Make-A-Wish FAQs

Each and every day, Make-A-Wish Australia brings amazing people together to grant life-changing wishes for children with a critical illness. Wishes are designed to complement medical treatment, supporting families and empowering sick children with hope and joy when they need it most.

Make-A-Wish creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. We have been operating in Australia since 1985, working to grant the wish of every eligible child - with over 10,000 unforgettable wishes granted, and counting!
We are guided by our mission, vision and values in the work we do, every day.
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

• 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.

Make-A-Wish started in America in 1980. It grew from the dreams of a young boy Christopher Greicius, who had leukaemia and wanted to be a police man. His wish came true and after he passed away, his mother Linda, helped form Make-A-Wish inspired by her son's experience.

Yes - money raised in Australia only goes towards granting wishes to children in Australia. Make-A-Wish is a worldwide charity, but each affiliate is operated independently.

As a registered Australian charity, we rely completely on the generosity of our volunteers, partners, donors and supporters to make wishes happen. We receive no government funding.

Instead, Make-A-Wish Australia raises money for wishes through a variety of channels including:

• Cause-related marketing
• Corporate sponsorships
• Annual appeals
• Marketing campaigns
• Direct donations from individuals
• Community fundraising
• A considerable amount of funds are raised by our volunteers who run events like sausage sizzles, trivia nights and major gala balls.

You can view our latest financial records at Make-A-Wish Australia | About Us.

Make-A-Wish is not associated with Wish.com.

Customers intending to reach Wish.com can use Wish.com’s e-mail address at support@wish.com or to the company’s U.S. toll-free telephone number +1 800-266-0172

Make-A-Wish is the only Australian children's charity focusing exclusively on wishes. That means all our efforts go towards fundraising and creating wishes for Australian children affected by critical illness. In the last financial year, our expenditure went to:

Wish granting – 61%

Fundraising – 28.2%

Management and general costs – 10.8%

You can view our latest financial records at Make-A-Wish Australia | About Us.

In 1985, two Australians heard a speech that changed their lives. It was the story of the very first wish granted for a young boy in America. They decided to bring Make-A-Wish to Australia to create that impact here. Since that time, Make-A-Wish Australia has granted more than 10,000 wishes to Australian children with life-threatening illnesses.

Your donations allow us to work in partnership with sick children, their families, and medical teams to design and deliver wishes that are as unique as the children who imagine them and help create joy and lifelong memories for families.

As the only Australian children's charity focusing exclusively on wishes, all our efforts go towards fundraising and creating wishes for Australian children affected by critical illness.

You can view our latest financial records at Make-A-Wish Australia | About Us.

Make-A-Wish has an ambassador program that includes our national patrons, Melissa Doyle and Robyn Moore, our celebrity friends and our amazing former wish families. Our ambassadors help create awareness and drive impact through their support of Make-A-Wish. If you would like to contact a Make-A-Wish ambassador, get in touch with our marketing team at marketing@makeawish.org.au. For more information about our ambassadors, visit Make-A-Wish | Ambassadors

Make-A-Wish Australia is a national charity with over 800 volunteers operating in more than 60 local communities across every state and territory. Our national team includes around 60 staff based both in our head office in Richmond, Victoria and remotely.

It's easy! Give call us on 1800 032 260 or email enquiries@makeawish.org.au with your new details, and we'll be sure to update our records.
Please note, for security reasons, we can’t update your credit or debit card details over email. Please give us a call.

The Make-A-Wish branded clothing donation bins at shopping centres and car parks around the country are operated by a company called Uturn (formally known as King Cotton Australia).

As a charity beneficiary, we very gratefully receive a portion of all proceeds. However, we don’t control the maintenance of the clothing bins, or the collections from them. All maintenance and collections are operated by Uturn exclusively.

If you have a question about a clothing donation bin, please contact Uturn directly on 02 9584 9582.

Fill out a wish application here to apply for a wish. You can also find out who can apply for a wish, how it works and more.

