What does Make-A-Wish^® New Zealand do?
The key mission of Make-A-Wish is to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.

How did Make-A-Wish^® begin?
Make-A-Wish originated in the United States in 1980.  It grew from the dreams of a young boy Christopher Greicius, who had leukaemia and wanted to be a patrolman.  His dream came true and after he passed away, his mother Linda Bergendahl-Pauling, helped form Make-A-Wish.

Does money donated only go to New Zealand children?
Yes. Although, Make-A-Wish is a worldwide charity, the money raised in New Zealand goes towards granting wishes to New Zealand children.

How large is Make-A-Wish in New Zealand?
Make-A-Wish New Zealand is a national charity with over 100 volunteers throughout New Zealand.  Make-A-Wish has over 35 affiliates worldwide.

How many wishes do you grant?
Since Make-A-Wish began in New Zealand, it has granted over 1,000 wishes to New Zealand children.  New Zealand does more wishes per head of population than any affiliate.  Worldwide Make-A-Wish has granted more than 250,000 wishes.

What types of illnesses do wish children suffer from?
All wish recipients have a life-threatening medical condition. Although this covers a range of illnesses approximately 60% of children who are granted wishes have some form of cancer.

How is a child eligible for a wish?
To qualify for a wish the child must have, in the opinion of their medical specialist, a life-threatening medical condition. The child must also be between the age of 3 and 17 years of age at the time of application. Make-A-Wish does not means test and is non-religious. All eligible wish children receive a wish.

What if a wish cannot be granted to an eligible child (for example they wish to go to the moon)?
If a wish, such as a trip to the moon cannot be granted to an eligible child, then an alternative wish is sought from the wish child.

What are the most common wishes?
Wishes fall into four categories:

I wish to be…

I wish to go…

I wish to meet…

I wish to have…

How does Make-A-Wish New Zealand raise money?
Make-A-Wish New Zealand raises money to grant wishes in a variety of ways including:
Cause-related marketing
Sponsorship
Annual appeals
Marketing campaigns
Direct donations

Telephone Qualified Direct Mail Fundraising

Why telephone people?
Simply mailing out letters and marketing literature to people on a random basis and hoping the recipient will be interested in what we have sent, let alone willing to support us financially, is an extremely wasteful and inefficient form of connecting people to Make-A-Wish.

We prefer to make contact with people by telephone to first ascertain they are at least interested in our work and will be happy to receive an information pack in the mail and make a pledge. Many people find this a convenient way of supporting a cause they believe in. Funds raised through this programme enable the granting of children’s cherished wishes throughout New Zealand.

What you can expect in a call?
The consultant will politely introduce her/him self, explaining who they are and the reason for their call. Consultants will not try to convince people to make a pledge when there is no indication of interest in our work.

If you have any concerns you can always call our 0800 number (0800 80 70 80) and request Make-A-Wish contact you directly or you can make a donation direct via our website www.makeawish.org.nz

Announcements

Hoax emails and phone calls:
An email claiming 7 cents will be given to Make-A-Wish to grant the wishes of Amy Bruce and Kayla Whiteman if forwarded to other recipients, is false and is in no way connected to Make-A-Wish New Zealand.  These are hoax emails that have been circulating on the internet for more than 7 years. The best way of supporting our work is by making a donation on our website directly to us.

Please note that if the email has the contact details of Rod and Joy Topperwien, they are in not the originators of the email.  They forwarded the email on in good faith without realising it is a hoax, and their details became attached to the bottom.  Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 09 920 4760 for further information.