I wish to have a quinceañera shopping spree

Janely

15

brain tumor

FY24 Wish Report - Wish Kid Janely holding a bouquet of flowers

FY24 Wish Report

In our 2024 fiscal year, we granted 277 wishes to children with critical illnesses in the greater Bay Area and assisted with 105 wishes from other chapters. Each wish transforms the lives of children, their families, volunteers, supporters, medical professionals, and entire communities. Thank you for helping us make these life-changing wishes come true!

277 wishes granted, 105 wish assists, 351 new referrals

Wishes granted by medical condition

Granting a wish to a child battling a critical illness restores a piece of their childhood, allowing them to rediscover hope—a pivotal moment in their treatment and recovery journey.

Chart showcasing wishes granted by medical conditions; 141 - cancer, 22 - brain tumor, 22 - respiratory disorder, 21 - other, 17 - nervous system disorder, 15 - organ transplant, 11 - blood disorder, 6 - congenital heart disease, 6 - heart condition, 6 - neuromuscular disorder, 5 - autoimmune disorder, 5 - rare disease

Wishes granted by type

While each wish is unique to each child, they typically fit within five categories: I wish to have, I wish to meet, I wish to go, I wish to be, and I wish to give. 

wishes granted by type. 173 travel wishes, 30 shopping sprees, 27 celebrity wishes, 16 computer wishes, 5 other wishes, 5 camper trailers, 4 construction-related, 3 room makeovers, 3 wishes to be, 3 playset wishes, 2 sporting equipment, 2 party wishes, 2 car makeover, 1 animal wish, 1 education-related

Wishes granted by ethnicity and race

Demographic data by ethnicity is self-reported and optional for each wish family. We are committed to granting a wish for every eligible child in our 17-county territory and continue to serve our diverse communities to the best of our abilities. 

Two pie charts, one detailing wishes granted by ethnicity and one detailing wishes granted by race. For wishes granted by ethnicity: 63% undisclosed, 23% Hispanic or Latino, 14% Not Hispanic or Latino. For wishes granted by race, 50% undisclosed, 27% other, 13% Caucasian, 4% Asian, 4% Mixed, 1% African American, 1% American Indian
map of Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area counties with the number of wishes granted by county

Wishes granted by county

Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area was founded in 1984 and has fulfilled the wishes of more than 9,000 children in its 39-year history. The Greater Bay Area chapter serves 17 Northern California counties from Monterey County to the Oregon border: Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Marin, Monterey, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Siskiyou, Solano, and Sonoma.

*Map and ethnicity data do not include wishes granted through Make-A-Wish America’s Wish Exchange program, wish assists, or wish families who moved out of our territory during the wish process.

How our funds are raised and spent

We are a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that relies on the generous contributions of individuals, corporate partnerships, planned gifts, and grants to make life-changing wishes possible. In-kind donations of goods and services also help finance our mission.

We are committed to ensuring that the funds entrusted to us support our mission. We allocate the majority of our resources to wish granting while maintaining necessary investments in fundraising and administrative support to sustain our impact. The breakdown below includes both cash and in-kind contributions. 

Two pie charts, one detailing how we raised money in FY24 and how we spent money in FY24

Download the full report

FY24 Wish Report (PDF)