We grant wishes for children and teens aged 3-18years that are diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. You can find a full explanation of our medical eligibility criteria here: How To Apply For A Wish & Embark On A Wish Journey - Make-A-Wish Australia (makeawish.org.au)

As soon as we receive confirmation that an application meets our eligibility criteria, our Wish team will contact the family.

From there, we’ll arrange a time to welcome the family to Make-A-Wish and get the Wish Journey started!

After you apply, we carefully review your application and, with your permission, we confirm eligibility with your child’s treating medical team and other relevant partners.

If you haven’t heard from us within 10 business days, please reach out for an update by calling 1800 032 260 or emailing wishes@makeawish.org.au

At Make-A-Wish, our mission is to grant the wish of every eligible child. We believe a wish should be limitless, which is why we encourage our kids to think big during Wish Capture, starting with the question: “If you could wish for anything, what would it be?”

We want to spark children's imagination, encourage them to dream, and think big - not to be limited by expectations of what is possible. Whether it's a wish to go to the moon or captain the Australian cricket team – more often than not, we can find a way to make it happen.

If you’re looking for inspiration, then look no further than some of the amazing wishes we’ve granted to date.

We work in partnership with sick children, their families, and medical teams to design and deliver wish experiences that are as unique as the children who imagine them.

No two wishes are alike, from the simple to the seemingly impossible – we’ve made unicorns fly, turned video games into reality, and helped kids to feel as brave and strong as the superheroes they look up to. For more examples of the types of wishes we grant, explore our wish stories.

As a charitable organisation, we do have budget considerations when it comes to delivery, to ensure the financial sustainability and continuity of our mission.

Given child safeguarding and our guiding Wish-Granting Principles, certain exclusions may apply (and change from time to time):

• Make-A-Wish Australia does not currently grant international travel wishes, pools, spas, cars, quad-bikes, landscaping, structural renovations, electrical works, medical equipment or formal educational assistance. Please note this list is not exhaustive.
• All wishes follow our child-safeguarding policy requirements and will be delivered in line with any restrictions, laws or guidelines in your local area.

At Make-A-Wish, we say no two wishes are alike – because every wish is as individual and unique as the child who imagines them. From a practical perspective, certain exclusions apply. For example, wishes are usually restricted to within Australia, and we cannot grant wishes that conflict with our vision, mission and values.
We refer to the 7 Wish Principles when determining our ability to grant wishes:

1. The child comes first.
2. We believe in the power of wishes – to bring hope and joy.
3. When it comes to the well-being of the child we don’t take risks.
4. We value fairness and equality.
5. We will not in any way jeopardise our mission (to grant the wish of every eligible child)
6. We will deliver wishes within our means today and for a sustainable future.

During the Wish Capture stage, kids often move through lots of different ideas before landing their one true wish, and this is totally normal!

Once your child lands on their wish and we have your tick of approval (at the end of Wish Design stage), we start locking in suppliers and other details, which means big changes can get tricky after this point.

Our goal is to ensure the wish we create is most amazing wish for your child, so if your child is ever unsure, please contact your Wish team. We're here to help.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all budget for each child’s wish, as wish costs can vary greatly. Some wishes are relatively simple and easy to organise, while other wishes are more elaborate with lots of moving parts!

As a community-funded charity, we encourage community support and participation, which means some wish goods or services may be donated. Whenever possible, Make-A-Wish seeks in-kind donations and the support of partners to help keep the cost of wishes down, while always focusing on the quality (and safety) of the wish.

Your child’s wish expenses are fully covered by Make-A-Wish Australia - you do not pay.

As a registered Australian charity, we rely completely on the generosity of our volunteers, partners, donors and supporters to make wishes happen.

While we encourage community support and participation, we are unable to accept any personal or co-contributions towards your child’s wish. Thank you for your understanding.

Yes, of course. We understand that life gets busy for our families, especially in the middle of treatment.

If you're not ready to participate in Wish Capture activities or need to press pause, just let us know.

You can request for your child's wish to be put on hold for up to 12 months during Wish Capture.

