I wish to go horseback riding
Ian, 4, Colombia
leukemia
Our Research
Our Commitment to Research
At Make-A-Wish, we believe in leveraging evidence-based practices to guide us towards achieving our vision of granting the wish of every eligible child. This research-driven approach allows us to continually improve our programs and ensure that every wish granted provides the greatest possible benefit to children facing critical illnesses.
Prevalence and Incidence Research
In 2024, our Prevalence and Incidence research, allowed us for the first time to accurately estimate the number of children across our Affiliate countries and territories who are eligible for a wish. This landmark research will be used to inform growth plans and strategies, identify potentially underserved populations, guide medical outreach, anticipate wish demand and to underscore our need for support.
Theory of Change Research
Make-A-Wish International’s Global Theory of Change model was developed to help understand and measure the impact of wish-granting on children with critical illnesses and their families. This research identifies the outcomes of wish granting to show how meaningful change is created and to maximize the positive impact of wishes. The methodology involved a literature review and a large-scale survey of wish families to gather data on the impact of wish granting and results were published in the peer-reviewed journal, Children.