Comparable as a high-recognition children's-health charity operating on individual donations and major corporate partnerships, although operating a hospital rather than wish-granting.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/makeawishaz
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MakeAWishAZ
• Facebookfacebook.com/makeawishaz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/make-a-wish-arizona
• Instagraminstagram.com/makeawisharizona
• TikToktiktok.com/@makeawishaz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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® Arizona