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 non-profit group that helps children with serious health problems. They try to make special wishes come true for these kids. However, the organization has faced some criticism. People have questioned how they raise money and how much of it actually goes to granting wishes. In 2013, one report even called it "the worst charity in the nation." For example, in 2012, Kids Wish Network raised about $18.6 million. But only $240,000 of that money was spent on granting wishes.
About Kids Wish Network
Kids Wish Network started in 1997. It was first called "Fulfill a Wish Foundation." Mark Breiner, his wife Shelley Breiner, and Shelley's mother Barbara Askin founded it. They wanted to honor Shelley's father, who passed away from cancer.
In 1998, the name changed to "Kids Wish Network." This happened after the Make-A-Wish Foundation took legal action. They felt the original name was too similar and confusing.
Kids Wish Network helps children between 3 and 18 years old. These children have often gone through very tough health challenges. In 2004, the group granted 143 wishes. By 2013, they granted 800 wishes. Some wishes have involved famous people. These include musician Brad Paisley and wrestler John Cena. Other celebrities like R&B artist Keyshia Cole and singer Taylor Swift have also helped.
How Money is Spent
Charity watchdog groups have looked closely at Kids Wish Network. In 2008, Charity Navigator gave them a low rating. This was because a lot of the money raised went to fundraising, not to helping kids. Another group, the American Institute of Philanthropy, gave them an "F" grade.
Kids Wish Network said that new charities need to spend more on fundraising. This helps them find people who want to donate. However, some experts believed the charity was using special rules for non-profits. They thought Kids Wish Network was counting some fundraising as charity work.
A report in 2012 called Kids Wish Network one of "America's Worst Charities." This report was from the Tampa Bay Times, CNN, and the Center for Investigative Reporting. They found that from 2003 to 2013, Kids Wish Network paid a lot of money to companies that helped them raise funds.
In 2012, the charity raised $18.6 million. But only about one percent of that money went to granting wishes. This was about $240,000. The report said that for every dollar raised, only three cents went to wishes. The rest went to fundraising costs.
Kids Wish Network has also paid millions of dollars to companies linked to its founder, Mark Breiner. He stopped being the Executive Director in 2010. Since then, his companies have received $3.3 million from Kids Wish Network. The charity said this was due to an accounting mistake.
In 2020, Charity Navigator reported more details. They found that for every dollar Kids Wish Network raised, 78 cents were spent on fundraising. This left only 22 cents for helping children. In 2022, another group, smartasset, also named Kids Wish Network as a charity to be careful about.