Make-A-Wish of CNY reaches 1,300 wishes

EAST SYRACUSE — The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central New York celebrated a landmark year in 2011 with its 1,300th wish since its inception in 1985. The foundation fulfilled 50 wishes last year and is on track to grant 80 wishes this year with a budget of $1.4 million. Still, the organization knows it’s not reaching all the eligible children and its goal is to clear up some of the public misconceptions of Make-A-Wish to fulfill the wishes of all qualified children. 

Each year, 125 children diagnosed in the Central New York region become eligible for a wish, according to a recent epidemiological study from Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. “We’re granting 100 percent of wishes for kids referred to us, but we’re not granting all that are eligible for wishes,” says Diane Kuppermann, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central New York. 

Several factors might contribute to the reason that Make-A-Wish doesn’t receive referrals for the eligible kids. One is that many believe it only caters to the Syracuse area. While its office is located in Syracuse, the foundation serves 15 counties, including those in the North Country, Mohawk Valley, and the Southern Tier. 

Another reason is that some parents may feel that because they have the financial means to provide for their children’s wants, they don’t need Make-A-Wish. “It’s so not about the money,” says Kuppermann. In some cases, money cannot buy a wish. For example, if a child wants to go to Give Kids the World, a 70-acre nonprofit resort in Central Florida for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families, the only way to obtain access is through a qualified wish-granting organization. “However, Make-A-Wish Foundation is the largest wish-granting organization in the world and sends the largest number of kids to Give Kids the World,” says Bethann Kistner, PR/communications manager for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central New York.

There’s also the misconception that Make-A-Wish only accepts referrals for terminally ill children. While its mission is to grant wishes to children with life-threatening conditions, the conditions do not have to be terminal. In fact, the foundation does not use the term “terminal” in any of its material. “It’s about empowering kids to be in control of one thing and giving hope,” says Kuppermann. “Tomorrow is uncertain for these kids. You can really see the difference that a wish makes.”

A child has to meet three criteria to be considered a Wish Kid — be between the ages of 2-1/2 years and 18 years old; have a life-threatening medical condition; and not have had a wish from another wish organization. If multiple children in one family have a life-threatening illness, each child is eligible for a wish; the child does not have to share a wish with a sibling. 

Referrals generally come from the parents, though physicians or extended families may make the referral. In any case, Make-A-Wish says it needs to know it is being invited into the lives of the family. This is a difficult time for the families and they have to trust that Make-A-Wish will bring them hope. “We have one shot to make magic with these families,” says Kuppermann.

It’s also important that kids be referred to Make-A-Wish as soon as they are eligible, especially if a child is approaching an 18th birthday. And while it doesn’t happen often, there have been a few cases where the Wish Kid succumbed to the illness before his/her wish could be fulfilled. “That’s the worst feeling in the world,” says Kuppermann. “We didn’t deliver on the mission.”

Wish supporters 

Kuppermann acknowledges that it is the board, volunteers, and the community that make it possible for Make-A-Wish to do what it does. Volunteers are the “lifeline of the organization,” says Kuppermann. 

This year marks her 20-year anniversary with the foundation, but Kuppermann recognizes some members of the community that have been huge supporters for just as long, like Onondaga Beverage Corp./A.L. George LLC, Hafner’s Restaurant, and Jim and Juli Boeheim. For instance, the Ms. Orange Fan Luncheon, created by the Boeheims, has raised more than $1 million for the foundation during the past 20 years. “They don’t just lend their name, they roll up their sleeves and make the event a success,” Kuppermann says of the Boeheims. 

She also notes other members of the community, like Sugarman Law Firm, Applebee’s, and Dunkin’ Donuts, to name a few, that have been champions for the foundation. In fact, 50 local Dunkin’ Donuts franchises are currently raising money for Make-A-Wish with its spare-change program. Dunkin’ Donuts raises money for different charities in the region each quarter during the year with this program. Make-A-Wish was a first-quarter recipient in 2011, receiving more than $19,000. 

“This community is incredible. I would put it up against any community in the country. There’s a lot of good here,” says Kuppermann.

Another example of the community at work? How about when Michael J. Falcone, chairman emeritus and founder of the Pioneer Companies, donated the building on Campuswood Drive in DeWitt, the present home for Make-A-Wish, on his birthday in 2005. Previously, the foundation was located in the former Hotel Syracuse building. The new DeWitt location needed major renovations, and while the organization had a $100,000 cash budget for the work, it didn’t spend any of it. It was the help of 89 local companies, who donated funds, materials, and had staffers volunteer their time to renovate the building, that made it possible for Make-A-Wish to move into its new home in 2007.  

Inside the 7,500-square-foot building is the Wish Child Wall of Honor that was unveiled in 2008. It is a wall of stars with the name of each Wish Kid on it. Former Wish Kids and their families are welcome to visit the wall. 

Behind the wishes

Make-A-Wish covers all costs of a wish, including medical expenses. The wish is a gift to the family, so there are no strings attached. 

