Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington
Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington
Seattle WA | IRS ruling year: 1986 | EIN: 91-1329433
Organization Mission
Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.
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Seattle WA | IRS ruling year: 1986 | EIN: 91-1329433
Organization Mission
Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.
Great
This charity's score is 95%, earning it a Four-Star rating. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence.
This overall score is calculated from multiple beacon scores, weighted as follows: 80% Accountability & Finance, 10% Leadership & Adaptability, 10% Culture & Community. Learn more about our criteria and methodology.
We recognize that not all metrics and beacons equally predict a charity’s success. The percentage each beacon contributes to the organization’s overall rating depends on the number of beacons an organization has earned.
Use the tool below to select different beacons to see how the weighting shifts when only one, two, or three beacons are earned.
Charity Navigator's ratings previously did not consider Leadership & Adaptability, Culture & Community, or Impact & Results. The historic rating mainly reflects a version of today’s Accountability and Finance score. More information on our previous rating methodologies can be found on our rating methodology page.
Date Published | Overall Rating | ||
6/1/2021 | |||
12/1/2019 | |||
12/21/2018 | |||
2/1/2018 | |||
3/1/2017 | |||
6/1/2016 | |||
10/1/2015 | |||
This organization received multiple star ratings within this fiscal year, due to an update to its Accountability and Transparency data and/or the receipt of an amended Form 990. | |||
3/1/2015 | |||
12/20/2013 | |||
9/1/2012 | |||
6/1/2012 | |||
9/20/2011 | |||
11/1/2010 | |||
12/1/2009 | |||
10/1/2008 | |||
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8/1/2005 | |||
8/1/2004 | |||
11/1/2003 |
Score
Most Recent Fiscal Year:
FY 2022
This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies.
Learn more
Industry professionals strongly recommend an independent governing body to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters. We check to see that a majority of board members are identified as independent on their tax form.
Source: IRS Form 990
Industry professionals strongly recommend an independent governing body to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters. For most organizations, we check to see if the organization has at least three independent board members. For large, donor-funded organizations, we check to see if the organization has at least five independent board members
Source: IRS Form 990
An Audit, Review, or Compilation provides important information about financial accountability and accuracy. Organizations are scored based on their Total Revenue Amount:
Total Revenue Amount | Expectation to Receive Credit |
$2 million or higher and 40% or higher donor support | Expected to complete an audit and have an audit oversight committee |
$1 million or higher | Expected to complete an audit |
$500,000 - $1 million | Expected to complete an audit, review, or compilation |
Less than $500,000 | No expectation (removed from scoring methodology) |
Source: IRS Form 990
A diversion of assets — any unauthorized conversion or use of the organization's assets other than for the organization's authorized purposes, including but not limited to embezzlement or theft — also can seriously call into question a charity's financial integrity. We review the charity's most recent IRS Form 990 to see if the charity has reported any diversion of assets.
Source: IRS Form 990
Charity Navigator looks for a website on the IRS Form 990 as an accountability and transparency metric.
Nonprofits act in the public trust and reporting publicly on activities is an important component.
Source: IRS Form 990
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a conflict of interest policy on the IRS Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy protects the organization and by extension those it serves, when it is considering entering into a transaction that may benefit the private interest of an officer, director and/or key employee of the organization.
Source: IRS Form 990
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a whistleblower policy per the IRS Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy outlines procedures for handling employee complaints, as well as a confidential way for employees to report financial or other types of mismanagement.
Source: IRS Form 990
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a document retention and destruction policy per the IRS Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy establishes guidelines for the handling, backing up, archiving and destruction of documents. These guidelines foster good record keeping procedures that promote data integrity.
Source: IRS Form 990
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the IRS Form 990 that the organization has this process in place as an accountability and transparency measure.
An official record of the events that take place during a board meeting ensures that a contemporaneous document exists for future reference.
Source: IRS Form 990
Providing copies of the IRS Form 990 to the governing body prior to filing is considered a best practice, as it allows for thorough review by the individuals charged with overseeing the organization. The Form 990 asks the charity to disclose whether or not it has followed this best practice.
Making loans to related parties, such as key officers, staff, or Board members, is not standard practice in the sector as it diverts the charity's funds away from its charitable mission and can lead to real and perceived conflict-of-interest problems.
The IRS requires charities to disclose on their Form 990 any loans to or from current and former officers, directors, trustees, key employees, and other "disqualified persons." Some state laws go so far as to prohibit loans to board members and officers.
Although employees and trustees are permitted to make loans to charities, this practice can also result in real and/or perceived conflict of interest problems for the charity. Furthermore, it is problematic because it indicates that the organization is not financially secure. Our analysts check to see if any loans have been made.
For almost all charities, we check the charity's IRS Form 990 to see if it discloses that the Form 990 is available on the charity's website. As with the audited financial statement, donors need easy access to this financial report to help determine if the organization is managing its financial resources well.
Source: IRS Form 990
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent IRS Form 990). This ratio is an indicator of an organization's solvency and/or long-term sustainability.
Source: IRS Form 990
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three IRS Forms 990). This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver.
