Kids Wish Network facts for kids
| Founded | 1997 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Mark Breiner Shelley Breiner Barbara Askin |
| Location | |
|
Area served
|
Worldwide |
|
Key people
|
Mark Breiner executive director 1997- 2010 |
|
Employees
|
51 in 2013 |
Kids Wish Network is a charity that helps children aged 3 to 18 who are facing serious illnesses. The organization aims to grant special wishes to these children. However, throughout its history, Kids Wish Network has faced criticism regarding how it spends the money it raises.
For example, in 2012, the organization raised about $18.6 million. But only a small part of this, around $240,000, was used to grant wishes to children. Some reports in 2013 highlighted concerns about the charity's spending practices.
Contents
About Kids Wish Network
How It Started
Kids Wish Network began in 1997. It was first called "Fulfill a Wish Foundation." Mark Breiner, his wife Shelley Breiner, and Shelley's mother Barbara Askin started it. They wanted to honor Shelley's father, who passed away from cancer in 1993.
In 1998, the charity changed its name to "Kids Wish Network." This happened after the Make-A-Wish Foundation asked them to change it. The Make-A-Wish Foundation felt the original name was too similar to theirs.
Granting Wishes
The charity helps children between 3 and 18 years old. These children have often gone through tough health challenges. Kids Wish Network works to make their special wishes come true.
In 2004, the organization granted 143 wishes. By 2013, this number grew to 800 wishes. Many famous people have helped grant these wishes. These include musician Brad Paisley and professional wrestler John Cena. R&B artist Keyshia Cole, NFL coach Jon Gruden, and country singer Taylor Swift have also helped. Even the Green Bay Packers football team has been involved.
How Donations Were Used
Early Concerns
In 2008, Charity Navigator, a group that rates charities, gave Kids Wish Network a low score. This score was for how much money was spent on asking for donations. It compared this to the money spent on helping children. The American Institute of Philanthropy also gave the charity a low grade.
Kids Wish Network said that new charities need to spend money on fundraising. This helps them find people who want to donate. However, critics said the organization spent a large part of its money on asking for donations. They felt this was too much compared to the money used for children's wishes. The charity argued that it also offered other services, making comparisons unfair. Kids Wish Network did receive good scores in other areas, like how well it was organized.
Reports on Spending
In 2012, several news groups, including the Tampa Bay Times and CNN, looked into how charities spent their money. They reported that Kids Wish Network spent a very large portion of the money it collected on hiring companies to ask for donations. This report covered the years from 2003 to 2013. Thirty experts on charities were part of this study.
The report found that in 2012, Kids Wish Network raised $18.6 million. But only about one percent of this, $240,000, went to granting children's wishes. Over a decade, the organization spent $110 million on companies that asked for donations. The report stated that only about three cents of every dollar raised was spent on wishes.
The report also mentioned that the organization paid money to companies connected to its former leader, Mark Breiner. These payments continued even after he left his role in 2010. Since his retirement, Kids Wish Network paid Breiner's companies $3.3 million.
Explanations and Updates
These payments were reported in updated financial documents in 2012. This happened after an employee shared concerns with the charity's board. The report stated that Kids Wish Network had a delay in reporting these payments. The charity explained this was due to an accounting error.
Mark Breiner stated that Kids Wish Network had an audit by the IRS. This audit looked at his agreements with the organization. It found no issues with how he worked with the charity. In 2011, the charity had 51 employees.
A spokesperson for Kids Wish Network, Melissa Schwartz, explained their approach. She said the charity uses outside companies to ask for donations. This allows the Kids Wish Network staff to focus on "working with children." She also stated that 100 percent of money given directly to Kids Wish Network goes to charity. This is different from donations collected by telephone companies.
More recently, in 2020, Charity Navigator reviewed Kids Wish Network's financial forms. They reported that for every dollar raised, 78 cents were spent on fundraising. This left 22 cents for helping children. In 2022, another financial website, SmartAsset, also listed Kids Wish Network among charities with high fundraising costs.
