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Access news releases, background information and recent news about Make-A-Wish and connect with our Communications team. 

Since being founded locally in 1985, Make-A-Wish Illinois has granted more than 15,000 wishes and continues its mission to share the power of a wish^® with children in all 102 counties across the state. 

Life-changing wish journeys are made possible by dedicated staff and more than 1,000 caring volunteers who help each child discover, create, fulfill, and experience the lasting impact of their most heartfelt wish. 

Support for Make-A-Wish comes from generous individual, corporate and foundation donors.

At Make-A-Wish^® Illinois, our vision is to reach every child with a critical illness and create an impactful wish journey for them.

We strive to bring hope to these children, to their families, and to communities. We stand for hope, and have done so for 40 years.

We stand against any form of racism.

We stand with our communities of color, especially at this moment, our Black community. We see you, we are here for you, and we are standing beside you.

Our organizational values of Compassion, Community, and Inclusion guide our staff, volunteers, donors, and partners every day and particularly in this remarkably challenging time.

We will continue conducting deeper outreach to underserved communities through our active engagement work, ensuring that we reach every child with a critical illness who needs the power of a wish experience. We invite you to be part of our community.

Every child deserves and will receive our compassion and hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Make-A-Wish Illinois finances endeavors 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 Illinois spent 77% of every dollar on wish granting and related program expenses. Only 10% of every dollar was spent on management and general costs and 13% was allocated to fundraising. For full financial details please review our most recent FY19 Audited Financial Statements, FY19 Annual Report or our latest 990.   

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

For full financial details please review the following:  

Current Financial Statements

Archived Financial Statements

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. 

Staff Positions

There are no open positions at this time. 

Internships

Currently, Make-A-Wish Illinois is not recruiting for 2020 fall internships. 

An internship at Make-A-Wish Illinois provides a unique opportunity to see how a purpose-driven nonprofit organization operates. In addition to outstanding on-the-job learning opportunities, interns will also be able to: 

• Sit down with the senior leaders of our organization 
• Participate in creating impactful lifelong memories for families 
• Have the opportunity to assist in the creation and execution of wish progression 

We want to invite YOU to be a part of the magic that we experience every day at Make-A-Wish and learn why we are consistently ranked as one of The Times' "Top Nonprofits to Work For!" 

Internship Requirements: 

• Must be able to commute to our downtown Chicago office (we are located in the River North neighborhood) unless otherwise noted 
• Minimum age for all internships is 18 
• Selected candidates will be asked to participate in a criminal background check. 

All internships are unpaid. 

We thank all applicants for their interest, however only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the positions have been filled.