During the Wish Design and Anticipation stages, we will keep in touch around dates and other details.

While we would love to give a simple answer, there's no easy way to do this as the length of a Wish Journey depends on so many different things.

For example, it will often depend on what your child wishes for, how challenging or complex that is to deliver, and the timing or availability of all things wish-related. It will also depend on your child's medical treatment, how they’re doing and how it fits in with your family's schedule.

For many wish children (and their families) - planning, thinking and dreaming about the wish can be a welcome distraction. International research shows the excitement and anticipation of looking forward to a wish can lead to increased joy and happiness for children, parents and siblings.

Just as every wish is unique, so is the time it can take to bring a wish to life.

Each Wish Journey is carefully tailored to the child’s medical needs, personal circumstances, and the nature of their wish. These factors all influence timing.

Some wishes - especially urgent ones - can be granted very quickly, sometimes within hours. Others take more time to plan and deliver. On average, most Wish Journeys unfold over 18 months to 2 years, allowing us to create an experience that’s safe, joyful, and truly meaningful for the child and their family.

The most famous global wish is Batkid, a wish that captured the imagination of the public in San Francisco and saw thousands of supporters line the streets for a young cancer survivor called Miles. You can find out more about Batkid here: Batkid - Wikipedia

We've also had some incredible wishes granted in Australia over the last 40+ years, from making a unicorn fly as part of Quinn's wish to wish child Emily saving the world as the Hulk!

Make-A-Wish Australia is committed to safeguarding children and young people, always acting in their best interests to keep them safe.

We actively work to provide an environment where all children and young people, regardless of race, culture, religion, or ability, feel empowered to unlock their imaginations to discover their own unique wish in a world free from limitations and judgement.

We have zero tolerance for child abuse, and consider any form of emotional, physical, sexual abuse or neglect, as intolerable under any circumstances.

Everyone working at Make-A-Wish Australia is responsible for the care and protection of children and reporting information about child abuse.

In fairness to the many hundreds of sick kids who apply each year, a child who has previously received a wish from us*, or any other wish-granting organisation either in Australia or overseas (including Starlight Foundation), isn't eligible.
*Wish hamper recipients are an exception.

Children under 3 who meet our eligibility criteria can receive a wish hamper containing a selection of age-appropriate toys. After their 3rd birthday, you can also apply for a Wish Journey if they are still medically eligible. You can apply for a wish hamper using the wish application form.

Yes, absolutely. We always seek permission from wish families before sharing any details, images or stories about them.

Yes, all children featured in our stories are real children who have benefited from a wish or are in the process of receiving a wish with Make-A-Wish.

Any child who meets our eligibility criteria is invited to make a wish with us. As the eligibility criteria includes a medical diagnosis, we rely on the child’s treating medical specialist to assess medical eligibility.

Yes - money raised in Australia only goes towards granting wishes to children in Australia. Make-A-Wish is a worldwide charity, but each affiliate is operated independently.

Your donations allow us to work in partnership with sick children, their families, and medical teams to design and deliver wishes that are as unique as the children who imagine them and help create joy and lifelong memories for families.

As the only Australian children's charity focusing exclusively on wishes, all our efforts go towards fundraising and creating wishes for Australian children affected by critical illness.

You can view our latest financial records at Make-A-Wish Australia | About Us.

If you donated online, you should receive a receipt immediately to the email address you supplied. We recommend checking your junk folder if you have yet to receive a receipt. If it's not there, please call our team on 1800 032 260, and we'll happily re-issue your receipt. If you donated through the mail, your receipt can take up to 10 working days to be received. Also, annual tax statements for recurring donations will be sent out by mid-July each year.

You are in control of how we communicate with you. If you would like to update your communication preferences please call us on 1800 032 260 or email us enquiries@makeawish.org.au being sure to include two of the following:

• The mail address we have on file
• The telephone number we have on file
• Your supporter number (You can find this on any physical mail you have received from us)

We're so grateful for every donation and we do our best to remove supporters from upcoming communications as soon as you have donated. Occasionally, there is a slight overlap due to the lead times it takes to prepare our communications. If you have received an additional request for a donation, please disregard the latest correspondence.

