When
the Make-A-Wish Foundation® was founded – from the granting of
the very first wish – the
business community became a strong supporter of the Make-A-Wish®
mission. As time went on and the business community continued to support the
Foundation through corporate grants and donations, the employees of these
organizations asked how they could become involved in making wishes come
true. At first the fund raisers were as simple as a payday collection or a
bake sale, while still others were as involved as a company-wide cookbook.
When we began to share some of these fun and original fund raising ideas
with other companies, the program, aptly named WISHMAKERS®
AT WORK, was born.
WISHMAKERS
AT WORK
enables employees of a company or business to join together and design a
fund raising event or an ongoing workplace campaign that fits the needs of
their particular work environment. We are constantly amazed and delighted at
the variety of ways in which employees raise money. Staff support from the
Make-A-Wish Foundation is always available, and this site is full of
ideas, one of which might be right for your company.
If
you would like to begin a WISHMAKERS®
AT WORK program, we would be happy to help. Here are some tips to get started:
Invite
a Make-A-Wish® representative to talk to the employees or staff
at your company.
We
have speakers, informational videos and lots of photos of our wish children. Once
employees find out about the Make-A-Wish Foundation®
and see the smiles a wish can bring to a child’s face, they are usually
eager to become involved.
This
is an important step. An
organized, enthusiastic person will keep the project on track. If you’re
planning to do several fund raisers over a period of time, consider forming
a Make-A-Wish®
committee.
This
is a great way to keep everyone working toward your fund raising goal. We
can provide you with your own personalized thermometer chart. It’s a great
morale booster to see how you’re progressing toward your goal.
This
is a great way to get more people involved in your fund raiser. The more
people involved, the more fun it can be and the more successful your fund
raiser will be.
While
the Make-A-Wish Foundation® is not a United Way agency, we do
participate in its Contributor’s Choice program that is available at most
United Way offices. Consider designating the Make-A-Wish Foundation for your
United Way donation. For the United Way, our
Contributor’s Choice code is #913. Contact your
local United Way office or call the Make-A-Wish Foundation at 1-631-585-WISH
for more information.
Federal
and state government employees may also contribute to the Foundation. The
Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) Make-A-Wish® designated code is
#3059. Contact your local SECA campaign representative for the Foundation’s
State Employee Combined Appeal (SECA) code.
Among
the perks offered by many medium and large-sized companies is a matching gifts
program. Matching gifts are not just for higher education any more. A wider
range of non-profits are eligible for them. Contact your company’s human
resource department to see if the Make-A-Wish Foundation qualifies for a
company matched gift. This is a great opportunity to increase and even double
your collective contribution.
Instead of sending a promotional or holiday gift to each of your customers, send a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation in the name of that special person. A minimum of $10 per gift is suggested. We will send a letter to your clients telling them of your generosity and the wish(es) that the contribution helped to grant.
Ever
feel like wearing jeans to work? Pay to wear casual clothes for a day—or a
week!
Does
your company provide coffee or soda free of charge? If so, consider collecting
a donation of 25˘ by placing a contribution basket next to the coffeepot.
You’d be surprised how quickly those quarters add up!
Each
payday, collect a donation from everyone and send the money to the Make-A-Wish
Foundation®. Or consider a payroll deduction program.
Does
anyone at your company knit, sew, paint, do woodwork, or make holiday
ornaments? Tap into the creative talents of your fellow workers for a pre-holiday
craft show and sale.
Every
Friday, a different department or team brings in homemade baked goods to sell
at lunch.
The
favorite recipe of each employee is compiled into a cookbook. Sell to friends
and co-workers.
One
department or team prepares lunch for the entire office and charges for each
lunch. Consider salads or deli trays as well.
Turn your annual picnic into a fund raiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation®.
The senior management of one local company sat in a dunking tank at the
company picnic. Another company raised money through a “pie in the face”
event.
Hold
a contest to identify your fellow employees using their baby pictures. Try to
include pictures from a wide group of employees or consider gathering baby
pictures of the senior management team. Sell chances to guess which baby is
which!
After
all the bake sales and candy sales, this idea will be popular and healthy!
Each dieter contributes weekly, and the winner (or in this case, the biggest
loser) splits the money with the Foundation.
Plan a company-wide dance. Oldies, big band, disco and Western themes are always popular.
This
is the easiest and most popular way to get your fund raising started. Choose a
raffle ticket price. Decide, for example, that each ticket will cost $1. Then
50%, or 50˘ of each dollar, is awarded to the winning ticket holder, and the
other 50˘ goes to Make-A-Wish.
Raffle
off a gift certificate from a local restaurant,
hotel or business for lunch, dinner, lodging, or special services, such as a
facial or car detailing. We will provide you with a letter to use to announce
your fund raiser and ask for support.
Baskets
of cheer, baskets for golfers and gardeners, or beauty and bath packages have
all been successful. Choose a theme and ask employees to donate one item. Then
combine all the items to make a spectacularly full gift basket. These baskets
can be raffled off through purchased tickets. If you work for a mid- to
large-size company, consider having each employee team or department donate a
theme basket for the raffle. Display the baskets in a central location or
lobby. (This has been one of our most successful fundraisers!)
Raffle
off an extra day of vacation.
Sell
chances for free parking in the President’s spot for one week.
Raffle
free lunch coupons for a week at the employee cafeteria.
Arrange
for a group outing at a golf course or tennis court. Charge anl amount
over the actual price per player to participate and donate that amount.
Charge
an entry fee to participate in a day of fun field events. Form teams, collect
pledges from friends and family and compete against each other in events such
as an obstacle course, sack race and tug-of-war contest.
Have
a contest between different departments at your local bowling alley. Another
idea is to take pledges for each pin knocked over.
If
you don’t have a regular team, put together a special team to challenge
another group or division. Consider approaching a local radio station, many of
which have their own softball teams and will play for charity.
Take
pledges for fellow employees when they run a local or regional race or
marathon.
Wrap
holiday presents for fellow employees – this is great for those last minute
shoppers.
Sell our Make-A-Wish holiday cut-outs for $1 - fill a wall or decorate a tree with them to measure your progress! Each decoration will have a space to write a person's name.
Before
holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Easter or Halloween, contact a candy
company and arrange to purchase candy from them. Take orders from your friends
and family and sell the candy at a profit.
You
provide the materials: basic straw hats, cardboard, (even paper plates), plus
artificial flowers, feathers, construction paper, scissors, ribbons and glue.
Everyone pays a fee to enter. Award prizes (cash or donated items) for the
prettiest, funniest or most original.
Employees
can decorate a room with fake cobwebs, bats and pumpkins. Serve cupcakes or
cider and doughnuts. Everyone pays admission. Include a costume contest.
Purchase
a magnificent holiday centerpiece, or let your most artistic employee create
one. Put it in a prominent place as an office decoration prior to the
holidays and have employees buy raffle tickets for it. Draw the winning ticket
on the day before the
holiday break.
Does
anyone at your company knit, sew, paint, do woodwork, or make holiday
ornaments? Tap into the creative talents of your fellow workers for a pre-holiday
craft show and sale.
Any company that participates in Wishmakers® at Work receives a certificate of appreciation and a personal thank-you letter. Contributors of $500 or more are listed in our quarterly newsletter. Wishmaker® contributors – those giving $5,700 or more (the average cost of a wish) – are featured in our quarterly newsletter, given a special appreciation gift commemorating their total sponsorship of a wish.