There are many wish granting organizations for children and adults with disabilities. Many of these programs fund life changing experiences at no cost to families or the individual receiving the wish. If you’re interested in learning more about wish foundations, these are some of the more well known organizations available.
Wish Granting Organizations for Children:
Make-A-Wish Foundation:
Make-A-Wish is the most well known organization. They grant wishes to children who are 2.5-18 years of age. Anyone can refer them for the wish (parent, teacher, doctor, friend, etc…) But there is a form that needs to be filled out by the child’s physician to prove medical necessity. They grant wishes that range from theme park trips, celebrity meet-and-greets, special vacations, and so much more.
Dream Factory:
The Dream Factory is available in 19 states. In order to receive a wish you need to live within 50 miles of one of their 35 chapters they have nationwide. They provide a wide range of wish opportunities, and you cannot have received a wish from another organization in order to apply. Your child must be 3-18, and have a critical illness proven by a physician. Visit their site for more details.
Sunshine Foundation:
The Sunshine Foundation is probably the most inclusive organization for wish granting. They provide wishes for children with critical illness, who have suffered abuse, or have a long-term disability. They are a great option to look into if you have been denied by other wish organizations. The main wish they grant is a weeklong trip to Florida to visit the major theme parks. They provide alternative wishes up to $2,000 if you choose to not do the theme park trip. The major hurdle is that there is a six year wait list from the time you’re approved.
Children’s Wish Foundation:
The Children’s Wish Foundation International Inc, provides wishes to children 0-18. They might be one of the biggest wish granting organizations, providing up to 300,000 wishes worldwide each year. Your child must have a life threatening illness and not have received a wish from another organization in order to qualify.
Kids Wish Network:
The Kids Wish Network provides wishes to children all across the United States who are ages 3-18. The child must have a life threatening medical condition, or have faced a life-altering circumstance. They also provide holiday gifts to under privilege children, and fund funeral expenses for children who pass away under the age of 21.
Wish Granting Organizations for Adults:
Cameron Siemers Foundation for Hope:
This grant provides young adults ages 18-30 with a life-threatening illness a $5,000 grant to fulfill any wish, dream, or trip they would like to experience. See their website for full details and more information on how to apply.
Second Wind Dreams:
Provides dreams to individuals over the age of 18. Their website doesn’t give a ton of details about specific criteria, but their mission is to provide dreams to adults who are impacted by their health in one way or another. They’ve provided over 10,000 dreams since their inception in 1997. See their site for more details on how to apply.
Eternal Wish Foundation:
The Eternal Wish Foundation provides wishes to adults with physical disabilities and other chronic illnesses and conditions. The person must be able to medically verify their illness and their inability to fund the wish on their own.
This is just a small look at some of the wish foundations that serve people all across the United States. If you know of any other wish organizations, especially for adults living with physical or developmental disabilities, please let us know in the comments below!