As a registered charity, we operate under strict Government fundraising regulations.

Our focus is always on making more wishes come true for critically ill children. That requires us to operate in the most financially sustainable way.

Direct mail allows us to connect with people in our community who are interested in our work and supporting seriously ill kids. We regularly review this fundraising activity to ensure it is efficient and effective in raising money and attracting new supporters to deliver our mission.

Donating to Make-A-Wish to help seriously ill children couldn’t be easier! You can donate through the Make-A-Wish website or over the phone by calling our friendly Experience team on 1800 032 260.

Make-A-Wish has been proudly supporting critically ill children in Australia since 1985. We are committed to protecting the privacy of our supporters and takes our privacy obligations seriously.

You can learn more in our privacy policy.

Staying vigilant

We encourage all of our valued supporters to stay vigilant when it comes to online activity and be alert to scams and phishing attempts. The Australian Government has some helpful advice in this area if you’d like to know more:

• www.cyber.gov.au - The latest Australian Government cyber advice and recognising and reporting scams.
• Protect yourself | Scamwatch - The Australian Government’s Scam Watch Centre has helpful information about types of scams and protecting yourself.

If you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch with us using the form above.

Yes. Like individuals, a business can claim donations as a tax deduction when making gifts to a charity. You'll find lots of helpful info on the Australia Taxation Office website.

MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION OF AUSTRALIA LTD. is endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) from 01 Jul 2000. It is covered by Item 1 of the table in section 30-15 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997. Donations made to Make-A-Wish Australia are tax deductible.

There are many ways you can support Make-A-Wish Australia. The most common are once-off donations, regular monthly giving and workplace giving.

Yes…. sometimes! To accept a donated good or service, we need to match it to a wish - not always an easy feat - given each wish is as unique and individual as the child who imagines them! We’ll happily register your gift-in-kind details so that when a suitable wish comes along, we can contact you. Please call 1800 032 260 to register the gift-in-kind you can offer.

As a guide, we can generally accept:

• Min 2 concert or sports tickets
• Gift vouchers
• Experiences or tours with a registered business
• Hotel/resort accommodation
• Professional services like face painting, makeup artists, catering, event styling, limousine transport, professional photography, etc. Please note: services must be from a business that can provide ABN, insurance and liability information. Working With Children Checks may also be required.

For more information on what we can accept, visit Make-A-Wish | Gifts In Kind

Did you know you can pause your donations for 6 months at a time? We can also reduce your donation amount if that works with your current situation. If not, you can also cancel your recurring donations. Either give us a call, or email us and please include any two of the following:

1. The mail address we have on file

2. The telephone number we have on file

3. Your supporter number (you can find this on any physical mail you have received from us).

We work hard to deliver a wish exactly as a child has described it to us. That includes limiting attendees at a wish to people the wish child has asked to be there, plus any staff, volunteers or suppliers who are essential to make the wish a reality.

When you support Make-A-Wish, your funds will go to the area of greatest need to help make wishes come true. We're currently supporting over 900 sick kids on a Wish Journey. We work hard to provide an impactful, extraordinary and fair service to each of them. For this reason, we are unable to tie funding to a wish.

When you support Make-A-Wish, your funds are going to the area of greatest need to make wishes come true. We’re currently supporting over 900 sick kids on a Wish Journey. We work hard to provide an impactful, extraordinary and fair service to each of them.

When directing funds in our wish program, we have to consider and balance the overall length of a child's Wish Journey, medical timeframes, a child's age and inherent timings in the wish choice. By directing funds to the area of greatest need, we can ensure we're creating Wish Journeys that are fair and delivered at the optimal time for the child and their family. For this reason, we do not tie funding to a wish.

Make-A-Wish Australia operates under strict fundraising Government regulations and continues to do all we can to keep operational costs to a minimum. We’re also the only Australian children's charity focusing exclusively on wishes. That means all our efforts go towards fundraising and creating wishes for children affected by critical illness.

