THE MARTY LYONS FOUNDATION INC
The Courage to Wish for More
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Mission
The Marty Lyons Foundation (MLF) was established in 1982 to fulfill the special wishes of children, ages three (3) to seventeen (17) years old, who have been diagnosed as having a terminal or life-threatening illness by providing and arranging special wish requests. We grant wishes today for a better tomorrow. We are unique in that we will grant a second wish to a deserving child.
Notes from the nonprofit
Marty Lyons was an NFL player for the NY Jets where he served for 12-years as a premiere defensive lineman. Early in his career, he befriended & became a Big Brother to a three-year-old boy, Keith, suffering from an advanced illness. In March of 1982, Mr. Lyons experienced a six day period filled with highs & lows; the birth of his first child, a healthy son; followed four days later by the sudden passing of his father, Leo; followed two days later by the passing of Keith. These experiences profoundly affected Marty’s attitude toward life, fame & his fellow human beings. Since then, we have kept the hope alive in the hearts of children with a terminal or life-threatening illness by making their special wishes come true! These wishes have the ability to sweep the children & their family away from the daily heartache of their illness. It is a joyous time which creates wonderful memories & promotes a better quality of life. Every child has a dream & we can make dreams become reality!
Ruling year
1984
Founder / Chairman
Mr. Marty Lyons
Executive Director
Mrs. Sandra White
Main address
105 Sweeneydale Ave.
Bay Shore, NY 11706 USA
EIN
13-3146696
NTEE code
Children's and Youth Services (P30)
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
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Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
1st Wish Program
We grant 1st wishes to children, ages 3-17, who have been diagnosed with a life-threatening or terminal illness as long as they live in or receive treatment in a state in which we are registered - AL, CT, MA, MD, VA, FL, GA, NC, SC, NY, NJ, PA & TX.
Wishes make a tremendous impact in the lives of both the wish children and their family members. As the father of a wish recipient writes: “These kids battling cancer and other diseases go through hell and the week at Disney, Universal, and other attractions really make an incredible difference in their lives and what many believe to be a difference in their outcomes.”
2nd Wish Program
We grant 2nd wishes to children, ages 3-17, who have been diagnosed with a life-threatening or terminal illness as long as they live in or receive treatment in a state in which we are registered - AL, CT, MA, MD, VA, FL, GA, NC, SC, NY, NJ, PA & TX. These wishes are granted under exceptional medical circumstances where the patient's condition has significantly worsened since the time of their 1st wish. We typically require 24 months between a child's first wish and second wish request.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
Frances Foundation 2022
Michael Magro Foundation 2022
Denis Barry Foundation 2006
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of Facebook followers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
People with diseases and illnesses
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
2023 total (3,986) is actually from August 1, 2024.
Number of Wishes Granted
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
People with diseases and illnesses
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Please note the lesser totals in 2020, 2021, and 2022 are a direct reflection of the limitations imposed from the COVID 19 pandemic. For calendar year 2023 (July 2023), we have granted 55 wishes.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
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Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The Marty Lyons Foundation grants wishes today for a better tomorrow. Through providing a wish experience to a child battling a critical illness, it is our goal to give that child the courage to wish for more. We hope that each family who comes through our doors are given loving memories to last a lifetime, a glimmer of hope and a bright light amidst very dark times in their lives.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Through offering both a 1st wish program and a 2nd wish program under exceptional medical circumstances, we hope to achieve the goal of taking a critically ill child's greatest wish and turning it into a reality.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Through the support of incredible donors and dedicated volunteers, we are able to grant one child's wish at a time. Our Foundation only operates with three paid fulltime employees to stretch every dollar donated to go directly back to the wishes. Leaning on the philanthropic individuals in the communities we serve allows us to make an incredible difference with a larger reach.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
2022 marks the Marty Lyons Foundation's 40th anniversary of granting wishes to children ages 3-17 diagnosed with a terminal or life-threatening illness. In that time, we have granted over 8100 wishes and raised over 37 million dollars. We have expanded from being headquartered in NY to have 10 chapters covering 13 states.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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THE MARTY LYONS FOUNDATION INC
Board of directorsas of 08/01/2024
Mr. Marty Lyons
The LandTek Group
Term: 1982 - 2025
Matthew Avellino
AC Risk Management
William Corbett, Jr.
Corbett Public Relations, Inc.
John DeFranza
HSBC Bank
Lynne D'Eramo
TaY Lifestyle Management
Steven Kuperschmid
Ruskin Moscou & Faltischek, P.C.
Warren Larkin
Denis Barry Foundation
Murray Legg
Legg Development Partners, LLC
George Lewis, Jr.
Law Office of George T. Lewis, Jr., P.C.
Dr. Jesse Lyons
Tidelands Health
Philip Lyons, Jr.
Richmond Hill Middle School
Dr. Rocky Lyons
River Region Family Medicine
Eileen Mayer
Taylor Rental
Cindy McLoughlin
CohnReznick LLP
Peter Michalewicz
Dr. Michael Miller
Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU
Brendan Murphy
Nasdaq
John Nitti
The LandTek Group
John Michael Nitti
Allvue Systems
Dr. Ernest Vomero
Northwell Health
Aaron Bookman
All Jersey Janitorial Service
Michael Brown
Empire Auto Group
Adam Forgione
Pennylane Productions
Scott Maskin
SUNation
Jake Brown
Secure Access & Digital Systems
Lucas Lyons
Lockheed Martin
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 07/13/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
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