Make- A- Wish Foundation of America
501(c)(3) Donations tax-deductible
66% goes to programs $22 to raise $100 Strong reserves Growing revenue
Make- A- Wish Foundation of America is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Phoenix, Arizona, registered in 1986, with $130,963,023 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 66% of spending to programs.
1702 E Highland Ave Ste 400, Phoenix, AZ, 85016 EIN 86-0481941 Since 1986
Revenue (FY2023)
$131.0M
▼ 3.2% vs prior year
Expenses (FY2023)
$125.5M
Net assets
$79.4M
Employees
298
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A
BProgram efficiency40% of the rating66% to programs · $22 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Make- A- Wish Foundation of America: 66% to programs · $22 to raise $100 earns a B on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
AFinancial health25% of the rating8 mo reserves · +4% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Make- A- Wish Foundation of America: 8 mo reserves · +4% margin earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Make- A- Wish Foundation of America: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
ATransparency10% of the rating4 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Make- A- Wish Foundation of America: 4 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.
Contact & location
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $77.7M (FY2013) to $131.0M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2023)
Liabilities $37.4MNet assets $79.4M
Operating margin
4.1%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$116.7M
Total liabilities
$37.4M
Net assets
$79.4M
Salaries & benefits
$29.5M
24% of expenses
Board members
22
22 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $130,963,023▼3.2% | $125,537,455▲0.8% | $79,387,746▲11.9% | $116,748,112▲8.9% | 990 |
| 2022 | $135,276,222▲5.2% | $124,505,937▲9.0% | $70,956,065▲21.7% | $107,210,146▲13.2% | 990 |
| 2021 | $128,554,773▲13.1% | $114,222,733▲0.8% | $58,310,293▲12.3% | $94,735,350▲9.2% | 990 |
| 2020 | $113,692,927▲7.7% | $113,291,029▲8.2% | $51,941,484▲11.5% | $86,732,088▲1.8% | 990 |
| 2019 | $105,594,128▲0.9% | $104,660,650▲4.3% | $46,581,084▲2.7% | $85,206,772▲13.5% | 990 |
| 2018 | $104,697,150▲8.0% | $100,347,253▼1.4% | $45,337,370▲4.6% | $75,083,885▼3.2% | 990 |
| 2017 | $96,909,381▼2.2% | $101,794,808▲7.5% | $43,331,495▼8.2% | $77,553,013▲4.9% | 990 |
| 2016 | $99,041,699▲4.6% | $94,693,870▲4.9% | $47,201,102▲12.3% | $73,917,400▲42.9% | 990 |
| 2015 | $94,677,961▲16.6% | $90,257,488▲7.7% | $42,028,913▲4.0% | $51,732,680▲2.8% | 990 |
| 2014 | $81,180,580▲4.5% | $83,779,915▲11.7% | $40,412,607▼10.1% | $50,311,162▼7.3% | 990 |
| 2013 | $77,717,411 | $75,002,696▲8.8% | $44,933,604▲9.6% | $54,288,049▲9.0% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $68,937,818▲5.9% | $41,004,770▼2.4% | $49,808,079▼0.2% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $65,125,802▲6.9% | $41,994,189▲1.3% | $49,902,654 | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $60,950,314▲4.5% | $41,459,329▲15.1% | $49,901,767▲18.4% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $58,332,840 | $36,021,386 | $42,129,176 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2023)
Highest-paid: Leslie Motter — $657,331 (0.52% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leslie Motter | President & Ceo | 40 | $657,331 |
| Thomas Parker | Cto (thru 4/2024) | 40 | $344,535 |
| Amy Brindley | Ccao (thru 8/2024) | 40 | $318,327 |
| Luann Bott | Crpso (thru 8/2024) | 40 | $316,624 |
| Teresa Duran | Cio (thru 3/2024) | 40 | $307,665 |
| Cathleen Paugh | Chief Financial Officer/treasurer | 40 | $297,806 |
| Frances Hall | Chief Mission Officer | 40 | $293,158 |
| Janell Holas | Chief Brand Advancement Officer | 40 | $290,006 |
| Terri Foulks | Chief People Officer | 40 | $268,882 |
| Karen Wells | Chief Operating Officer | 40 | $249,083 |
| Brian Powell | Sd, Leadership & Planned Giving | 40 | $223,517 |
| Florenda Newton | Sd, Corporate Alliances | 40 | $222,920 |
| Kristie Kirschner | Sd, Ch Revenue Svs (thru 2/2024) | 40 | $221,255 |
| Adam Faircloth | Cifo | 40 | $213,277 |
| Yvonne Moss | Chief Legal Officer/ Secretary | 40 | $196,433 |
| Jared Perry | Chief Revenue Officer | 40 | $179,371 |
| Amy Waldron | Director | 2 | — |
| Carlos Cata | Director (thru 11/2023) | 2 | — |
| Cheryl Heinonen | Director | 2 | — |
| Chris Beard | Director (thru 11/2023) | 2 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2023)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Thompson Habib & Denison Inc | Digital Media Services | $7,358,584 |
| Southwest Publishing & Mailing | Mailing Services | $2,716,101 |
| Missionwired | Digital Media Services | $2,149,755 |
| Cliftonlarsonallen LLP | Accounting Services | $1,892,850 |
| West Monroe Holdings LLC | It Consulting Services | $905,000 |
Grants received · $34.4M total
246 grants to Make- A- Wish Foundation of America totaling $34.4M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $793,112 |
| Paypal Charitable Giving Fund | General support | 2024 | $372,956 |
| The Us Charitable Gift Trust | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2024 | $267,781 |
| Austin Community Foundation | General support | 2024 | $187,271 |
| Charities Aid Foundation America | Charitable donation | 2024 | $163,948 |
| The Albertsons Companies Foundation | Other | 2024 | $162,953 |
| Car Donation Foundation | General support | 2024 | $125,000 |
| Greater Horizons | Health, medicine & science | 2024 | $47,853 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2024 | $32,500 |
| Ayco Charitable Foundation | Community & human services | 2024 | $30,250 |
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Community & human services | 2024 | $26,000 |
| Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro Inc | General support | 2024 | $25,950 |
| Jewish Communal Fund | In furtherance of grantee's tax-exempt purpose | 2024 | $21,880 |
| Network For Good Inc | Unrestricted | 2024 | $21,785 |
| National Christian Charitable Foundation | Giving and generosity | 2024 | $21,500 |
Grants made · $54.4M in FY2023
59 grants totaling $54.4M in FY2023 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by Make- A- Wish Foundation of America →
Frequently asked questions
- Is Make- A- Wish Foundation of America a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Make- A- Wish Foundation of America is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 86-0481941, based in Phoenix, Arizona. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Make- A- Wish Foundation of America's EIN?
- Make- A- Wish Foundation of America's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 86-0481941.
- How much revenue does Make- A- Wish Foundation of America report?
- Make- A- Wish Foundation of America reported $130,963,023 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2023 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Make- A- Wish Foundation of America's spending goes to programs?
- Make- A- Wish Foundation of America spends about 66% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Make- A- Wish Foundation of America have?
- CharityIndex grades Make- A- Wish Foundation of America A, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Make- A- Wish Foundation of America's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Make- A- Wish Foundation of America's latest Form 990 is $657,331, paid to Leslie Motter (President & Ceo).
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Data for Make- A- Wish Foundation of America (EIN 86-0481941) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.