Make-A-Wish FAQs

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.

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.

You can update your payment preferences anytime, including the amount you give and date your donation is processed. You can update your details in the following ways:

• Online: to update your credit card number and expiry date only you can visit the secure portal hosted by Stripe
• Phone: you can contact our Community Support team on 1800 032 260 or email regulargiving@makeawish.org.au for all other enquiries.

Please note, for security reasons, we can’t update your credit or debit card details over email. Please call and leave a message if it's after hours, letting us know when to call you back.

All regular donors receive an annual tax statement, via either post or email. If you are a regular donor to Make-A-Wish, you'll receive your statement for the most recent financial year by 31 July.

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.

Our wishes are designed to complement medical treatment, so we recommend that you apply for a wish as soon as you can! You don't need to know what your wish is, or be ready for it to come true.

Once you're on a Wish Journey, we can start providing support, distraction, and fun activities while you discover what your wish will be and then start looking forward to it coming true. You can always put a wish on hold if the timing isn't right, and you'll have a say in when the wish comes true.

So there's really no reason not to get started on your Wish Journey today!

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.

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.

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

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.

Yes - at Make-A-Wish, we appreciate everyone who gives generously to help make wishes come true! If you have goods or services you'd like to give, please take a look at our Gifts in kind page for more information about our policy and the types of gifts we can accept.

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.

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.

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

Make-A-Wish partners with organisations that believe they can inspire hope and have a positive impact on the lives of critically ill Australian children and their families. Ultimately, we wish to align ourselves with companies who believe in the power of a wish.

Make-A-Wish Australia is proud to be a child-safe organisation and we value community, integrity, innovation, impact and most importantly, putting wish children first.

Find out more about partnering with Make-A-Wish by visiting our dedicated Partnerships page.

You can also call our dedicated Partnerships team on 1800 032 260 - or send your details to enquiries@makeawish.org.au and a member of the team will be in touch.

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

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.

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.

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

Each and every day, Make-A-Wish Australia brings amazing people together to grant life-changing wishes for children with a critical illness.

Each wish is a journey, driven by imagination and brought to life by a passionate community, to bring hope and joy to sick children when they need it most. And for everyone involved, wishes have a remarkable, uplifting and positive impact, lasting well beyond the wish itself.

Learn more about Make-A-Wish

As one of Australia's most inspirational charities, 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.

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 11,000 wishes to Australian children with critical illnesses.

⭐Find out more

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)

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.

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.

You can update your payment preferences anytime, including the amount you give and date your donation is processed. You can update your details in the following ways:

• Online: to update your credit card number and expiry date only you can visit the secure portal hosted by Stripe
• Phone: you can contact our Community Support team on 1800 032 260 or email regulargiving@makeawish.org.au for all other enquiries.

Please note, for security reasons, we can’t update your credit or debit card details over email. Please call and leave a message if it's after hours, letting us know when to call you back.