Make-A-Wish® UK
Make-A-Wish UK is a Reading-headquartered charity (Reg. 295672) that grants wishes to critically ill children aged 3–17. It operates as the UK affiliate of Make-A-Wish International and is funded through donations, corporate partnerships, lottery income and legacy gifts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersReading, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Make-A-Wish® UK does
Make-A-Wish® UK is a registered UK charity (Registered Charity Numbers 295672 / SC037479) headquartered on the seventh floor of Thames Tower, Station Road, Reading, Berkshire. The organisation's stated function is to grant wishes to critically ill children aged 3 to 17, with an identified eligible population of more than 134,000 children across the United Kingdom. It operates as the UK affiliate of Make-A-Wish International, a global wish-granting federation, and benefits from the shared trademark, brand recognition and corporate relationships that come with that affiliation.
The charity's underlying operations are service-driven rather than technology-driven. Wish referrals are sourced through clinicians, families and partner organisations, and fulfilment is coordinated with corporate partners — notably The Walt Disney Company — alongside airlines, hotels and other in-kind supporters. The digital presence functions as a donation portal, information hub and recruitment channel for fundraisers and corporate partners, rather than as a software product or platform.
The business model is a diversified, donation-based income structure typical of UK major charities. Revenue streams explicitly enumerated in the supplied data include individual donations, one-time gifts, fundraising events, corporate partnerships, lottery funding (People's Postcode Lottery), legacy giving, payroll giving and goods donations. Pricing in the conventional sense does not apply; instead, the "unit economics" are the cost-per-wish, with funding raised across channels and matched to wish requests. Customer segments are therefore donors and fundraising supporters rather than paying consumers.
Make-A-Wish® UK firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Make-A-Wish® UK
- Legal name
- Make-A-Wish Foundation UK
- Website
- https://make-a-wish.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Make-A-Wish UK is a Reading-headquartered charity (Reg. 295672) that grants wishes to critically ill children aged 3–17. It operates as the UK affiliate of Make-A-Wish International and is funded through donations, corporate partnerships, lottery income and legacy gifts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Make-A-Wish® UK industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Wish Granting Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)
Keywords
Where Make-A-Wish® UK is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Reading
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Make-A-Wish® UK business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters. Monthly giving available via text-to-donate (£3/month) and online donation portals.
- One-time Donations: Single donations at various price points (£10, £20, £30, £50, £80 or custom amounts) through the website.
- Fundraising Events: Revenue from community fundraising events, challenges, marathons, and gaming events.
- Corporate Partnerships: Sponsorship and corporate partnerships including Spa Pool wishes (Hot Tub Warehouse), Disney partnerships, and Kentown Wizard Foundation grants.
- Lottery: Make-A-Wish lottery program as an additional revenue stream.
- Legacies and Gifts in Wills: Charitable legacies and bequests from supporters leaving gifts in their wills.
- Payroll Giving: Employees can donate directly from their salary through payroll giving programs.
- Amazon Wish List and Goods Donations: In-kind donations of goods, services, and items via Amazon Wish List and other donation programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Text-to-donate monthly giving |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | One-time donation amounts |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Make-A-Wish® UK product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Make-A-Wish UK grants life-changing wishes to seriously ill children aged 3-17 across the United Kingdom. Each wish is personalized to the child's dream and falls into one of four categories: "I wish to be", "I wish to go", "I wish to have", or "I wish to meet". The service is delivered at no cost to the child or family and is funded through donations, corporate partnerships, lottery income, and philanthropic grants.
Product overview
Make-A-Wish UK is a children's charity that grants life-changing wishes to seriously ill children aged 3-17. The organization does not offer technology products or software platforms; its services consist of wish-granting programs where volunteers and staff work with families to create magical experiences. The digital presence serves as a donation portal, wish application interface, and informational resource for supporters.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Wish Granting Programme
- Make-A-Wish Lottery
- Payroll Giving Programme
- Amazon Wish List and In-Kind Goods Donations
- Legacies and Gifts in Wills
- Individual Donation Programme (One-Time and Monthly)
- Corporate Partnerships Programme
Companies that use Make-A-Wish® UK
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Make-A-Wish® UK technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Make-A-Wish® UK partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Hot Tub WarehousecoreHot Tub Warehouse partners with Make-A-Wish UK to provide spa pool wishes for children with neurological conditions and muscle diseases. Spa pools are donated in-kind and provide physical and emotional benefits including hydrotherapy, muscle relaxation, and improved sleep for wish children.
