Become a Volunteer
Volunteers from Bristol Myers Squibb on-site building Brooklyn's backyard structure wish
Join a caring community of volunteers who transform lives. Together, we can make countless wishes come true.
Your time and unique talents are critical to bringing strength and hope to wish kids when they need it the most. In fact, our volunteers are at the heart of every wish experience.
Make-A-Wish volunteers consider their work impactful and meaningful. And, their efforts are rewarded—not in dollars or cents, but in the incredible difference that they make in the lives of our wish kids. Volunteers even have the freedom to choose when and how they would like to help transform lives in our community.
There are many ways to volunteer your time
Check out our volunteer opportunities to see where you can best help make wishes come true. Read on below to learn more and fill out our volunteer inquiry form to get started.
Work with a partner to meet with wish kids and their families to help determine their heartfelt wishes, and then work with our staff to make those wishes a reality.
Unfortunately, we are currently at capacity for wish granters in some parts of our territory, including Humboldt County, Marin County, San Francisco, and the Walnut Creek/Concord area
We are currently seeking volunteers in the following locations: Sonoma County, the 80/880/580 Corridor from Richmond to Milpitas, San Jose, Morgan Hill/Gilroy, Santa Cruz County, Monterey County, San Benito County, and most of San Mateo County.
We are also seeking volunteers in all parts of our territory who are bilingual/fluent in one of the following languages: Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Arabic, Russian, Portuguese, and American Sign Language (ASL).
Plan, organize and implement successful fundraising events by working on committees, helping on event day and/or participating in the event.
Assist with various projects at our chapter office, including phone calls, mailings, and research. Office volunteers typically commit to a schedule of about 3-4 hours per week over a minimum six-month commitment.
Use your professional skills and knowledge on an as-needed basis to provide much-needed skills such as reading and writing in multiple languages, graphic design, photography, landscaping, and more.
At every level of the organization, volunteers are critical to the mission. Get started today and soon you can bring hope and joy to local children with critical illnesses as a Make-A-Wish volunteer.
Fill out our volunteer inquiry form: Once completed, a Make-A-Wish representative will be in touch to discuss our volunteer opportunities and upcoming volunteer orientations.
Attend a volunteer orientation: Sit in on a digital webinar and learn about our mission to grant wishes for children with critical illnesses and how you can help.
Fill out an application: Once you attend an orientation, you will receive a link to complete the volunteer application. This is used as a preliminary screening tool, and incomplete applications will not be considered.
Chat with a volunteer: After we receive your completed application, we will set up a phone interview, in which you can chat with a current volunteer and ask questions.
Submit your paperwork: After your interview, you will be asked to complete a criminal background check.
Welcome! You are officially now a volunteer for Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area! You will be an integral part of delivering our mission forward. Any volunteer interested in becoming a wish-granting volunteer will be required to attend a separate 4-5 hour Wish Granter Training session prior to becoming involved in wish activities.
Questions? Contact [email protected] or 415-982-9474.
Long-term volunteers
Included in our base of over 700 volunteers are our long-term volunteers whose years of service are an inspiration.
Jean Ingraffia-Delosreyes
Pat Probert (Volunteer Emeritus)
Rose Ann Hummel
Sandra Ormerod
Scott Ormerod
Susan Proctor
Brenda Yamashita
Kristi Busch, Amy Crandall, Lynne Durie, Jay Emmons, Jim Etherington, Jane Etherington, Michelle Garnett, Lianne Herzberg, Bob Jacobson, Eric Law-Hing, Deni McFarland, Gwen Miguel, Carolyn Pounds, Joe Sanger, Joy Shmueli, Phillip Yim
Barbara Aguiar, Leslie Autenreith, NaSun Cho, Renee Feldman, Katherine Holiday, John McEntagart, Donna Ng, Cynthia Silva, DeAnn Simpson, Joan Trabucco, John Villanueva, Dana Washington, Tascha Whetzel, Teri Wong, Jeff Wong