History
Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.
To grant the wish of every eligible child.
Our values serve as the map to attain our vision of granting the wish of every eligible child.
They are a clear guide to our priorities, and lead the way in everything we do.
Child Focus:
We always put wish children first.
Integrity:
We are honest, transparent and respectful.
Impact:
We deliver life-changing work.
Innovation:
We are bold, imaginative and creative.
Community:
We are a diverse group of people working together towards a common goal.
At Make-A-Wish® International, diversity and inclusion are part of our DNA. Together, we will continue to build an inclusive culture that encourages, supports, and celebrates the diverse voices of our wish children, families, volunteers, supporters, and employees.
When we say we want to grant the wish of every eligible child, we mean it. And to do that, we want to foster an environment that is diverse and inclusive. They are the key drivers of creativity and innovation that will enable our wish children and families to reap the maximum benefit of a wish.
Our Mission
Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.
Our Vision
To grant the wish of every eligible child.
Our Values
Our values serve as the map to attain our vision of granting the wish of every eligible child. They are a clear guide to our priorities, and lead the way in everything we do.
- Child Focus: We always put wish children first.
- Integrity: We are honest, transparent and respectful.
- Impact: We deliver life-changing work.
- Innovation: We are bold, imaginative and creative.
- Community: We are a diverse group of people working together towards a common goal.
Diversity & Inclusion
At Make-A-Wish® International, diversity and inclusion are part of our DNA. Together, we will continue to build an inclusive culture that encourages, supports, and celebrates the diverse voices of our wish children, families, volunteers, supporters, and employees.
When we say we want to grant the wish of every eligible child, we mean it. And to do that, we want to foster an environment that is diverse and inclusive. They are the key drivers of creativity and innovation that will enable our wish children and families to reap the maximum benefit of a wish.
It all started with a single wish…
Today, the Make-A-Wish has been granting life-changing wishes for children and families for 40 years. After the start of Make-A-Wish in 1980 in the United States, Make-A-Wish International was officially formed in 1993 to serve five countries outside the U.S. – and now helps to serve children outside the United States in nearly 50 countries on 5 continents through its 39 Affiliates.
With the help of our donors and more than 43,000 volunteers around the world, Make-A-Wish has collectively granted more than 500,000 wishes worldwide. This means a life-changing wish is granted every 16 minutes on average.
Thank you to his mother, Linda Pauling, the Greicius family and the founders for their tireless dedication to our mission!
You can help to grant life-changing wishes
Timeline
1980
1983
1985
1988
1990
1993
1996: The Make-A-Wish website, wish.org, goes live.