- DisneycoreDisney partners with Make-A-Wish to create magical Disney-themed wishes including trips to Disneyland Paris, Disney theatre experiences, and character meetings. Disney wishes are among the most popular wish categories.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Make-A-Wish® UK competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Kids Wish Network: US-based wish-granting charity for children with life-threatening conditions. Directly comparable wish-granting model and beneficiary segment, but operates primarily in the United States rather than the UK.
- The Dream Foundation: US wish-granting organization for adults and children with life-limiting illnesses. Comparable mission and donor-funded model, but focuses on adults as well as children and is geographically US-centric.
Broad incumbents
- Ronald McDonald House Charities UK: UK charity providing accommodation and support for families of sick children receiving hospital treatment. Shares the same family-of-critically-ill-child segment and corporate partnership profile but delivers housing rather than wish experiences.
- Children's Miracle Network: North American nonprofit raising funds for children's hospitals and pediatric care. Wider portfolio than Make-A-Wish, but comparable in mission (pediatric illness support), corporate partnership model, and donor base.
- Young Lives vs Cancer (formerly CLIC Sargent): Major UK children's cancer charity providing clinical, financial, and emotional support. Competes for the same UK donor pound and serves a partially overlapping beneficiary population, though its service model (casework vs. wish-granting) differs.
Direct peers
- Make-A-Wish Foundation (United States): The flagship US affiliate of the same Make-A-Wish International network. Grants wishes to critically ill children in the US using an identical model — referral pipeline, corporate partnerships (including Disney), and recurring donation infrastructure — making it the closest functional peer.
- Rays of Sunshine Children's Charity: UK charity that grants wishes to seriously ill children aged 3-18. Operates a near-identical model in the same UK market with direct overlap in beneficiary population, corporate partnerships, and wish categories (trips, toys, celebrities).
- Dreams Come True: UK charity that grants wishes to children and young people aged 2-18 with life-limiting or serious conditions. Operates in the same UK wish-granting category with overlapping corporate partner ecosystem.
- Starlight Children's Foundation: UK-registered children's charity focused on granting wishes, hospital entertainment, and distraction programs for seriously ill children. Directly comparable mission, beneficiary segment, and corporate fundraising approach.
Emerging players
- Together for Short Lives: UK charity for children with life-limiting conditions and their families, focused on palliative care services. Overlaps in beneficiary population (critically ill children) and UK fundraising market, but addresses a narrower palliative-care segment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Make-A-Wish® UK social profiles
Digital presenceMake-A-Wish® UK financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Make-A-Wish® UK leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Make-A-Wish® UK funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Make-A-Wish® UK 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® UK
What does Make-A-Wish® UK do?
Make-A-Wish UK grants life-changing wishes to seriously ill children aged 3-17 across the United Kingdom. Each wish is personalized to the child's dream and falls into one of four categories: "I wish to be", "I wish to go", "I wish to have", or "I wish to meet". The service is delivered at no cost to the child or family and is funded through donations, corporate partnerships, lottery income, and philanthropic grants.
Is Make-A-Wish® UK a public or private company?
Make-A-Wish® UK is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Make-A-Wish® UK founded?
Make-A-Wish® UK was founded in -1. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Make-A-Wish® UK based?
Make-A-Wish® UK is headquartered in Reading, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Make-A-Wish® UK make money?
Eight revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are one-time Donations, fundraising Events, corporate Partnerships, lottery, legacies and Gifts in Wills, payroll Giving and amazon Wish List and Goods Donations.
Who are Make-A-Wish® UK's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Kids Wish Network and The Dream Foundation. Broad incumbents are Ronald McDonald House Charities UK, Children's Miracle Network and Young Lives vs Cancer (formerly CLIC Sargent). Direct peers are Make-A-Wish Foundation (United States), Rays of Sunshine Children's Charity, Dreams Come True and Starlight Children's Foundation. Together for Short Lives is listed as an emerging player.
Does Make-A-Wish® UK have an API?
No public API is recorded for Make-A-Wish® UK.
What industry is Make-A-Wish® UK in?
Make-A-Wish® UK's product category is Children's Wish Granting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAOAB, Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors). Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 8300.