1. Wish Grantor Refresher Training

2. Agenda • In-Kind Donations • Countdown Calendars
• Out of Town Wishes
• In-Kind Donations
• Countdown Calendars
• Social Media Guidelines

3. Out of Town Wishes MANAGING EXPECTATIONS
You may have to work a little harder to create magical wish enhancements for your wish child (ie. contacting local business in the wish child’s home town)
All Wish Enhancement Process components need to be executed. Such as the Wish Reveal, Countdown Calendars and Wish Wrap Up.
In person interaction may be limited. However, we do expect you to stay in touch through other avenues like Skype, Facetime, or trying to meet the family when they visit Edmonton.

4. Meeting the family when they come to your home town.
COMMUNICATION
Meeting the family when they come to your home town.
Try scheduling to meet with the family when they are in town for Hospital/Medical Appointments
Send off or welcome the wish family back at the airport
Or anytime they are planning to come to your home town.
Skype. Please feel free to use the MAWNA Skype Account
Username: makeawishna
Password: WishNA
Other methods of communication – Phone Calls, s, or Text Messages/FaceTime (only if this is family’s preferred method of communications)

5. MAILING PACKAGES Bring packages to the MAW Office.
Make sure they are in a sealed box
Have the mailing label on the box with the child’s name and mailing address
We will allow a maximum of 2 packages per wish child
Notify parents that a Wish Enhancement package is coming through the mail and out instructions inside the package.
Call the family to double check they have received the package and go over the instructions
Use the Wish Enhancement Package letter template. Feel free to edit as needed.

6. THE NON-NEGOTIABLES
All Wish Granting components are still required for Out of Town Wishes
Utilize the Wish Enhancement Checklist
Don’t forget to include the siblings of the Wish Child in the enhancements you are planning
Do the Wish Wrap Up
You can do the Wish Wrap Up over the phone or Skype if the family is not coming to your home town within a month of wish being granted.
Please use the Wish Wrap Up Letter template. Mail letter with the Wish Star and Thank You cards to family.

7. In-Kind Donations
Don’t forget to utilize in-kind donation to stretch your $100 Wish Enhancement budget
The limit for in-kind donations is $150 on top of the $100 cash allowance
Before you to contact a company or organization, make sure you check with the Wish Administrator/Wish Program Manager.
Please refer to the Step by Step Guide to ask for donations.
Use the Donation Request Letter template
Do not forget to track the in-kind donations amounts you get for wish enhancements and fill out the In-Kind Donation Tracker.

8. - Justine, 2013 Make-A-Wish Northern Alberta Spirit Award Winner
Wish Grantor’s Perspective on In-Kind Donations
“Ask for something that is relevant or special to the child.  
Tell the story. For example, the salon appointment for Mackenzie because after all the treatments, her hair was finally growing back so beautifully and a nice cut would make her feel even better.  We ended up with a gift card that was enough for a hair cut plus mini mani-pedi for Mackenzie.  As for something reasonable.  Sometimes you get offered more.  If you start out asking for too much, you're more likely to get no for an answer.  Or you can look greedy, which reflects poorly on Make-A-Wish!
It’s important to tell the story/reason you are asking for the in-kind donation any why you’re asking them and not someone else. This makes it special and more meaningful to the person/store/business you're asking for donation. Speak directly to the owner/manager or person who can make the decision.” 
- Justine, 2013 Make-A-Wish Northern Alberta Spirit Award Winner

9. or services and then contacting the people. We
“Our main focus was to first research the event
or services and then contacting the people. We
were fortunate enough to find and come across folks that understood our aim. We preferably contacted them over the phone and explained how we are volunteers ourselves and trying to arrange fun events for our child. This set the tone among the people that this requirement is not for us (the volunteers) but for the recipient and if they can do it so can we. We found multiple volunteers for cake baking simply by emphasizing the nature. People here are well aware of Make A Wish Foundation and what it does.”
- Khurram, Wish Grantor for an Out of Town wish

10. - Natasha, Camrose Wish Grantor
“I find it very useful to talk to the owner/manger
in person if possible (or on the phone at the very least).
Explain the situation and ask them to participate in the power and magic of a wish. I usually just give the age of the kid, their condition and then their wish and say how the company could help. I think talking with them in person usually makes them willing to donate more than a letter or an . However I do always follow up with a letter wish Make-a-Wish letterhead, often they like to have it on file and its a nice way to formalize it.” 
- Natasha, Camrose Wish Grantor

11. COUNTDOWN CALENDARS All Wishes require a countdown calendar.
This helps build the excitement for the wish child and their family.
The Countdown Calendar needs to be delivered to the family at least 3 weeks before the wish day
It should be interactive, personalized and FUN!

15. Remember…
You are delivering a message of hope, strength and joy to Wish Children and their families. You are leaving a lasting memory in their lives.