Make-A-Wish Illinois

At Make-A-Wish® Illinois, our mission is to create life-changing wishes for every child with a critical illness and create an impactful wish journey for them.

Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Nearly 40 years ago, the inspiration for Make-A-Wish began with one little boy’s wish to be a police officer. Today, together with our volunteers, donors, staff and supporters, Make-A-Wish Illinois has granted more than 17,000 life-changing wishes and transformed countless lives. We typically serve over 700 children per year with the goal to double our impact across our communities. The diversity of our team of staff and volunteers, and our board, are of critical importance for us as it positions us to reach every child eligible for a wish with an equitable, high quality and impactful wish experience.

The Illinois chapter of Make-A-Wish is one of the largest chapters in the Make-A-Wish enterprise. It has a reputation for being an innovator and often is a collaborator on national opportunities, co-creating solutions for all chapters to adopt.