Wish Your Way fundraising campaigns started before 9/1/23 are now closed. Thank you for helping us bring hope into children's lives in 2023. We welcome you to start a new fundraiser in 2024 below to help grant more wishes!

FAQ

Program Questions

What is the Wish Your Way™ program?
The Wish Your Way program allows people to raise money for Make-A-Wish® through a fundraiser of their choice. Fundraising activities can range from collecting donations in lieu of birthday gifts or other special life events, participating in a race or creating an honor or memorial tribute for a loved one. Each fundraiser receives a customized webpage to share with their personal network to collect donations to help grant wishes. Your idea. Your inspiration. Your impact. It really is that simple.

Why start a fundraiser?
People start fundraisers for a variety of reasons. Here are a few.

  • It’s simple. You choose the type of fundraiser: a community event, a special occasion, an athletic event or a tribute. Follow the steps to register your fundraiser and receive online tools to help reach your goals. You can do it all from your smartphone.
  • It’s personal. Your fundraiser reflects what YOU care about. Your interests. At a time that works best for you. Make-A-Wish simply provides the website and tools to help you succeed.
  • It’s helpful. Your fundraiser helps grant the wishes of children battling critical illnesses. Thousands of wishes are granted each year, but thousands of kids are also waiting for their wishes. Every dollar raised by people like you matters. 
  • It’s free. There is no cost set up a fundraiser and you decide a fundraising goal that’s comfortable for you.

What support does Make-A-Wish provide?
Make-A-Wish can help you reach your goals. Here is what you can expect.

  • A mobile-friendly registration process and fundraising webpage.
  • Fundraising webpage to personalize with an image, story and details about your fundraiser.
  • Online fundraising tools that make it easy to ask for support.
  • Sample messages and tools to promote your fundraiser.
  • Inspiring stories of wish kids and their families.
  • Help from a Make-A-Wish staff member when needed.

Can anyone fundraise?
Yes, but if you’re under 13 your parents will need to register the fundraiser for you.

Any guidelines to follow?
Yes. Make-A-Wish has guidelines to help you promote and manage your fundraiser. Don’t worry, they aren’t overwhelming.

Who do I contact for help?
Click here to contact Make-A-Wish. Someone will get back to you shortly.


Participant Questions

Are donations to my fundraiser tax-deductible?
Yes, all donations made through your fundraising webpage will automatically receive an email acknowledgement for tax purposes. Cash or check donations will be acknowledged after they are received and processed by Make-A-Wish.

Is my information secure?
Yes. Make-A-Wish uses industry-standard SSL encryption techniques to make sure that your credit card information, passwords, and personal information travel securely over the Internet. There is an encryption engine on the Make-A-Wish database server so that your data is securely stored

How is credit card information handled?
Credit card information is not stored by Make-A-Wish. During the donation process, donor credit card information is sent to an online processing terminal using a secure connection. The information passed back is an approval or denial of the credit card donation.

Can I collect cash or check donations for my fundraiser?
Yes, all donations are accepted and important! Cash donations should be converted to check and sent to Make-A-Wish. Be sure to indicate your name and fundraiser name when mailing donations to Make-A-Wish.

Can Make-A-Wish help with my fundraiser’s expenses?
No, Make-A-Wish cannot cover the cost of expenses for your fundraiser.  Please note that in-kind contributions made to your fundraiser goods or services aren’t eligible for tax receipts as they do not directly benefit Make-A-Wish.

I forgot my username or password, how do I have them reset?
Click here to have your username emailed to you.
Click here to reset your password.

How do I add a photo to my fundraising page?
Access your Participant Center. Select Edit Personal Page on the right hand side and select Edit Personal Page. Click Photos/Videos and then click choose file, select your image, customize your caption and Save. Make sure your images are in .gif, .jpg, or .png format. Crop or resize your image to 724 pixels wide and 378 pixels tall.

How do I add a video to my fundraising page?
Access your Participant Center. Select Edit Personal Page on the left side and select Photos/Videos. Make sure radio button is selected on Video. Place your video’s YouTube URL and save.

How do I edit my fundraising page name?
Access your Participant Center. Select Edit Personal Page and select Content. Customize your title and save.

How do I update the content on my fundraising page?
Access your Participant Center. Select Edit Personal Page and select Content. Customize your story under the Body. The font size, color, formatting, and font family can be customized. If you would like to see what your content looks like, click preview and a sample of your content will show up in a new window. The preview will not save your content. If you are satisfied return to your personal page and save.

I just finished personalizing my fundraising page. What now?
Tell your friends and family about your fundraiser. Send them an email with a link to your fundraising page and request their support.

How do I personalize my URL?
Access your Participant Center. Select Edit Personal Page and select content. Select URL Settings, enter your preferred URL and Save

How do I make my page private?
Access your Participant Center. Select Edit Personal Page and select Content. Select URL Settings, select Private and Save

How do I update my fundraising goal?
Access your Participant Center. Visit the home page under My Progress. Click Change under your goal. Edit your goal and submit

How do I preview my personal page?
Access your Participant Center. Select Personal Page and select View Personal Page. A separate window will open allowing you to view what your page looks like to your friends and family

How do I find out who donated to my page?
Access your Participant Center. Click View Progress. You will be able to view your personal donations, donations made by your friends and family, and who the top 10 donors are

How do I send an email to my contact asking for support?
Access your Participant Center. Select Send Emails. Enter your friend’s name, email address, or choose from your contacts list. Provide a subject line and provide your customized content in the body of the email. If you would like to see what your content looks like, click Preview and a sample of your content will show up. You can also choose from templates provided. Edit the name information and send!

I have a question not answered above.
We’d love to assist! Click here to contact Make-A-Wish. Someone will get back to you shortly.