Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Tri-Counties, Inc.
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?
Wish Granting
We grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
Infinite Wish Award - Make-A-Wish America 2019
External reviews

Photos
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
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?
It\u0027s our vision to grant a wish to every eligible child in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties, but we can\u0027t do this important work alone. We need your help!
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We have hired key staff to drive quality programs and diversify revenue streams while also focusing our efforts on areas we believe offer the greatest opportunity for growth including planned, major, corporate and annual giving, as well as special events.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Make-A-Wish Tri-Counties has a staff of 7 dedicated individuals who serve in a number of roles supporting, wish-granting, volunteer management, operations and fundraising. We successfully raise funds year-round through individual donations, corporate and foundation grants, email and direct mail marketing campaigns, special events and seek in-kind donations of goods and services to support wishes. \n\nMake-A-Wish Tri-Counties has been granting wishes for over 36 years and expects to continue granting wishes to critically ill children well into the future. Our chapter has increased wish granting and fundraising year over year and is the only wish-granting organization in our local community. No eligible child has ever been turned away and families do not pay for any portion of the wish. \n\nWe have granted over 2,000 wishes since our inception. Of every dollar raised, over $.77 goes directly towards granting a wish for a local child. Our success is due to our dedicated staff, connected board members, over 120 steadfast volunteers, and a diverse and balanced fundraising program.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Each year we are advancing toward our vision of being able to make every eligible child\u0027s wish come true and increase our fundraising efforts each year to deliver life-changing wishes.\n\nA national study showed the wish experience can enhance a child\u0027s social, mental, and physical health, often providing a turning point in the battle against illness. It also helps parents feel less isolated and it strengthens the family as a whole. More results below:\n\nImproved Health Status and State of Mind:\n\uF0A7 96% of parents and health professionals observe increases in the child\u0027s emotional health.\n\uF0A7 89% of nurses, doctors, and social workers believe that the wish experience can influence wish children\u0027s physical health.\n\uF0A7 89% noticed an increased willingness for the child to work toward getting better\n\uF0A7 81% of parents observed an increased willingness to comply with treatments.\n\uF0A7 74% saw the wish as a positive turning point in the child\u0027s battle against their illness.\n\uF0A7 97% of parents said the wish experience strengthened their families.\n\uF0A7 92% saw their children feel re-empowered in their lives after the wish.\n\uF0A7 84% observed a decrease in their child\u0027s anxieties or depression.
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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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
Children with critically ill children who are medically qualified for a wish. We serve both the Wish Kids and their familes.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Paper surveys, Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person),
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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 strengthen relationships with the people we serve,
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
Developed a regular electronic Wish Kid and Family newsletter to improve communications, share updated wish information and share wish stories.
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
Our staff, Our board,
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How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?
We review feedback with program staff and strive to improve based on constituent feedback to ensure a high-quality and meaningful wish experience.
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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 act on the feedback we receive,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time,
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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- 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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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Tri-Counties, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 01/25/2023
Robert Purcell
Talend
Term: 2020 - 2024
Dore Baker
Aviara Real Estate
Jeff Gould
Linneage Asset Advisors
Krista Shue
Self-employed
Andrea Light
Vaco
Jason Amoroso
Amoroso Co.
Kacey Moore
MyOvant
Dr. Francisco Bracho M.D.
Medical Advisor - VCMC
Suzanne Pawlak
Disney
Chris Hagemann
Yamaha Guitar Gorup - Line 6
Kari Smith
Deloitte & Touche
Tim Dadik
Berkeley One
Chris Aye
Solace Capital Partners
Julie Hayes
Truist
Aubrey Kelly
Rabble Health
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? Not applicable
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:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data