Wigs And Wishes

What Wigs And Wishes does

Wigs & Wishes by Martino Cartier is a private nonprofit organization founded on May 10, 2011 (originally as Friends Are By Your Side) and headquartered at 124 Salina Road, Sewell, NJ 08080. It serves two beneficiary segments: women undergoing cancer treatment who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy, and children with cancer whose wishes it grants. The organization reports having distributed over 100,000 wigs cumulatively since inception and approximately 25,000 wigs annually as of 2021, delivered through a global network of hundreds of participating salons and stylists who provide complimentary consultations and fittings.

The organization operates a relatively lean infrastructure (1-10 employees) anchored by a salon-locator map on its website and a website/digital stack managed by SalonClouds+. Supporting programs include a hair donation program (minimum 12-inch length, untreated), the Zoo Hoo petting zoo experience for pediatric beneficiaries, volunteer programs, and an annual black-tie gala. Wigs and wish services are provided at no cost to recipients — the only documentation requirement is a diagnosis letter.

The revenue model is donation- and event-driven: individual giving (mailing list, GIVE365 recurring program via GivingFuel), corporate sponsorships (Goldwell, J Beverly Hills, HairUwear, Follea, DePasquale Salon Systems), casino-hosted galas (Hard Rock Atlantic City, Rivers Casino Philadelphia), and platform-mediated giving (AmazonSmile, eBay for Charity, Facebook Fundraisers, United Way, TEXTEL text-to-donate). Celebrity involvement — notably Paula Abdul as Celebrity Sponsor & Advisor and gala co-host — functions as the primary marketing and fundraising engine.

Name

Wigs And Wishes

Legal name

Wigs & Wishes by Martino Cartier

Website

https://wigsandwishes.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wigs & Wishes is a Sewell, NJ-based nonprofit that provides free wigs to women and wish experiences to children battling cancer, distributed through a global network of volunteer partner salons and funded by donations, sponsorships, and an annual gala.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Cancer Support Services

NAICS

Beauty Salons (812112), Hair, Nail, and Skin Care Services (81211)

akta.pro primary industry

Hair & Wig Replacement Systems (Hairpieces/Toupees) (HSALAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wig Styling, Customization & Maintenance (HSALAAAL)

Keywords

• Cancer patient wigs
• Wish granting charity
• Hair donation program
• Nonprofit cancer support
• Salon network charity

Headquarters

HQ city

Sewell

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Wigs & Wishes generates revenue through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising events including an annual gala. The organization also accepts hair donations which are converted into wigs for distribution at no cost to recipients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wigs & Wishes provides free wigs and complimentary salon services to women experiencing hair loss due to cancer chemotherapy, and grants personal wishes to children with cancer, all delivered at no cost to recipients through a global network of participating partner salons and stylists. Hair donations from the public are converted into wigs, and ancillary programs (annual gala, Zoo Hoo petting zoo, 365-day giving, volunteer programs) support fundraising and community engagement for the mission.

Product overview

Wigs & Wishes is a non-profit organization offering two core services: free wigs for women battling cancer and wishes for children with cancer. The organization operates through a global network of partner salons and stylists who provide complimentary wig consultations and fittings. Supporting services include a hair donation program, annual gala fundraising events, and Zoo Hoo petting zoo events for children with cancer. The organization also offers volunteer opportunities and a 365-day giving program for donors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Zoo Hoo: A petting zoo program operated by Wigs & Wishes where children with cancer can come to have fun, feel free and be loved. The zoo is funded by sponsors and donations made in support of rescue animals.
• Wigs & Wishes Gala

Products and services

• Free Wig Program for Cancer Patients Provides free wigs to women battling cancer, delivered through a network of participating partner salons and stylists worldwide. Recipients receive consultations and personalized fitting services at no charge.
• Wishes for Children with Cancer Grants personal wishes to children battling cancer, fulfilling experiences such as meeting celebrities or special outings to bring joy during treatment.
• Partner Salon Network Network of salons and stylists worldwide who provide free wig consultations and fittings to cancer patients at no charge, serving as the delivery mechanism for the wig program and locatable via the website's salon locator map.
• Hair Donation Program Accepts hair donations from the public to create wigs for cancer patients, requiring minimum 12-inch length, freshly washed, braided, and free of chemical processing.
• Annual Gala Events Annual black-tie gala fundraiser featuring celebrity guests, live entertainment, and auctions to raise funds for wig donations and wish grants.
• Zoo Hoo Petting Zoo Events Interactive petting zoo experience for children with cancer and their families, providing a safe haven for fun and connection; includes Easter celebrations, Halloween activities, and Christmas visits with Santa.
• 365 Days of Giving Program Year-round giving program allowing donors to contribute daily to support wigs and wishes, facilitated through the GivingFuel platform.
• Volunteer Programs Opportunities for individuals to support the organization through gala volunteering, Zoo Hoo petting zoo volunteering, and general event support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 wigs distributed since 2011
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Martino CartiercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMartino Cartier is the founder and CEO of Wigs & Wishes. He is an award-winning celebrity stylist whose salons were featured on Bravo TV and major industry publications. He founded the organization in 2011 and continues to lead its mission.
• Paula AbdulcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPaula Abdul serves as Celebrity Sponsor & Advisor. She is a two-time Emmy Award winner, Grammy Award winner, and American Music Award winner who co-hosts the annual Wigs & Wishes gala.
• AmazonSmileminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazonSmile program allows shoppers to support Wigs & Wishes by designating the organization as their charity of choice for qualifying purchases.
• TEXTELminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTEXTEL provides text-to-donate functionality. Users can text DONATE to (856)582-6600 to make donations via PayPal Giving Fund.
• United WayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndividuals can elect to have their United Way contributions donated to Wigs & Wishes.
• eBay for CharityminorGTM or Marketing PartnereBay sellers can donate a percentage of their sales to Wigs & Wishes through the eBay for Charity program.
• Facebook FundraisersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUsers can set up Facebook Fundraisers to collect donations for Wigs & Wishes on behalf of birthdays or other occasions.
• Hard Rock Atlantic CityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCasino sponsor for Wigs & Wishes events and galas.
• Rivers Casino PhiladelphiaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCasino sponsor for Wigs & Wishes events. Hosted the 2021 annual gala.
• DePasquale Salon SystemsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSalon systems company sponsor supporting the Wigs & Wishes mission.
• GoldwellminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHair care brand sponsor supporting the Wigs & Wishes mission.
• J Beverly HillsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHair care brand sponsor supporting the Wigs & Wishes mission.
• HairUwearminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWig and hair extension brand sponsor supporting the Wigs & Wishes mission.
• FolleaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWig brand sponsor supporting the Wigs & Wishes mission.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wigsandwishes
• Facebookfacebook.com/WIGSandWISHES
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friends-are-by-your-side

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Wigs And Wishes