Volunteer
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, 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.
We understand that you want to volunteer but might not know where your skills and talents best lie. Check out our volunteer opportunities and see where you can best help make wishes come true.
This is the primary volunteer role within the organization! The opportunities in the wish granting role include:
- Meeting with the wish family to discuss and brainstorm wish ideas
- Getting to the heart of the wish or the "why" behind wish ideas
- Fostering a relationship with the wish child and family and keeping in contact throughout the wish process
- Help the wish child celebrate a granted wish
- Must be 18+ to be a wish granter
Help facilitate wish experiences for non-English-speaking families. Translators have the option of becoming fully trained wish granting volunteers, or they can provide short-term support on an as-needed basis.
Plan, organize, and implement successful fundraising events by working on an event committee, helping on the event day, and/or participating in the event.
Support Make-A-Wish by showcasing your knowledge and skills on an as-needed basis. A volunteer should be fluent and/or have a professional knowledge of the needed skill. Skills may include reading/writing in multiple languages, graphic design, photography, carpentry, interior design, landscaping and more.
Use your free time of volunteer time off from work to help us with tasks around the Make-A-Wish Iowa office. Office tasks depend on current needs and varies in regularity.
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 the Volunteer Application
All volunteers must complete a volunteer application. Email [email protected] to receive the volunteer application and to ask any questions about volunteering you have. After completing the application, we ask that you send it back by mailing, scanning or faxing.
Background Check
For the protection of the wish families and the Foundation itself, we run an extensive background check on all staff and volunteers. Make-A-Wish volunteers are routinely trusted to work directly with our wish families and may handle Make-A-Wish resources (including money or donated goods) as they arrange wishes or volunteer at events. Once your application has been received, we will email you a link to complete your background check.
Online Trainings
Pending the results of your background check, we will set you up with a Make-A-Wish University account. An email including your username and password will be sent to you. You have two weeks to complete the online trainings.
Meet and Greet
Once the online trainings have been completed, the Volunteer Engagement Coordinator will set up a virtual meeting or phone call to introduce you to Make-A-Wish Iowa, answer any questions you have and discuss next steps for wish granters.
Maintaining Active Status
All volunteers are expected to sign our Conflict of Interest form annually and submit a background check every three years. Volunteers will be contacted by the Volunteer Engagement Coordinator to complete these requirements.