Statements
Mission
Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.
Background
It all started with one wish... In 1980, seven-year-old Chris had one wish: to be a police officer. Unlike most children, who have plenty of time to realize their dreams, Chris was battling leukemia and his prognosis was not good. Chris was sworn in as the first and only honorary officer in Arizona history, presented with an official badge and given a helicopter tour of Phoenix by his fellow officers. It wasn't just that he got to be a police officer; Chris' wish gave him back what the illness had taken away: hope, strength and joy. Our Middle Tennessee chapter was established in 2000, and our roots were from the local organization, DreamMakers. To date, we are one of 60 chapters under the national Make-A-Wish America, which now grants a wish every 34 minutes, and has granted more than 315,000 wishes in its 35+ years of granting wishes. The Make-A-Wish brand is one of only three non-profits recognized as one of 'America's 100 Greatest Brands' and has been cited by Good Housekeeping as one of America's 'Best Charities For Kids.'
Impact
Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee grants the wishes of children between the ages of 2-1/2 and 18 in 38 counties throughout Middle Tennessee. Our goal is to grant every eligible child's wish. Since inception, our chapter has granted more than 1,700 wishes in Middle Tennessee. We hope to continue outreach efforts to increase wish referrals and awareness so that more wish kids, donors, families, volunteers, and friends can share the power of a wish. Significant accomplishments: Granted more than 1,700 wishesRecognized by the Make-A-Wish Foundation as a Chapter of Excellence and presented with the Infinite Wish Award in 2008 and 2015, for Excellence in Fundraising every year from 2009 to 2016 and 2018, for Outstanding Mission Performance in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2018.Salute to Excellence SunTrust CFO of the Year for Finance Director Dianna MurphyIn 2017, CEO Beth Torres was named among Nashville Business Journal's Most Admired CEOs and their Companies and Nashville Lifestyles' Women in Business, as well as the 2017 Hero of the Year by Nashville Young Leaders Council Goals for the coming year include: (1) To grant a minimum of 175 wishes to eligible Middle Tennessee children; (2) To expand our base of support throughout Middle Tennessee by securing funding support for every wish; (3) To focus on our strategic plan regarding outreach, board development, succession planning, and granting wishes to all of the estimated 250 children diagnosed each year with a life-threatening medical condition in our area; (4) Increase our Medical Outreach program.
Needs
1. We have an ongoing need for funding to grant wishes to children with critical illnesses in Middle Tennessee. The average cost of a wish is approximately $12,250. 2. We need frequent flier miles or loyalty points which help to keep travel costs and wish expenses down. 3. We need wish-granting volunteers, committee volunteers and board leaders committed to furthering the foundation's goals. 4. We need to build and maintain connections to the music community in Nashville to help us grant the wishes of children across the country who dream of meeting their favorite stars. 5. We need referrals from medical professionals, patients, and parents so that we can reach every child with a life-threatening illness in Middle Tennessee.
CEO Statement
Make-A-Wish's mission, to create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses, is very simple, but the impact of fulfilling this mission is amazingly profound and complex. Whether it's a room makeover or a trip to Hawaii, a wish gives innocence and strength back to children who bravely and routinely endure chemotherapy, tests, hospital visits, and pain. Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight a critical illness. This may improve their quality of life and produce better health outcomes. Every year around 250 children in this area receive a diagnosis making them eligible for a wish. Wish families are your friends, neighbors and relatives. Donors can have an almost immediate impact on a real child, or several children, with names and faces, who want to go somewhere, meet someone, be something, or have something that enriches their lives and distracts them from the challenge of living with their illness. Wishes impact more than the wish kids. A wish transforms the lives of children, their families, volunteers, supporters, medical professionals and entire communities. It gives children renewed energy and strength, brings families closer together and unites communities. We hope you will help us transform lives, one wish at a time.
Board Chair Statement
In the summer of 2018, our staff granted almost 60 wishes in three months. Today, we have more kids in the pipeline than ever before. There are more than 200 kids right here in our community waiting for their wish. We know that these wishes make a difference. I have often said that giving a family a wish, gives them a chance to hit the pause button. A pause on all the fear, anxiety, and unknowns they are dealing with as a family. We are creating a community of support for our kids?these are all our kids. Thank you for helping us grant every wish in our pipeline. Together, we grant wishes. This year, my goal is to continue building our community of support and grant all eligible wishes. We are your Make-A-Wish. These kids are your kids- they are in our schools and in our churches. Together, we can give our wish kids something to look forward to. To grant more wishes, we need your help.
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Human Services - Children's and Youth Services |
| Secondary Category: | - |
| Tertiary Category: | - |
Areas Served
Make-A-Wish serves 38 counties in Middle Tennessee, granting over 140 wishes per year to children from the Cumberland Plateau to the Tennessee River.
| TN - Bedford |
| TN - Cannon |
| TN - Cheatham |
| TN - Clay |
| TN - Coffee |
| TN - Davidson |
| TN - DeKalb |
| TN - Dickson |
| TN - Fentress |
| TN - Giles |
| TN - Houston |
| TN - Jackson |
| TN - Lawrence |
| TN - Lincoln |
| TN - Macon |
| TN - Marshall |
| TN - Maury |
| TN - Montgomery |
| TN - Moore |
| TN - Overton |
| TN - Pickett |
| TN - Putnam |
| TN - Robertson |
| TN - Rutherford |
| TN - Smith |
| TN - Stewart |
| TN - Sumner |
| TN - Trousdale |
| TN - Van Buren |
| TN - Warren |
| TN - White |
| TN - Williamson |
| TN - Wilson |
| TN - Humphreys |
| TN - Perry |
| TN - Wayne |
| TN - Hickman |
| TN - Lewis |
