Make-A-Wish New Jersey

What Make-A-Wish New Jersey does

Make-A-Wish New Jersey (legal entity: Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Jersey) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and the New Jersey chapter of Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. Founded in 1983 and headquartered at the Samuel & Josephine Plumeri Wishing Place in Monroe Township, NJ, the chapter's core service is a Wish Granting Program that fulfills life-changing experiences for children from birth to under 18 who have been diagnosed with a critical illness. Eligible children are primarily identified through a structured referral channel with healthcare providers, supplemented by family self-referrals, and the chapter publicly features wish stories such as an 8-year-old with congenital heart disease who wished to be a park ranger and a 6-year-old with Burkitt's lymphoma who wished to see the Sequoia Trees in California.

The organization's sole "product" is the wish experience itself, which it delivers at no cost to families. There is no technology product, software platform, or pricing model; rather, the chapter coordinates travel, events, meet-and-greets, and in-kind experience fulfillment through a network of corporate and community partners. The organization maintains an active presence on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, a website portal with newsletter signup, and a dedicated Spanish-language outreach page.

Make-A-Wish New Jersey is funded entirely through charitable contributions. Revenue streams include individual donations, corporate partnerships, fundraising events, and a distinctive Airline Miles & Points donation program that channels travel credits into wish logistics. The chapter employs approximately 31 people, is governed as a New Jersey nonprofit corporation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (EIN: 22-2488495), and operates under the brand, trademark, and operational standards of the national Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. The chapter also operates a Wish Alumni Community to maintain lifetime engagement with past recipients as future advocates and supporters.

Name

Make-A-Wish New Jersey

Legal name

Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Jersey

Website

https://nj.wish.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Make-A-Wish New Jersey is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit chapter of Make-A-Wish Foundation of America that grants wishes to children under 18 with critical illnesses in New Jersey, funded by individual donations, corporate partnerships, fundraising events, and airline miles contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Wish-Granting Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Other Individual and Family Services (62419)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Rare Disease & Special Needs Support Organizations (BPAGACAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Maternal, Child & Family Health Organizations (BPAGACAF), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Wish granting services
• Charitable nonprofit programs
• Pediatric illness support
• Community fundraising events
• Corporate charitable partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Monroe Township

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute to fund wishes for children with critical illnesses. The organization encourages donations through its website portal and multiple giving options.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate partners provide financial support and in-kind resources through various sponsorship and partnership programs to help grant wishes.
3. Fundraising Events: The organization hosts fundraising events and campaigns to generate donations and awareness for the wish-granting mission.
4. Airline Miles & Points Program: Donors can contribute airline miles and points which are used to arrange travel for wish families.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Make-A-Wish New Jersey grants life-changing wish experiences at no cost to children from birth to under 18 who are diagnosed with critical illnesses and live in New Jersey. The chapter identifies eligible children through healthcare provider referrals and family self-referrals, then designs and fulfills personalized wishes such as travel experiences, meet-and-greets, or career-themed days, delivered through the chapter's Monroe Township Wishing Place facility and a network of community partners.

Product overview

Make-A-Wish New Jersey is a nonprofit charitable organization (501(c)(3)) that operates as a single-service wish-granting foundation. The organization does not offer a technology product or software platform; rather, its sole offering is the Wish Granting Program, which provides eligible children with critical illnesses the opportunity to have a wish granted. The chapter also operates The Samuel & Josephine Plumeri Wishing Place, a physical facility that serves as a centralized location for wish-related activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wish Granting Program Core program that grants personalized, life-changing wish experiences at no cost to children from birth to under 18 in New Jersey who are diagnosed with a critical illness, including experiences such as travel to see Sequoia Trees or a day as a park ranger. Wishes are identified via healthcare provider referrals and family self-referrals and delivered by the chapter with support from volunteers and community partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Every 20 minutes, a child is diagnosed with a critical illness in the U.S.
• +1 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Community PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partners provide in-kind resources to help reach the vision of reaching every eligible child. These partners contribute goods, services, and experiences that enable wish experiences to be delivered.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• American Childhood Cancer Organization: A nonprofit providing support to children with cancer and their families. Comparable in serving critically ill pediatric populations and competing for the same donor base, though smaller in scale.
• National Pediatric Cancer Foundation: A smaller nonprofit focused on pediatric cancer research funding. Comparable in serving children with critical illnesses and competing for the same charitable donor pool, though narrower in mission.

Direct peers

• Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation: A nonprofit focused on childhood cancer research and family support. Comparable in serving children with critical illnesses (specifically pediatric cancer) and relying on grassroots, individual, and corporate donations.
• Starlight Children's Foundation: A nonprofit delivering programs to seriously ill children, including wish-adjacent experiences. Comparable mission of bringing joy to hospitalized and critically ill children, with overlapping donor audiences.
• Make-A-Wish Foundation of Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana: A sibling regional Make-A-Wish chapter covering Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana. Comparable as another large-population state chapter with similar operational structure, donor mix, and beneficiary profile.
• Make-A-Wish Foundation of California & Hawaii: A sibling regional chapter of Make-A-Wish operating in California and Hawaii. Closely comparable in structure, mission, donor base, and operational model as another large-population state chapter.

Broad incumbents

• Children's Miracle Network Hospitals: A national nonprofit raising funds for children's hospitals. Comparable as a large-scale U.S. nonprofit focused on critically ill children, competing for the same corporate-partner and individual-donor dollars.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities: A national nonprofit supporting families of seriously ill children through housing and services near hospitals. Comparable donor base, mission alignment with critically ill pediatric populations, and similar corporate-sponsorship model.
• Make-A-Wish Foundation of America: The national parent organization of Make-A-Wish New Jersey. Operates the broader Make-A-Wish network across the U.S., setting brand standards, allocating resources, and coordinating fundraising — directly comparable in mission and beneficiary population.
• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (ALSAC): A leading pediatric cancer research and treatment nonprofit. Comparable in serving critically ill children, operating at national scale, and relying on individual and corporate donations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wishnj
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/wishnj
• Facebookfacebook.com/wishnj
• Instagraminstagram.com/makeawishnj
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/make-a-wish-foundation-of-new-jersey

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Make-A-Wish New Jersey