Best Wishes Fall/Winter 2020: CEO's Message

Recently, I attended a webinar about philanthropy, which the speaker defined as providing care through collective action. That framing struck me as particularly apt for our organization because we often say that it takes a hundred hands to grant a wish. Our chapter staff does not provide all those hands ourselves—but rather we provide the framework that allows people to come together and collectively take action to care for our wish kids and their families.

The initial action often begins with our partners in the medical community. A family whose child has just been diagnosed with a critical illness may not know a lot about Make-A-Wish or what we do. They may even have reservations about receiving a wish. But the doctors, nurses, and social workers who have seen the immeasurable value of a wish can really advocate for that wish experience on behalf of their patients.

This issue of Best Wishes is in many ways a thank you to our medical community and the amazing work they do on behalf of our wish kids—not only through their treatment but also by connecting them in to our Make-A-Wish family. I invite you to read more about two budding philanthropists—16-year-old Athena and 15-year-old Natalie. Both were so grateful to their caregivers at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford, that they each used their wish to give back.

And you will read about Dr. Paul Fisher, a beloved friend of and loyal donor to our chapter and the Make-A-Wish mission. Dr. Fisher has been referring children for wishes for more than 20 years. I think wish mom Janine says it best when she says of Dr. Fisher, “We just really trust him and believe in him. And, when the wish came, you know, he knew better than we did that we needed that wish.” That’s why I’m so proud that our chapter has recently established The Endowment for Mission Delivery, in honor of Dr. Paul Fisher and his lifetime of support for our mission.

Like Dr. Fisher says, “With a cause like Make-A-Wish, we are trying to support all aspects of the wish, it’s a team effort. You can do it in terms of leadership, in terms of referrals, in terms of donating money or making connections. Community is important. Supporting the community is important.”

It all comes back to that collective action for care. We see time and again that when more people are involved in granting a wish, the more the feelings of hope, strength, and joy the wish brings are amplified. Not just for the wish children and their families, but for everyone involved. At Make-A-Wish, we do our best work when we’re working collectively and inclusively as possible.

With gratitude,

Betsy Biern
CEO, Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area