Make-A-Wish Mission and Vision Statement Analysis

Make-A-Wish ‘s mission statement is to “create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.” The mission statement by this company emphasizes the commitment of the entire management and other stakeholders to do everything possible to help its beneficiaries realize their wishes. The statement relates to:

1. Improving health
2. Improving lives

The first component of the Make-A-Wish mission statement is all about the efforts that the organization put into improving the health status of children. The bulk of the beneficiaries in this organization are youths below 18 years battling with chronic illnesses such as cancer and cardiovascular conditions.  The organization understands the energizing and rejuvenating aspect of fulfilling the wishes of these children and how this boosts their ability to fight their conditions. In fact, the organization agrees that these acts of care have seen many children regain their fighting will both physically and emotionally transforming them into confident individuals. Consequently, this improves their lives in the long run.

Introduction

The mission and vision statements of Make-A-Wish represents the sacrifices that this organization has made to put a smile on the faces of the vulnerable children. The selfless nature of Make-A-Wish has positioned it as one of the most impactful non-profit bodies in the United States. In fact, since 1980 when it was launched,
Make-A-Wish has transformed the lives of thousands of children in need.

The definition of a corporate mission statement indicates that it is a declaration of the strategic approaches that a company executes its duties, while that of a corporate vision statement is the identification of the optimal achievements that a business would desire to be known for in the future.

In the case of Make-A-Wish, both its mission and vision statements point at the difference and change the organization would want to make in the life of its beneficiaries. The progress Make-A-Wish has recorded so far is also influenced by its core values that determine its strong internal caring culture. With this, the organization has remained focused on its primary goals.

Vision Statement

Make-A-Wish’s vision statement is “to be able to make every eligible child’s wish come true.” The organization shows that it is devoted to giving that special moment to all children who need them most.  The statement has the following features:

1. Every eligible child
2. Make a wish come true

The organization understands that in the absence of certain life experiences, some chronically ill children have very minimal chances of survival. To give them hope and restore their fighting spirit, Make-A-Wish connects all these children to these experiences at any cost. By doing so, the organization also satisfies the second feature in its vision statement, and this has been surprisingly linked to drastic improvements in health conditions.

Core Values

Make-A-Wish’s core values comprise “a caring heart, making a difference, inspiring those in need.” Generally, caring and sacrifice is the driving force that enables Make a Wish to relentlessly be there for the chronically ill children. The organization clearly shows that it is not profit-oriented. Instead, it is there to make a difference and inspire its beneficiaries.

References

Bowen, S. A. (2018). Mission and Vision. The International Encyclopedia of Strategic Communication, 1-9.

Cady, S. H., Wheeler, J. V., DeWolf, J., & Brodke, M. (2011). Mission, vision, and values: what do they say? Organization Development Journal, 29(1).

Darlington, A. S., Heule, F., & Passchier, J. (2013). Granting wishes: Parents perception of wish fulfilment for a child with a life-threatening illness.

Ewing, B. (2009). Wish fulfilment: Palliative care and end-of-life intervention. Pediatric Nursing, 35(2), 81-85.

Kopaneva, I. M. (2019). Left in the dust: Employee constructions of mission and vision ownership. International Journal of Business Communication, 56(1), 122-145.

Lemberger, M. E. (2015). The revision of the mission and vision statements for the Association for Humanistic Counseling. Journal of Humanistic Counseling, 54(1), 2-6.

Make a Wish – About.

Richardson, J. K. (1998). My dream is a wish. Physical therapy, 78, 1220-1223.

Shoshani, A., Mifano, K., & Czamanski-Cohen, J. (2016). The effects of the Make a Wish intervention on psychiatric symptoms and health-related quality of life of children with cancer: a randomised controlled trial. Quality of Life Research, 25(5), 1209-1218.

Zahra, R. (2010). Disney Wishes: Reimagining Disney through the Eyes of Make-A-Wish Children (Doctoral dissertation, University of California, Berkeley).