List of Wish Granting Organizations

By Lori Alma | Updated October 05, 2018
Doctor with patient and family
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There are many local, national, and international charitable organizations dedicated to doing special things for people with the chronic or life-threatening illness. Most of the organizations focus on children, but some of them provide services to adults. If you are looking for help making a dream come true, try one of these major national organizations.

Wishes for Children

  1. Make-A-Wish Foundation
    1. Make-A-Wish Foundation is the largest and most well-known wish-granting organization in the United States. The foundation has granted more than 160,000 wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses in the United States since 1980, and even more worldwide. Make-A-Wish serves children between the ages of 2 ½ and 18.
  2. Dream Factory, Inc.
    1. The Dream Factory is the second largest wish-granting organization in the United States. Also started in 1980, the Dream Factory has granted more than 25,000 wishes to chronically ill children between the ages of 3 and 18.
  3. A Special Wish Foundation
    1. The third largest wish-granting organization in the United States is A Special Wish Foundation. The organization grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses. With 17 branches in the United States and one in Russia, A Special Wish has served children from birth to age 21 since 1982.
  4. Children’s Wish Foundation International, Inc.
    1. Children’s Wish Foundation has only one office but grants wishes to children worldwide. Since 1985, the foundation has been granting wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses from birth to age 18.
  1. Kids Wish Network
    1. The Kids Wish Network, an organization that started in 1997, grants wishes to children ages 3-18 who have life-threatening medical conditions. In addition, to wish granting, the Kids Wish Network also provides gifts to children’s hospitals at holiday time and helps fund funeral arrangements for children under the age of 21.

Wishes for Adults

  1. Dream Foundation
    1. In 1994, The Dream Foundation became the first organization to grant wishes to terminally ill adults. Now also the largest adult wish-granting organization, they serve people between the ages of 18 and 65.
  2. Fairygodmother Foundation
    1. The Fairygodmother Foundation is a small national organization that has been granting wishes to terminally ill adults nationwide since 1998. They serve people over the age of 18 who are expected to have one year or less to live.
  3. Her Heart’s Wish
    1. Her Heart’s Wish began in 1999, and grants wishes exclusively to women age 18 and over who are expected to have less than two years to live.
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