Facts About the Make-a-Wish Foundation

The Make-a-Wish Foundation helps children with many life-threatening diseases.

The Make-a-Wish Foundation is a nonprofit organization that has been around for decades. Originally developed in 1980, the idea behind this organization is to help children with life-theatening diseases. The idea is to have them live out one of their lifelong dreams before their health takes a further turn for the worse. Since its inception, it has received worldwide fame with many chapters in countries around the world. It has also received the support of many celebrities. Many factors have gone into making this egalitarian organization the superpower that it is today.

Mission

The mission of the Make-a-Wish Foundation is not so much focused on the curing of the child's disease but about the curing of the child's soul. Many of these children have diseases that have no cure. Because of this, the Make-a-Wish Foundation tries to help children by making them happy. Through grassroots funding, it fufills children's lifelong wishes before they die.

Eligability and Methods of Qualification

Children from 2 1/2 to 18 years of age are eligible for support from the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Many people are eligible for referring a child, including parents, doctors and the child himself. The referring person fills out a referral inquiry form and mails it to the foundation. Once a child has been referred, the Make-a-Wish Foundation will contact the child's hospital to ascertain if the child actually is suffering from a life-threatening disease. Assuming that the child is not receiving help from another wish-granting organization, the Make-a-Wish Foundation will try to make the child's wish come true.

Types of Wishes

The wishes that are considered usually fall in four categories. The first one, "I wish to go," allows children to go to a place where they have always wanted to go to, including theme parks, beaches or exotic locations. The second one, "I wish to be," allows children to become someone whom they idolize for a day. For instance, if they wish to be an ocean lifeguard, they would spend the day in a lifeguard tower on the beach. The third one, "I wish to meet," allows children to meet someone they've admired, whether it be a major celebrity, a professional sports player or even the president. The last one, "I wish to have," allows children to receive something that they have always wanted, such as a Sony Playstation.

Methods of Fundraising

The Make-a-Wish Foundation get its money from volunteer donations and other fund-raising programs. One fund-raising program is the Adopt-a-Wish program, which allows volunteers to donate specifically to one child's cause. Another is the Wishmakers-on-Campus program, which allows college students to hold fund-raising events for the organization. Because it is a nonprofit organization, the money it receives is not so much from major companies but from individuals and groups. However, companies such as Disney have made large donations to the cause.

Pop-Cultural Fame

The Make-a-Wish Foundation is one of the most famous nonprofit organizations in the world and has received much recognition for its work. Many celebrities, including Mariah Carey and Miley Cyrus, have been directly involved with the organization. Every summer, ESPN's "SportsCenter" runs a daily segment called "My Wish," which documents children's wishes to meet popular sports figures. During the holiday season in December, the Make-a-Wish Foundation partners with Macy's Department Stores to fulfill children's "I wish to have" wishes through letters to Santa Claus. The foundation acts as Santa to give the children what they want.

References

• Make-a-Wish Foundation