The average cost of a wish is $9,000. The funds for the wishes come from special events, corporate donations, individual gifts, grants, and fundraising programs like Adopt-A-Wish, Kids for Wish Kids, and Campus Wishmaker. The foundation aims to raise at least 30 percent of the cost of the wish with in-kind donations. These are gifts and services for which the foundation doesn’t have to pay. All the funds raised stay local to meet the wishes granted in the region. The organization does not raise dollars outside its 15 counties region, as that would infringe on another chapter’s territory, says Kistner. 

For the fiscal year ending Aug. 31, 2010, Make-A-Wish produced total revenue of just under $1.2 million, with the largest sources being special events and corporate donations. Also, 75 percent of the operating budget went towards granting wishes, the organization’s main service program. The national Make-A-Wish Foundation mandates that no less than 75 percent of the operating budget goes towards wish-granting. In 2009, 82 percent of the CNY Make-A-Wish budget went to wish-granting, and although the numbers aren’t finalized yet, Kistner believes that for 2011, it was in the 80 percent range. 

The foundation recently re-organized the responsibilities of the staff and hired three new staff members, two for newly created positions. In August, Amanda Timmerman filled the new program service coordinator position, and then in September, Kistner began in the new position as PR/communications manager. Christine Corbett started in January as director of development.

Now with a full-time staff of eight, this is the largest the staff has been since Kuppermann started in 1992. She was the first paid employee for the organization. Her first title was executive director, but it changed over the years to president and CEO to mirror business titles. She’s now been with the organization for 20 years, quite a haul for someone who thought she was going to be a stay-at-home mom. What made her stay? She said then and says now, “My work isn’t done here.”     

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Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central New York

5005 Campuswood Drive

East Syracuse, NY 13057

Phone: (315) 475-9474 

www.cny.wish.org   

Key Staff

Diane E. Kuppermann, President & CEO

President’s compensation: $64,000

Christine Corbett, Development Director

Bethann Kistner, PR/Communications Manager

Amanda Timmerman, Program Services Coordinator

Robin L. Mulpagano, Director of Finance & Administration

Debbie L. Simon, Events Manager

Olivia Colabufo, Program Services Manager

Jodi L. Hagan, Donor Relations Coordinator

Board of Directors (Officers)

President

Joseph Chirco, Carrier Corporation

Chair Elect

Frank Mento, Clough Harbour & Associates, LLP

Co-Treasurers

Diana Kanfer, Testone, Marshall & Discenza, CPAs

Lauren Kincaid, Firley, Moran, Freer & Eassa, PC

Secretary

Robin J. Toia, RJT Associates, Inc. 

Board Members

David Ayoub, Bowers & Company, CPAs

Anne Bazydlo, retired

Janet Callahan, Hancock Estabrook, LLP

Paul Dodd, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network                                                  

Rob Dwyer, Sugarman Law Firm

Colleen Julian, Carrier Corporation

Diana Kanfer, Testone, Marshall & Discenza

Lauren Kincaid, Firley, Moran, Freer & Eassa, PC

Daniel Kosick, Susquehanna Valley School District

Frank Mento, Clough Harbour & Associates

Michael Murphy, First Niagara Bank

Christopher Pinckney, Pinckney Hugo Group

James Reed, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield

Greg Scagnelli, MD, Binghamton Gastroenterology Associates

Roxanne Taylor, SUNY Upstate Medical University

Robin Toia, RJT Associates

Thomas Uva, WYNIT Distribution, LLC

Jessie Verna, ConMed Corporation

Mission

Programs

• Corporate Adopt-A-Wish Program

• Wishes in Flight (donation of airline miles)

• Kids for Wish Kids (K to grade 12, raise funds for wishes)

• Wishmakers on Campus (college groups/clubs hosting events to raise funds for wishes) 

• Annual Giving & Stewardship Program

• Wishes Forever Endowment (an endowment campaign that will carry the foundation to its goal of granting the wish of every eligible child)

Planning/Fundraising Outlook for 2012:

All fundraising programs increase the percentage of revenue, which allows the foundation to grow the number of CNY Wishes to 100 annually.

• Roll out Annual Giving & Stewardship Program

• Launch Wish Wednesdays Corporate Sponsorship program

• Set $1 million goal for the Wishes Forever Endowment Campaign

• Increase revenue sources in outlining geographic footprint and build greater individual giving

• Annual Walk for Wishes: Syracuse (May, 5, 2012) and Binghamton (April 30, 2012)

• Annual Golf Opens: Syracuse (June 4, 2012) and Binghamton (June 11, 2012)

• Sugarman Law Firm Wish Ball (Sept. 8, 2012)

• Ms. Orange Fan Luncheon (Oct. 28, 2012)

Revenue Sources

Contributions and grants $1,142,375

Program Services $300

Investment Income -$3,898

Other $60,252

Total Revenue $1,199,029

Expenditures

Grants and similar amounts paid     $486,003

Salaries & Employee Benefits $312,525

Other     $217,018

Total Expenses $1,015,546     

Surplus for the Year $183,483