Source: IRS Form 990
The amount spent to raise $1 in charitable contributions. To calculate a charity's fundraising efficiency, we divide its average fundraising expenses by the average total contributions it receives. We calculate the charity's average expenses and average contributions over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Determines how long a charity could sustain its level of spending using its net available assets, or working capital, as reported on its most recently filed IRS Form 990. Dividing these net available assets in the most recent year by a charity's average total expenses, yields the working capital ratio. We calculate the charity's average total expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
Presented here are up to five of this organization's highest compensated employees. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses, and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting
Melissa Arias, President & Ceo
$232,455
Lauren Martin, Vp Advancement
$138,021
Jennifer Basinger, Chair
$0
Janet Braulio, Immediate Past Chair
$0
Bryan Adams, Treasurer
$0
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2022
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Foundation Status:
Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) (BMF foundation code: 15)
Affiliation:
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). (BMF affiliation code: 3)
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available). Simply enter the organization's name (Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington) or EIN (911329433) in the 'Search Term' field.
Not Currently Scored
Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington cannot currently be evaluated by our Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
Score
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves.
Learn more
Constituent Feedback and Listening Practice data are not available for this organization. The methodology leveraged for Constituent Feedback is based on The Core Principles of Constituent Feedback, which describes listening and responding well to feedback. Charity Navigator participates in a consortium with other feedback experts and leading nonprofit infrastructure platforms to drive Constituent Feedback's advancement, promotion, and data collection.
100% of beacon score
This organization's score of 81 is a passing score. The organization reported that it is implementing 5 Equity Practices.
This assessment demonstrates the importance of implementing practices that contribute positively to an organization's overall culture, both internally and with respect to community engagement. Furthermore, equity centered frameworks and similar approaches have drawn much attention from donors, experts, and sector leaders who underscore its value to the nonprofit's overall health and capacity for mission success. Currently, the Equity Strategies Checklist assessment consists of practices and policies that promote racial equity in their operations and programs (per the Equity Strategies checklist administered by Candid). As we refine our DEI assessment, Charity Navigator partners with DEI consultants and field experts to broaden and deepen this work.
Equity Practices (2/7) | |
We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race. | |
We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and/or portfolios. | |
We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization/'s programs, portfolios, and the populations served. | |
We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support. | |
We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders. | |
We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured | |
We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. |
Equity Policies and Procedures (3/7) | |
We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity. | |
We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions. | |
We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization. | |
We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board. | |
We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability. | |
We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team. | |
We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. |
Score
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission.
Learn more
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission
Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
It's our vision to grant a wish to every eligible child.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Create scalable and equitable growth of wish delivery to meet our vision across Alaska and Washington with a focus on equitable access and delivery speed in rural and underserved communities.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Two: Invest in systems, training and support to retain and grow our wish-granting volunteer base. Goal of adding 40% more volunteers by the year 2024 with emphasis on cultural and geographic diversity.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Three: Improve relationship with the medical community by designing an outreach program with enhanced relationship-building opportunities through improved marketing materials, education, and training.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Describe an investment in leadership
In the past 18 months, the organization has invested in senior leaders by enrolling two key management team members in specialized accredited certifications for non-profit leadership and fundraising. Additionally, we adopted and trained all staff in Situational Leadership through the Situational Leadership Institute for people leaders and employees. This provided a strong basis for improving manager/employee goal setting, expectations and performance management. The final investment has been in ongoing all staff and board training in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Building on past years' trainings as we move toward anti-racism in all aspects of our work.
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
This organization mobilizes for mission in the following ways:
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Raising Awareness
What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?
We are dependent on medical referral sources in hospitals and community health clinics. Working extensively with this community to ensure we reach all eligible children. Partnering with practitioners to benefit the wish child, the family and the community impacted when a life-threatening, degenerative, progressive health diagnosis is given. Additionally, we work closely with other groups that support the well-being of medically fragile children, supporting a web of services for the child and the family. This includes our 59 independent sister wish-granting chapters in the U.S. Through this network, we reduce the cost and increase the efficiency of delivering wishes, bringing hope, joy, and tangible health benefits. Achieving that strategic plan involves marketing and communication to move audiences to action in support of the mission (refer a child, volunteer for the chapter, donate goods or services). We use stories to showcase the impact and need via owned and earned media.
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
COVID has impacted and reshaped virtually every aspect of our organization from program delivery to operations. At the onset of the pandemic, we pivoted to a 100% virtual work environment, hosted virtual events and pivoted to virtual wish-granting. Our volunteers planned and executed wishes in new and innovative ways to ensure the safety and well-being of all parties involved. Many of our wishes were initially put on hold due to COVID-imposed restrictions, but we happy to share that we have steadily begun to ramp up our program and this year anticipate that we will reach pre-pandemic wish-granting levels. On the fund development side, we have reinstated our in-person fundraising events but also added in virtual components to foster inclusivity and further drive revenue since the average wish cost increased by about 25% due to demand and supply chain issues because of COVID. Additionally, we have begun a data transformation with the adoption of a new donor-centric database. While we have always offered online volunteer training, we have invested heavily in improving these and will keep them in place moving forward. We also created an online onboarding staff training which we intend to keep in place. Finally, we are thrilled to share that as we continue on our journey to be a more inclusive and equitable organization, we have created a new staff position with this focus in mind and, additionally, have received a grant to fund another position to help advance DEI with respect to our volunteer program.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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