Make-A-Wish Iowa

What Make-A-Wish Iowa does

Make-A-Wish Iowa (legal name: Make-A-Wish Foundation of Iowa; EIN 42-1310530) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and a chartered local chapter of Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. Founded in 1987 and headquartered at 3009 100th Street, Urbandale, Iowa, the chapter's singular product is a wish-granting service for children under 18 diagnosed with critical illnesses (including congenital heart disease) who reside in any of Iowa's 99 counties. In the most recently disclosed fiscal year the chapter granted 200 wishes, with roughly 300 children currently waiting for a wish and a published waitlist figure of over 350.

The organization is delivered through a 35-person staff (17 of whom are dedicated to wish families) supplemented by a 600+ volunteer network that performs wish referral intake, family liaison, and wish facilitation across the state. No proprietary technology platform is disclosed; operations run on a shared national donation portal (secure2.wish.org), a Jotform-based wish bio intake, and standard office tooling. Products are exclusively service-based (Wish Granting Program, Volunteer Program) plus annual fundraising events.

The business model is contributed-revenue rather than commercial: the chapter is funded through individual donations (one-time and recurring via the website), a structured Corporate Partners program (financial, in-kind, volunteer, and cause-marketing support), and event-driven fundraising via four regional galas (Des Moines, Clinton, Riverbend, and Urbandale). There is no pricing model, no commercial product, and no disclosed revenue figure; donor funds are directed toward wish delivery and operating overhead. The chapter is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) and legally separate from, but operationally aligned with, the national Make-A-Wish Foundation of America.

Name

Make-A-Wish Iowa

Legal name

Make-A-Wish Foundation of Iowa

Website

https://iowa.wish.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Make-A-Wish Iowa is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit chapter that grants life-changing wishes to children with critical illnesses across all 99 counties in Iowa, funded by individual donations, corporate partnerships, and regional galas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Wish-Granting Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Charitable wish granting
• Children critical illness
• Nonprofit fundraising events
• Corporate giving partnerships
• Volunteer community programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Urbandale

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: Direct charitable contributions from individuals who wish to support wish kids in Iowa. Donations can be made through the website donation portal and are the primary source of funding for wish granting.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate partners provide financial support, in-kind donations, and volunteer resources to support the wish mission. The chapter has a corporate partners program to engage businesses in supporting wish kids.
3. Fundraising Events: Annual gala events including the Des Moines Gala, Clinton Gala, and Riverbend Gala generate revenue through ticket sales, sponsorships, and auction items.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Make-A-Wish Iowa grants life-changing wishes to children under 18 diagnosed with critical illnesses residing in any of Iowa's 99 counties. The chapter is funded through individual donations, corporate partnerships, and annual fundraising galas, and it delivers the wish experience through a 17-person staff and a network of 600+ statewide volunteers. The organization also accepts referrals from families, medical professionals, and community members to identify eligible children.

Product overview

Make-A-Wish Iowa is a non-profit organization that grants life-changing wishes to children with critical illnesses. The organization operates a unified service model centered on wish granting, supported by local fundraising events (Galas), volunteer programs, and donation opportunities. The core offering is the wish-granting program which serves children across all 99 Iowa counties, with events like the Urbandale Gala, Clinton Gala, and Riverbend Gala providing fundraising channels. The organization does not operate as a technology product company but rather as a charitable service provider.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wish Granting Program End-to-end wish granting service for children under 18 in Iowa diagnosed with a critical illness, including wish ideation, planning, and fulfillment across categories such as travel wishes, celebrity meetings, and experience-based wishes.
• Des Moines Gala Annual fundraising gala held in the Des Moines area, generating revenue through ticket sales, sponsorships, and auction items to support wish granting.
• Clinton Gala Annual fundraising gala held in Clinton, Iowa, generating revenue through ticket sales, sponsorships, and auction items to support the chapter's wish-granting mission.
• Riverbend Gala Annual fundraising gala serving the Riverbend area of Iowa, generating revenue through ticket sales, sponsorships, and auction items to support wish granting.
• Corporate Partners Program Formal program through which businesses support the wish mission through financial contributions, in-kind donations, employee volunteer participation, and cause marketing initiatives.
• Volunteer Program Statewide volunteer engagement program that recruits, trains, and deploys 600+ volunteers across Iowa to facilitate wish referrals, wish granting, and family support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200 wishes granted in the last fiscal year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

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

One partnership is on record.

• Corporate PartnerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMake-A-Wish Iowa has a formal corporate partners program where businesses can support the wish mission through financial contributions, in-kind donations, volunteer participation, and cause marketing initiatives. The organization promotes corporate partnership as a key way for businesses to give back to the community.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kids Wish Network: A wish-granting nonprofit for children with life-threatening illnesses. Directly comparable in core mission (granting wishes to critically ill children), target population, and volunteer-driven service model.
• Children's Miracle Network Hospitals: A nonprofit raising funds for children's hospitals across North America. Comparable as a children-health-focused nonprofit relying on corporate partnerships, grassroots fundraising, and community events to support pediatric care.
• Sunshine Foundation: A nonprofit granting wishes to children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses. Directly comparable in mission, beneficiary profile, and reliance on volunteers and individual/corporate donations.
• Starlight Children's Foundation: A national nonprofit delivering programs (hospital entertainment, wish-like experiences, comfort items) to seriously ill children. Comparable in mission and beneficiary population to Make-A-Wish Iowa, with similar donor and corporate partner dynamics.
• Make-A-Wish Foundation of America: The national parent organization that grants wishes to children with critical illnesses across the United States. It is directly comparable as the umbrella entity under which Make-A-Wish Iowa operates, sharing mission, branding, and program model.
• Make-A-Wish Illinois: A sibling chapter of the Make-A-Wish network serving children with critical illnesses in Illinois. Operates the same wish-granting model, volunteer structure, and fundraising playbook, making it a near-perfect operational comparable.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities: A national nonprofit supporting families of critically ill children through lodging, meals, and care services. Comparable as a nonprofit delivering health-related family/child support with volunteer-driven local chapters and corporate partnerships.
• National Pediatric Cancer Foundation: A nonprofit focused on pediatric cancer research and family support. Comparable as a children-health nonprofit serving critically ill children, with similar donor and corporate fundraising structures.
• Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation: A childhood cancer nonprofit funding research and family support. Comparable as a children-health-focused nonprofit relying on grassroots fundraising events, volunteers, and corporate partnerships to serve critically ill children.

Broad incumbents

• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital: A leading pediatric treatment and research institution serving children with catastrophic illnesses. Comparable in beneficiary population and donor base, but broader in scope (clinical research and treatment vs. wish experience delivery).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQotMqATVlwto7IMTLefZEw?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/makeawish.iowa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/make-a-wish-iowa
• Instagraminstagram.com/makeawishiowa

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Make-A-Wish Iowa