wish child

The preferred term for wish recipients is “wish child” (no capitalization); in other parts of the world, other terms which may be more culturally appropriate are fine (e.g., “wish kid”). If referring to wish recipients 13-18 years of age, the term “teenager” may be used, but terms such as “young adult” should be avoided to accurately define the community we serve.

critical illness vs. critically ill child

In medical terms, a critical illness is a life-threatening, multi-system process that can result in significant morbidity or mortality and refers to the condition itself. We use 'child with a critical illness' rather than 'critically ill child' in order to center the child and ensure they are not defined solely by their condition. This helps to ensure our wish children are recognized as individuals with unique qualities and identities. Other terms, which may be more culturally appropriate (e.g., life-threatening illness, serious illness, etc.) can be used if the meaning is the same. 

use of "Make-A-Wish"

Apart from being used as a proper name to reference our organization, “Make-A-Wish” should only be used as an adjective and not as a verb or noun describing “a wish” or “wish experience.”

Correct usage: “hosted a Make-A-Wish event” OR “had their Make-A-Wish experience”

Incorrect usage: “you can make a wish come true” (instead use "you can make wishes come true") OR “Billy had his Make-A-Wish”

our founders

Make-A-Wish has six originating founders. Reference to those who started the organization should never indicate otherwise. For example, “Tommy Austin is one of the founders of Make-A-Wish.”

Our founders are: Linda Pauling, Tommy Austin, Kathy McMorris, Frank Shankwitz, Alan Schmidt and Scott Stahl.

World Wish Month / World Wish Day

On April 29th 1980, the wish that inspired the creation of Make-A-Wish was granted in Arizona to Chris Greicius. Since then, we commemorate the beginnings of the global Make-A-Wish movement every April 29th, which we promote as World Wish Day. To pay tribute to Chris, our original founders and the global community and wish children that keep Make-A-Wish the No.1 wish granting organisation globally, we also celebrate the whole month of April as World Wish Month and leverage that period to educate people on our mission and invite them to join our global WishMakers community in the way that is most suited to them. 

referring to Chris Greicius

When referring to Chris Greicius, it is important to state that Chris’ wish was “the wish that inspired the creation of Make-A-Wish” not “the first wish,” as this is incorrect. The first wish (of Bopsy Salazar) did not take place until Make-A-Wish was established as an official charitable organization. Although Chris was not formally in our program, we consider him a wish child.

dream

We grant wishes. The use of any other term – including “dream” – to describe a wish or the wish-granting process is highly discouraged, as it does not reinforce our brand. However, use of the word “dream” outside of that context (e.g., going to Brazil has always been a dream of his), is appropriate, but should be limited in use.

magical

While wish experiences can be described as ‘magical’ for the wish child and their family, it is important to balance this message with the reality of the resources required to make that wish a reality. This can be achieved by highlighting the contributions of the volunteers, partners, donors and supporters who make wishes possible.

special

Avoid using the word “special” as an adjective that describes wish children, wish families, volunteers or any other individuals as it can be misconstrued or have a negative connotation. 

wish categories

There are five formal wish categories (to have, to be, to go, to meet and to give) for reporting purposes, but in marketing and publicity efforts, use creativity in how a wish is represented. For example, “I wish to watch penguins dance in the snow” instead of “I wish to go to the Antarctic.” Wish descriptions should attempt to capture the unique imagination and desires of each individual wish child.

Wish Journey

A wish is not a fleeting gift – it’s a carefully planned journey, designed to complement a child’s medical treatment, and give them the hope, strength and joy they need to fight their illness. The whole Wish Journey – from wish capture to building anticipation to lasting memories – aids physical and emotional healing by building strong positive experiences through the application of principles of positive psychology. This way, the Wish Journey builds resilience and helps children to better cope with their critical illness. 

WishMaker

A WishMaker is anyone that takes action for wish children. They can be a one time or recurring donor, a fundraiser, a corporate partner, an advocate, a medical referrer, a board member, a volunteer, a trained wish granter etc. We use the term WishMakers to describe our community (global or local) that makes wishes happen thanks to all the different ways they support our mission. This term is also the main concept of our World Wish Month global campaign. In some countries this whole community was also described by the term "Wish Force". So we could say that the Wish Force is comprised by WishMakers. If you have not been using the term Wish Force in your country, there is no need to introduce it now, while WishMaker(s) is a term that we will long-term using as a global network. 

wish granter

Always use the term “wish granter” (not wish grantor) when describing the individuals who directly are involved in granting wishes. “Volunteer” is an encouraged alternative.