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MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION OF METRO NEW YORK AND WESTERN NEW YORK
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 112645641 · Form 990 · FY2024 · Large ($10M-$50M) · wish.org
revenue
$19.3M
expenses
$17.3M
net assets
$25.6M
employees
73
volunteers
1,163
program ratio
65%
mission · from form 990

TOGETHER, WE CREATE LIFE CHANGING WISHES FOR CHILDREN WITH CRITICAL ILLNESSES.

profile · synthesized from sources

Grants wishes to children with critical illnesses in the Metro New York and Western New York regions. The organization creates life-changing experiences by fulfilling individual wishes, aiming to improve emotional and physical well-being during treatment. Operates through local chapters and relies on donations and volunteer support.

named programs · 2 · from sources

What they call their work

Starblazer Awards
Recognizes wish alumni who are making a positive impact in the world; honors their achievements annually
Wish Granting
Core program that fulfills individualized wishes for children with critical illnesses in the Metro New York and Western New York regions
activities · 4 groups

What they do

  • Granting Wishes to Seriously Ill Children 1 activity
    • Create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses
      Grants individualized wishes to children diagnosed with critical illnesses, providing transformative experiences intended to improve emotional and psychological well-being. The organization has granted over 650,000 wishes globally and fulfilled 302 wishes in a single week, demonstrating ongoing, large-scale wish fulfillment operations.
  • Facility-Based Service Delivery 1 activity
    • Operate regional offices to deliver wish services in New York
      Maintains a headquarters in New York, NY and regional offices in Melville (Long Island), Amherst (Buffalo), and Pittsford (Rochester) to support localized delivery of wish-granting services across Metro and Western New York.
  • Charity Event Organization 1 activity
    • Organize events and volunteer programs to support wish fulfillment
      Hosts community-based events such as walks and galas, and coordinates volunteer opportunities across New York to raise awareness and resources for the wish-granting mission.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Conduct research on the impact of wishes on children and families
      Conducts empirical studies to evaluate the psychosocial and medical impact of wish fulfillment, including a 2010 study and an expanded 2022 initiative that gathered data from children, parents, and medical professionals to assess outcomes such as stress reduction and treatment outlook.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$19.29M
Contributions & grants$17.00M88%
Program service revenue$153K1%
Investment income$2.47M13%
Other revenue$-330K
expenses
Total expenses$17.30M
Program expenses65%
Admin / overhead17%
Fundraising18%
Salaries & benefits$7.64M
Grants paid out$6.59M
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$31.51M
Cash$1.04M
Investments$19.62M
Liabilities$5.88M
Net assets$25.63M
Liquid reserves14.3 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +42.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 10
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
PHILIP LUSSIER CEO (THRU 3/31/25) 35 $406K
MAUREEN FITZGERALD CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER 35 $247K
GINA FLORESCU CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER (THRU 6/2/25) 35 $230K
WHITNEY REICHENBACKER VIGGIANO CFO 35 $206K
ANIKA DAUGHTRY CHIEF MISSIONS OFFICER 35 $199K
BENJAMIN MARCHIONE REGIONAL DIR. WESTERN NY 35 $158K
LEIGHANN BUSCEMI DR. SIG. EVENT AND BOARD ENGT. 35 $149K
ELIZABETH SYSLO DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC AND PHIL. PRTNSPS. 35 $146K
WESLEY ALEXANDER DIRECTOR, DATA AND TECHNOLOGY 35 $127K
DIANA LOPEZ DIRECTOR, MISSION SUPPORT 35 $120K
board members · 14
  • ANDRIA TRINIDAD — TREASURER
  • ANNMARIE IMPARATO — SECRETARY
  • ARTURO POIRE — DIRECTOR
  • BRIAN DONAGHY — DIRECTOR
  • EMMA FINE — DIRECTOR
  • FRED GIBBONS — DIRECTOR (AS OF 1/28/25)
  • JACLYN COHEN — DIRECTOR
  • JAMES GALOWSKI — DIRECTOR (THRU 1/15/25)
  • JAMES O'DONNELL — DIRECTOR (AS OF 10/29/24)
  • JOHN CORTESE — VICE CHAIR
  • JULIA BUNYATOV-GODDARD — DIRECTOR
  • LILIAN ZHOU — DIRECTOR (AS OF 4/22/25)
  • MARGIE TAN — DIRECTOR (AS OF 10/29/24)
  • MARIE ARRIGO — DIRECTOR
relationships · 2

Who they work with

  • ESPN Partner — Collaborates on the "My Wish" series featured on SportsCenter to share wish stories.
  • Medical professionals Partner — Engaged as participants in expanded research on the impact of wishes.
strategies · 1

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Wish Experience as Complementary Care
    methodology: wish-experience-as-complementary-care
    By fulfilling individualized wishes, the organization addresses emotional and psychological needs that medical treatments alone cannot meet, thereby enhancing holistic well-being and resilience in children facing critical illnesses.