Start your Wish Alumni Journey by paying it forward
Thank you for completing the wish survey and providing feedback on your wish experience.
And an even bigger thank you for wanting to help others experience their wish.
You would have met some amazing people along your Wish Journey. And had extraordinary experiences. By transitioning from a wish family to a wish supporter, we hope you'll continue that extraordinary, rewarding journey!
On this page, you'll find information on volunteering, donating or sharing your story, plus quick links to sign up.
Click on the below buttons to jump to the area you're interested in supporting.
Become a volunteer
As a wish family, you’ll know better than anyone the role Make-A-Wish volunteers play in helping a family through their wish!
From capturing a child’s wish and bringing it to life through all stages of the Wish Journey, to supporting branch fundraising events and inspiring their community, Make-A-Wish volunteers make a vital difference in countless ways.
You're uniquely placed to create an even greater impact as a volunteer
Many parents, and even former wish kids, become Make-A-Wish volunteers. That firsthand wish experience is so valuable and helps you:
- Give wish families hope. Having someone on their team who has experienced a wish and childhood illness helps to ease feelings of being alone.
- Answer questions and anticipate what families might think and feel because you've been in their shoes.
- Inspire your branch volunteers and community. Sharing your wish experience and reason for wanting to give back will inspire the #WishForce.
You'll get so much out of volunteering. But don't take our word for it!
Debbie shared this of her experience transitioning from wish parent to Make-A-Wish Volunteer:
To give a wish is magical. It’s so rewarding and fulfilling. I had my journey, and now I'm helping someone on their journey. It empowers me to give them some light. To give them some positivity, some focus and to have them know they can do it too. They are not alone.
Debbie Velez, Make-A-Wish Volunteer and wish mum
Donate to make someone else's wish come true
By donating, you're making more wishes come true for critically ill children and their families.
For many wish families that want to pay it forward and help others experience what they did, donating is a powerful way to directly contribute to a wish.
Life is busy! Especially when you've got a family to raise. We know that only some people have the time to volunteer or feel comfortable publicly sharing their private experience. Donating is a way you can make a real difference without ongoing time commitments.
You can donate once or sign up as a regular monthly giver. Being a regular giver has the added bonus of receiving news and updates on the wishes your donations are helping to grant!
Inspire support with your story
Great news! If you expressed an interest in sharing your story in your wish feedback survey, there's nothing more you need to do! Our marketing team is delighted to hear you're happy to inspire community support by sharing your story. If an opportunity comes along, they'll reach out to you directly to see if you're available and interested. If you are, we'll organise the rest from there!
It might sound simple, but sharing your story has a huge impact. Hearing firsthand how your wish impacted your family inspires people to donate, partner, volunteer or apply for their own wish.
There are many ways to share your story
Whether you want to share a simple wish photo or become a Make-A-Wish ambassador speaking at events, there are plenty of ways to join in.
With every story-sharing opportunity, we will always be guided by your interest, availability, and comfort levels. Your level of involvement will always be up to you.
Here are a few examples of the opportunities that the marketing team might get in touch with:
Sharing your story online
This would involve sharing your wish experience and some wish photos across our social media pages and website.
Local events
We might ask if you’d be available to support a local volunteer branch fundraiser by speaking at the event and sharing your story through a speech or Q&A session.
Campaigns
Sometimes, there are opportunities to participate in one of our many exciting campaigns. Again, there are lots of ways you can choose to support. Take the annual Hungry Jack's Wishmaker campaign. You could be asked to:
- Share the campaign on your social media pages
- Be one of the faces of the campaign. This would involve a photoshoot and being featured across in-store and online advertising
- Sharing your story through media interviews to help explain the impact of a wish and why it's important to support campaigns like Hungry Jack's Wishmaker to help wishes come true
- Filming a video of your family saying thank you to those who supported the campaign
- Or a mix of all the above!
Thank you
Thank you for wanting to support Make-A-Wish and help families like yours to receive their wish.
As a charity that receives no government funding, our work is only possible with the generosity and support of our community. It's thanks to the volunteers, donors and ambassadors that make up the #WishForce that wishes can come true for kids facing critical illness and their families.