As a charity that has been proudly part of the Australian community since 1985, it is only through diligent financial management that we can continue to achieve our mission of creating incredible experiences for our wish children and their families. You can view our latest financial records at Make-A-Wish Australia | About Us.

The time and money you're able to commit in partnering with us is entirely up to you!

We have different levels of partnership, including:

• Major Partners - a deep level of ongoing support that crosses multiple wishes and programs.
• Official Partners - generous ongoing support and collaborating with us to bring more wishes to life.
• Wish Partners - ad-hoc partnership to raise awareness and support, or to make a child's unique wish come true.

In whatever way your business can help - we are grateful for your support in making wishes come true.

It's easy. Call our dedicated Partnerships team on 1800 032 260 - or get in touch online and we’ll call you back!

You can see a full list of our official business partners here.

Make-A-Wish policy requires all staff and volunteers to have valid a Working With Children Check or state equivalent. We are committed to being a child-safe organisation and child safety will always remain our top priority. Your contact at Make-A-Wish HQ will inform you if this is a requirement depending on your role in the wish and the amount of contact you will have with the wish family.

As a child safe organisation, it’s really important to us that we use suppliers who have the relevant legal documentation in place to work with children. We have an approved list of suppliers that we can lean on, and we would love to work with you to capture the wish. We would respectfully request that you liaise with our marketing team before briefing any content creators.

For all offline fundraising, our preferred method is direct deposit to our account. Download our deposit advice form which has our bank account details and instructions for notifying us of your deposit. This enables us to easily identify your deposit on our bank statement and arrange for a thank you letter receipt to be sent out to you.

Alternatively, you can deposit your funds raised via cheque. Simply make it out to Make-A-Wish Foundation of Australia and mail it to the following address:

Make-A-Wish Australia, PO Box 5006, Burnley, Victoria, 3121

If you created an online fundraising page, you don’t have to do anything except thank your donors! Donors to your fundraising page pay by credit card/PayPal and will be charged and issued with a receipt straight away.

Absolutely - everyone is welcome in the Wish Force! While anyone can fundraise for Make-A-Wish, not all fundraising activities are possible. Make-A-Wish Australia operates under strict fundraising Government regulations and those regulations apply to people fundraising on our behalf too.

Almost anything can be turned into a fundraising opportunity! From bake sales and marathons to cutting off your hair - our amazing fundraisers have found many creative ways to raise funds for wish kids.

A simple option would be to join one of our fundraising campaigns throughout the year. We’ll have all the ideas, collateral and messaging ready to go for you.

You can also come up with your own fundraiser. For more ideas and inspiration, visit this page:

Fundraising Ideas For Children & Sick Kids

We have a Community Supporter logo that’s designed especially for our fundraisers to use. Contact our fundraising team for more information: fundraising@makeawish.org.au

If your page is already set up, you can get your QR code by signing into your Funraisin account. Head to 'My Dashboard', click on 'Get Support' scroll to 'share your page' and select 'QR code'.

A QR code that links directly to your page will pop up. You can then 'Save image as' and use it as needed.

Our amazing volunteers play a key role in helping bring wishes to life for kids with critical illnesses. Whether it’s supporting families on their Wish Journey, getting involved in fundraising activities or spreading the word about Make-A-Wish, every volunteer makes a difference.

We’re a vibrant, diverse and inclusive organisation, and welcomepeople of all backgrounds and skills to get involved. A few things to know before applying:

• You’ll need to be 18 years or older
• You'll need a personal email account
• If you’re applying for a branch or virtual role, you’ll need to go through an application process which includes an interview, reference checks, background check, and Working with Children Check (or equivalent) as part of our commitment to child safety.

