Make-A-Wish is the world’s largest wish-granting organization. It serves every local community in the United States and has chapters in the territories of Guam and Puerto Rico. The Guam Chapter services the islands of Guam, Rota, Tinian and Saipan. Make-A-Wish Guam & CNMI was established as a non-profit corporation since 1988. Wishes are categorized into 4 types: I Wish to Be, I Wish to Go, I Wish to Meet, I Wish to Have.  A fifth category is emerging with children often expressing that their wish is “to give”. Most Guam and CNMI Wishes involve travel and consequently cost more than other Wishes from other chapters. The Guam Chapter does not receive any government funds and operates solely through private donations, fundraising events and corporate contributions.

Make-A-Wish Guam uses every dollar the chapter receives to help them in their mission to grant wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy.  It manages and safeguards the generous contributions it receives from individual donors, corporations and other organizations. Their fundraising efforts, fiscal practices, and business operations are all designed to support a single purpose: to grant wishes that change lives.

MAKE-A-WISH PROCESS:

Step One: The Wish Referral

Out of respect for the privacy of the children and families the Make-A-Wish Foundation serves, a child can be referred for a wish by a number of sources: A medical professional treating the child (doctor, nurse, social worker, or child-specialist), the child’s parents or legal guardians, the potential wish child, and family members, provided family is aware of the referral.

Step Two: Determining the Child’s Eligibility

Children over the age of 2 ½ and under the age of 18 at the time of referral, who have been determined by a physician to have a life-threatening medical condition, may be eligible for a wish. The child’s physician makes the final determination of whether a child is medically eligible to receive a wish. Also, the child cannot have previously received a wish from another wish-granting organization
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Step Three: Choosing a Wish

After the physician confirms that the child is medically eligible to receive a wish, the child’s local Make-A-Wish chapter assigns a volunteer wish team to create a magical wish experience for the child. During the wish team’s visit, they ask the child what his or her one favorite wish is.

Step Four: Making a Wish Come True

After the child has determined his or her wish, the child’s wish granters and local Make-A-Wish professionals work to create it. Every effort is made to involve each member of the child’s immediate family in the wish experience. Quite often, the impact of a wish experience will touch the lives of dozens, sometimes hundreds of people who help to fulfill a child’s wish.


**Updated as of 07/20/2022**