Wish Granting Volunteer
A Wish Granting Volunteer collaborates with the wish child and their family to identify and refine the child’s wish, participating in brainstorming and planning. These volunteers work in pairs under Make-A-Wish staff supervision to ensure every eligible child’s wish becomes an unforgettable and transformational experience.
Wish Granting Application
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Make-A-Wish Canada.
At this time, we are only accepting new volunteer applications in the following priority regions.
- British Columbia
- Alberta
- Saskatchewan
- Manitoba
- Ontario: Ajax, Pickering, Oshawa, North York, Whitby, Woodstock, St. Thomas, Strathroy, Ottawa, Gatineau, Almonte, Orleans, Nepean, Kingston, Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph, Wasaga, Collingwood, Owen Sound, Niagara Falls, Thunder Bay, and Sault Ste. Marie
- Québec: Centre-du-Québec, Estrie, Montérégie, Outaouais and Saguenay Regions
- New Brunswick: Woodstock
As wish granting volunteers serve in pairs, Make-A-Wish Canada encourages applicants to consider volunteering with a friend, family member, or colleague; however, this is not a requirement. If you wish to apply with someone you know, please submit your individual applications and then email volunteers@makeawish.ca with both applicants’ names, phone numbers, and email addresses.
Becoming a Wish Granting Volunteer
A Wish Granting Volunteer for Make-A-Wish Canada is an incredibly rewarding experience that directly impacts the lives of children facing critical illnesses. These dedicated volunteers are at the heart of the wish-granting process, providing crucial support and compassion to families during challenging times. As a volunteer, you will be tasked with meeting the child and their loved ones, listening to their unique stories, and helping shape a wish into reality.
Your role involves not just the logistics but also providing emotional support and joy, becoming a beacon of hope. Through commitment and empathy, you help illuminate the path to brighter days for these courageous children, creating memories that will inspire and comfort them long after their wish has been granted.
The responsibilities of a wish granter
- Working alongside and coordinating with the wish family, wish coordinator and volunteer partner
- Planning boosts along the journey
- Keep the wish journey exciting as the child moves through the different steps
- Planning and executing the wish reveal and announcement
- Assist on the day of the wish if needed
- Assist with a minimum of 3-4 wishes per year
- Successfully complete a criminal background check as part of the initial onboarding process and every three (3) years thereafter
A successful wish granter
- Has good communication skills as they will be coordinating with a wish family, partner volunteer, and wish coordinator
- Is enthusiastic, approachable, and represents the organization positively
- Has basic IT skills and access to a phone, tablet or computer
- Has access to a private personal email
- Handles sensitive conversations with care and empathy.
- Is friendly, well-organized and enjoys helping others
- Enjoys working as part of a team
- Understands that as this is such a special role, they will need to be comfortable around children and their families
Wish Granting Volunteer FAQs
There are no set hours for a typical volunteer opportunity. The amount of time depends on the nature of the wish or event. However, volunteers are required to commit to a minimum of two wishes or events per year.
After you apply, successful applicants will be contacted by a member of our Volunteer Engagement Team to conduct a virtual screening interview. After a successful interview, the volunteer will be asked to submit two references, one personal and one professional. The Volunteer Intake Coordinator will then send a link to Sterling Backcheck to complete their mandatory background check.
Due to the nature of our work, all volunteers must complete a criminal background check as part of the initial onboarding process and every three (3) years thereafter. Make-A-Wish Canada will not onboard/utilize a volunteer who has been convicted of a crime that is violent or sexual in nature. Other criminal convictions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Once references and background checks have been confirmed, the volunteer receives the required onboarding documents including confidentiality, ethics and volunteer agreements, and will be required to watch the orientation video and read the volunteer handbook with Knowledge Review Form.
The minimum age to volunteer is 18 (at the time of application).
All volunteers must complete a new volunteer orientation. This orientation is delivered through a pre-recorded training video and provides necessary information on the organization’s mission and goals.
This orientation provides all new volunteers with basic information on Make-A-Wish Canada, along with our guiding policies and procedures for the volunteer program. After viewing the video, a knowledge review form is completed which is scored upon submission.
Once the general volunteer orientation is complete, wish-granting volunteers are invited to training provided through live online platforms (i.e., Microsoft TEAMS) that are designed to provide wish-granting specific information and skills that are required to successfully perform their volunteer activities.
Wish assignments usually involve travel of 30 minutes to an hour at most.
There are no one-off wish granting opportunities as all wish granters must be complete the screening and onboarding process.
There are no corporate volunteering opportunities for wish granting. If your team is interested in volunteering as a group, please reach out to volunteers@makeawish.ca for further information.
Please reach out to volunteers@makeawish.ca with details of your item, opportunity, and events.