We offer a range of volunteering opportunities to suit different interests, skills, and availability. These include:

• Branch volunteering: Join your local branch to support local wish kids and families, fundraising activities, and community engagement. This is a great way to connect with others and make a direct impact in your area.
• Virtual volunteering: Contribute from anywhere! Join an online team to support wish kids and families around Australia on a Wish Journey.
• Short-term volunteering: Perfect for those keen to lend a hand but can’t commit long-term. Support local fundraising events and activities when you can.
• Corporate volunteering: We partner with your workplace to offer meaningful volunteering experiences. Great for teams looking to give back together.
• Skilled volunteering: Use your professional skillsto support projects through our Head Office. These roles are tailored to match your experience and expertise with our needs.

We value your time, which is why we offer a range of flexible volunteering opportunities to suit different schedules and lifestyles.

• Branch & virtual volunteering: Since you’ll be part of a team supporting wish families, we ask for a 12-month commitment. This involves attending a monthly meeting (about 45-60 mins, usually on a weeknight) plus additional time depending on the activities your team is involved in. Activities vary across branches and teams.
• Short-term volunteering: Help when you can at specific events. These roles are casual and usually require just a few hours at a time.
• Corporate volunteering: The time commitment depends on the activity and is tailored to your group.
• Skilled & office volunteering: Depending on the task or skills required, these roles can be short term or ongoing – for example, one day a week or fortnight at our Melbourne HQ.

No special skills are required for most volunteer roles—just a genuine commitment to making a difference and empathy for wish children and their families.

• If you're joining as a branch or virtual volunteer, you’ll need to be able to access our online Community platform. This is where you’ll complete your induction training and stay connected with your team’s activities and updates.
• For volunteers involved with wish granting, it's important that you enjoy and can communicate well with children, young people and their families. Make-A-Wish provides training and support to help you do this. 
• Got skills in administration, event management, fundraising, PR, or project management? That’s a bonus! But don’t worry if you don’t - many volunteers pick up new skills along the way.

Absolutely! We’ll make sure you feel confident and supported every step of the way.

• You’ll be welcomed by your local team or Head Office team, depending on your role
• Branch and virtual volunteers start with an online induction to set you on the path to becoming ‘wish-ready’
• You’ll also have access to mentoring from experienced volunteers and ongoing support from the team at Head Office
• Plus, you’ll get access to our secure online volunteer platform—packed with resources and a great way to connect with other volunteers across Australia

No matter your role, we’re here to help you succeed and enjoy the journey.

To get started, head to our volunteer page to learn about the different types of volunteering opportunities we offer. If it sounds like the right fit for you, complete our Expression of Interest form and we’ll be in touch!

Make-A-Wish Australia is proud to be a child-safe organisation. Because we work with children, we take child safety seriously—and that means a few important steps to make sure we’re the right fit for each other.

If you’re applying for a branch or virtual role, here’s what to expect:

• A friendly interview
• Reference checks
• A background check
• A Working with Children Check (or your state’s equivalent)

It’s all part of making sure we create a safe and supportive space for everyone involved.

Absolutely! Make-A-Wish occasionally offers skilled volunteer opportunities, depending on current needs. Right now, we’re looking for volunteers with experience in HR Recruitment. If you have skills in this area, please express your interest and share a bit about your experience. We’d love to hear from you!

Once you apply, we’ll email you with details of any suitable opportunities or we'll offer you a spot on a waitlist. Please check your emails, including junk folder, to ensure you don't miss any important updates from us. If you haven’t heard back within two weeks of submitting your online application, please email volrecruitment@makeawish.org.au and our team will follow up.

Thanks so much for your interest in volunteering with us! Waitlists help ensure each branch has the right number of volunteers for their wish and fundraising activities, so everyone has a meaningful experience. As every branch is different, we can’t give an exact time frame but will contact you as soon as a spot becomes available.

Not a problem at all - we understand that circumstances can change. To withdraw your application, please email volrecruitment@makeawish.org.au

Make-A-Wish Australia currently has more than 850 incredible volunteers located in every state and territory around Australia.

Copy from this page: https://www.makeawish.org.au/support/volunteer#section-faqs

Absolutely! We offer a range types of volunteering opportunities - head to our volunteer page to learn more.