Message from the CEO - May 2009 
Dear Friends,

I am pleased to share the 2008 Make-A-Wish Foundation^® International Annual Report: Journeys of Hope with you. As you will learn in the report, this past year we shared our mission with more children than ever before.

7,165 wishes were granted in 2008, which is a 12% increase from 2007. In keeping with our strategic objective of affiliate expansion, we welcomed new affiliates Brazil, Germany and Peru who are already on a roll in granting wishes! Jaíne wished to see the ocean, marking Make-A-Wish Brazil’s first official wish!

7,500 volunteers lent their time and talents to help share the power of a wish^® in their communities, which was an 8% increase from 2007. Volunteers are the beating heart of any successful charitable organization, and we encourage you to become engaged at the local level.

For the fifth consecutive year, Charity Navigator awarded Make-A-Wish Foundation^® International its highest four-star rating. Only 4% of charities have received this “exceptional” status of receiving at least 5 consecutive 4-star evaluations.

Despite the challenges that lie before non-profit organizations in the uncertainty of today’s economic climate, we believe with absolute certainty in the impact of the Make-A-Wish mission and the importance of joy in any child’s life, particularly for a child who is severely ill.

Whether as a wish parent, corporate partner, friend, volunteer or donor – your support was instrumental in helping us empower affiliates to grant more wishes than ever before in 2008, and it will be imperative as we grow in 2009.

Thank you for your commitment to Make-A-Wish Foundation^® International. We look forward to continuing to share wish stories of hope around the world with you.

Best wishes,


Jon Stettner
Chief Executive Officer