Make-A-Wish
Foundation®
of
Central
New
York,
Inc.
5005
Campuswood
Dr.
East
Syracuse,
NY
13057
315.475.9474
800.846.9474
FAX:
315.475.9476
..*••
FACT
SHEET
What
is the
objective
of the
Make-A-Wish
Foundation?
Who
is
eligible
for a
wish?
What
do
children wish
for?
How
do
wishes come true?
How
much
does
a
wish
cost?
Are
wishes
really
free?
To
grant wishes
to
children under
the age of 18
with
life-
threatening medical conditions
to
enrich
the
human experience
with
hope,
strength
and
joy.
To
qualify
for a
wish,
a
child must:
• be
between
the
ages
of
2%
and 18
years
•
have
a
diagnosed life-threatening medical condition,
• and
have
a
wish
that
is
truly
his/her
own
Wishes
typically
fall
into
one of
four
categories:
• To go
somewhere (Disney
World,
special vacation,
etc.)
• To
have something
(computer,
a
horse, shopping spree,
etc.)
• To
meet
someone
(a
sports hero, musician, actor,
etc.)
• To be
someone
(a
policeman, astronaut, actor,
etc.)
Once
we
receive
a
referral,
a
confirmation
is
done
with
the
child's
doctor
to
verify
medical eligibility
and
that
fulfilling
the
wish
requested
will
not
interfere with
the
child's
health
or
medical
treatment.
The
child
is
assigned
to a
specially trained volunteer team (wish
granters).
The
team meets with
the
child
and
family
to
talk
about
the
wish
and
gather
all the
information needed
to
make
the
wish
magical
and a
dream
come
true.
The
child's immediate
family
is
always
included
in all
aspects
of the
child's wish.
The
total cost
of
wishes varies widely.
However,
the
average cost
of
one
wish
is
nearing $9,000.
Make-A-Wish
Foundation
covers
all
expenses
associated
with
a
wish.
Since
our
goal
is to
make
this
a
special time
for the
entire
family,
we
also handle
all of the
planning
and
arrangements
associated with
the
wish.
How
are
wishes
funded?
The
costs associated with providing
a
wish
are
paid
for by
various
fund
raising events
and
activities, volunteer services, individual
donations,
corporate contributions,
and
in-kind
gifts
and
services.
Make-A-Wish
Foundation®
of
Central
New
York
Fact
Sheet
Page
2
How
are
administrative
expenses
paid
for by
Make-A-Wish
Foundation?
Does
the
Foundation
receive
money
from
the
United
Way?
Our
volunteers help reduce
the
amount
of
money
allocated
for
administrative expenses. Make-A-Wish
Foundation®
of
Central
New
York
was an all
volunteer organization
for the
first seven
years
of its
existence.
In
1992,
the
first full-time employee (the
Executive Director)
was
hired. There
are
currently
5
full-time
and
2
part-time members
of the
Make-A-Wish®
staff.
We
pledge
responsible stewardship
of
funds
and
conduct
an
annual audit
by
an
independent auditing
firm.
We are
proud
to
report
that
the FY
2009
external audit
reflected
that
over
70% of our
revenue went
directly
to
program services.
Make-A-Wish
Foundation
is not a
United
Way
agency;
however,
we
do
receive
some
contributions through
the
Donor
Option Program.
This program allows individuals
to
direct
their
pledge
to
non-profit
501(c)(3)
incorporated organizations.
State
and
Federal Employees
can
contribute
to the
Make-A-Wish
Foundation
and
other
non-profit
organizations
through
the
SEFA
and CFC
Campaigns.
What
counties
does
the
local
chapter
serve?
Make-A-Wish
Foundation
of
Central
New
York serves
the
following
counties:
Broome,
Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland,
Herkimer,
Jefferson,
Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga,
Oswego,
Otsego,
St.Lawrence,
Tioga,
and
Tompkins.
How
many
wishes
are
granted
annually?
The
numbers
are
ever changing. Since
our
inception
as a
local
chapter
in
1985
more
than
1,200 wishes have been
fulfilled!
This
past year
65
wishes were granted
and we
expect
to
grant
betweenTO
- 80
annually over
the
next several years.
Share
the
power
of
a
wish®\
