Thank you for your interest in getting your students/ youth group members involved in fundraising for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Los Angeles! Teachers are a crucial part of the success of the Kids For Wish Kids programs.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. I want to start Kids For Wish Kids club at my school. What do I do?
The first step is to check with your school's administration to be sure that you can start a new club. Then, contact Alicia at the Make-A-Wish office to let her know about your enthusiasm so she can help by providing materials you may need to get started. It helps to identify students who might be enthusiastic about the program and who can be influential in recruiting others to be involved. Once you've identified students, hold a meeting with these students to explain the new opportunity and what it would mean for them to be a part of it. Then it's a matter of holding regular meetings and planning/executing fundraisers for the Foundation. The Make-A-Wish staff is always available to answer questions and offer ideas, so do not hesitate to ask!
Q. I want to get my students involved in fundraising for Make-A-Wish, but we are not allowed to start a new club. Is there a way we can still be involved?
Absolutely! Many teachers create classroom fundraising projects as part of a lesson plan or as part of an existing group such as ASB. Some teachers have done collections as part of lessons on money management or counting. Others have done bake sales as a classroom teamwork project. The best thing about Kids For Wish Kids is that you can choose the project that works best for you, we do not have requirements for how big or small a fundraiser must be. You can also form a team for our Walk For Wishes event and encourage your students to participate, fundraise together and walk together at the event. Learn more information about the Walk For Wishes.
Q. My students want to meet the wish child. How soon can we arrange that meeting?
A. Due to the high costs associated with granting a child's wish, the minimum amount to be assigned to a specific wish child is $2,500. If your students raise $2,500, you can be assigned a child whose wish you can make come true. While we can tell you stories about the wish that you granted and most likely send you photos, we cannot guarantee that a school group can meet the child whose wish they made come true. This is due to the treatment schedules our children have as well as the fact that sometimes our children are too shy to meet the group of students who sponsored their wish.
Q. My students want to adopt a wish, but we don't think we can raise $2,500 in one fundraiser. Can we combine fundraising totals?
A. Yes - absolutely. Many of our adopt-a-wish schools set the $2,500 as a school year-long fundraising goal. They hold fundraisers throughout the school year in the hopes of raising a combined total of $2,500. Once they raise $2,500, they send in their check and we assign them a wish. The fundraising totals must be from the same school year so that the students involved in the fundraising can be involved in the donation process.
For 3 straight years, Calmont school has participated in Kids For Wish Kids through various school fundraisers. We believe strongly in community service and in the wonderful work that Make-A-Wish does every day. Calmont School works to teach children stewardship and support of the community around us, and our relationship with Make-A-Wish is one we treasure. The organization has worked with Calmont School to have the children whose wish we granted come visit our school so the children can see where their time, dedication and support goes. It also gives the family of the wish child an opportunity to come say thank- you to the school for what we did. It is a wonderful relationship and one that will last for a long time"
- Jimmy Cinnamo, 3rd Grade Teacher at Calmont School
For more information about getting your school involved, please contact Alicia at 310-788-9474.