Step-by-Step Wish Process
Although each wish experience is unique for the child, their family, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, there is a general procedure by which a child is referred, qualified, and granted a wish.
 | STEP 1 - The Wish Referral
If the initial referral comes from someone other than those listed above, we always ask that the family be notified to refer directly on their own behalf. We never make the initial contact to families at this sensitive time of coping with a life-threatening illness. The wish experiences created by our chapters are made possible only through the support of generous donors and more than 25,000 dedicated volunteers across the country. |
 | STEP 2 – Determining Eligibility Any child between the ages of 2 ½ and 18 with a life-threatening medical condition may be eligible for a wish. The child must be capable of identifying the wish, and cannot have received a prior wish from another wish-granting organization. Ultimately, the child’s treating physician makes the final determination of whether the child is medically eligible and able to receive a wish. |
 | STEP 3 - Identifying the Wish
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 | STEP 4 - Granting the Wish After the child paints a clear picture of what they would like to accomplish, the volunteer wish granting team sets out to create a magical wish experience, making every effort to involve the child’s family. The wish experience often touches dozens, and sometimes hundreds of people who either help coordinate or are directly involved in the wish. |
Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Illinois exceeds the Better Business Bureau guidelines by spending more than 80 cents of each dollar on program related expenses!
