Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oklahoma

PROJECT PURPOSE

We are establishing the Post-Pandemic Wish Pipeline Reduction Program to return to the efficient and timely delivery of our imperative service to critically ill Oklahoma children and their caregivers. Only we can do so. Together with Oklahoma medical institutions and professionals, we grant life-changing wishes to kids with critical illnesses. The pandemic decimated our ability to do so, and has taken from our physicians a key tool they use in treating their patients. Our wishes bring optimism, hope and courage to comply with medical treatments and illnesses. One thing that didn't change during COVID was that Oklahoma children continued to receive devastating diagnoses nearly every day. In turn, their doctors referred them to us. With our funding interrupted and the inability to grant wishes (i.e. 80% of our wishes involve travel and our kids can't get on airplanes right now) the waiting list and wait times have spiraled out of control.

EVIDENCE

Accompanying our application will be a statement from the Pediatric Oncologist from OU Children's Hospital that also sits on our Board. That statement testifies to the medical and emotional efficacy of a wish, and how she uses a wish as part of her course of treatment. On two separate occasions over the past 10 years, we have successfully used one-time cash infusions to reduce wait times and waiting lists. Each was in response to a significant business interruption, just as the pandemic proved to be a colossal business interruption.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

Children battling critical illness, many from families with little or no resources, might be the most vulnerable population of all. These children undergo painful and frightening protocols that most often last for years, or that are only intended to make a child more comfortable during the inevitable course of their treatment. Make-a-Wish Oklahoma has served all 77 counties in Oklahoma. By nature, Make-a-Wish Oklahoma serves the most vulnerable populations, as the illnesses these kids have do not know sex, race, religion or financial standing. Make-a-Wish Oklahoma can work with tribal hospitals to identify children who may be eligible for wishes, as well as rural communities where kids may not otherwise have the opportunity to have their wishes granted. We are the only agency in Oklahoma exclusively dedicated to providing wishes to these children and their families. If we do not provide them they will not happen at all.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

Make-a-Wish Oklahoma complies with several key performance indicators, including program expense ratio, number of wishes granted, Months of liquidity, and cash from public support. Additional metrics that we will track specifically to this program will include wait time per child, number of children waiting, and ratio of new referrals per month vs. wishes grated per month

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma