At Make-A-Wish, we are more than a great place to work — our work is life-changing. We are an inclusive and diverse group of people who, through a mosaic of backgrounds, thought and experiences, are united in purposeful work. We are fueled and guided by our values — values that are represented in the inspired people we work with and the life-changing work we do, every day. 

We are always on the lookout for great talent who share in our passion.  If you are interested in a career or internship with Make-A-Wish, check out our current open positions.

Current Employment Opportunities

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

Make a difference in the life of a critically ill child.

Make-A-Wish Central New York seeks an enthusiastic, collaborative, seasoned development professional with a minimum of 7 years demonstrated experience in individual, major and planned gifts to lead the Foundation’s development efforts.

This position is responsible for increasing the chapter’s revenues by achieving annually defined fundraising goals through the identification, cultivation and execution of solicitation strategies for all major, planned, and foundation gifts.

Qualified applicants will have a demonstrated ability to set strategic direction and lead the Foundation’s development department by supervising a staff of three professionals, managing multiple tasks effectively and demonstrating the ability to work with diverse groups of people, managing stressful situations, and making sound decisions in a quick timeframe. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are required. Proficiency with Salesforce or other donor management database is required along with some travel.

Candidates must have a minimum of seven years demonstrated success in fund development and at least five years of supervisory, training and mentoring experience. BA/BS is required. CFRE and/or CAP a plus.

Compensation:  $80,000 - $90,000, generous time off policy, health insurance, retirement plan.

Qualified candidates should submit cover letter and resume via email to Diane Kuppermann, President & CEO at jobs@cny.wish.org  

Incomplete submissions will not be reviewed or considered nor will applications without direct, demonstrated fund development experience. Please no calls.

Current Internship Positions Available (Spring/Summer Interns)

DONOR RELATIONS (NON-PAID)

This intern will work with the Development team to steward and recognize donors. This individual will assist with direct mail acknowledgements, research and writing of wish stories for donor stewardship, database segmentation and analysis, writing letters, coordinating donor receptions, and various other assignments as needed.

Qualifying Skills: Excellent writing and communication abilities, good organizational skills, analytical abilities to target appropriate donors based on demographic information, computer proficiency (Microsoft Word, Excel, Web browsing, etc.), outgoing and enthusiastic to build relationships with donors, able to handle multiple tasks. College course work related to writing and communication required. Marketing/business development skills beneficial. Availability of 5-10 hours per week required.

All candidates should submit a cover letter and resume via email to calcott@cny.wish.org.

SALES AND PROMOTIONS (NON-PAID)

The Sales & Promotions Intern(s) assist the Director of Development with securing fundraising support, assisting in the design and execution of direct mail appeals, creating and implementing communication campaigns and strategies, grant writing and submission of funding applications, and general administrative tasks. Other various tasks will be assigned according to the needs of the Foundation.

Qualifying Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel etc), excellent communication skills with an outgoing personality, self-motivated, and able to handle multiple tasks. Candidate must be a college student with coursework relating to business administration and fundraising. Availability of 5-10 hours/week required

All candidates should submit a cover letter and resume via email to calcott@cny.wish.org.

SPECIAL EVENTS (NON-PAID)

The Special Events Intern supports the Foundation’s major special events. The primary responsibilities include assisting with marketing of events, facilitating the donation of auction items, and journal ads. The Special Events intern will also provide assistance and office support to the Development team, and interact with donors and vendors relating to the events.

Qualifying Skills: Complete ease and comfort in speaking with donors, excellent written and oral communication skills, good organizational skills, detail oriented, ability to handle multiple tasks. Proficiency in Excel.  Availability of 5-10 hours/week required.

All candidates should submit a cover letter and resume via email to calcott@cny.wish.org.

FUNDRAISING (NON-PAID)

The Fundraising Intern(s) assist the Director of Development with securing fundraising support, assisting in the design and execution of direct mail appeals, creating and implementing communication campaigns and strategies, grant writing and submission of funding applications, and general administrative tasks. Other various tasks will be assigned according to the needs of the Foundation.

Qualifying Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel etc), excellent communication skills with an outgoing personality, self-motivated, and able to handle multiple tasks. Candidate must be a college student with coursework relating to business administration and fundraising.  Availability of 5-10 hours/week required.

All candidates should submit a cover letter and resume via email to calcott@cny.wish.org.

Becoming an Intern:

Internships are available during the Fall, Spring & Summer semesters and applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. 

Qualified applicants will possess strong written and oral communication skills, working knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite which includes Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, and demonstrate maturity and responsibility. Ability to handle multiple tasks and possess strong organizational skills is also encouraged. 

Interning is a great way to help. While we have no paid intern positions, we certainly have opportunities available for you to help the very special children we serve.

Candidates should submit cover letter and resume via email to jobs@cny.wish.org.    

Incomplete submissions will not be reviewed or considered nor will applications without direct, demonstrated, required experience.  Please no calls. 

Make-A-Wish Central New York creates local, life-changing wishes through corporate sponsorships, special events, foundation grants and individual contributions. However, we do not solicit funds by telephone and receive no federal or state funding. As a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, all contributions are deductible to the extent permitted by law. Our financial statements are audited locally by CliftonLarsonAllen LLP. 

At Make-A-Wish, we take our responsibility for the monies donated to our cause very seriously and are pleased to confirm that according to the fiscal year 2019 audit results, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central New York spent 70% of every dollar on wish granting and related program expenses. Only 10% of every dollar was spent on management and general costs and 20% was allocated to fundraising. For full financial details please review our most recent FY19 Audited Financial Statements, FY19 Impact Report or our latest 990.  

We are proud to be a BBB Accredited Charity Seal Holder, having met all 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability.

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