Volunteering at Make-A-Wish North Dakota

"Volunteering at Make-A-Wish has been such a wonderful experience. Seeing the happiness on their faces when a wish is granted makes me so grateful to play a small part in their journey.”

Christy Mehus

Volunteer

Case

Watch Case’s wish come true below and hear volunteers Dawn and Christy talk about their experience. 

Volunteer

Are you looking for an opportunity to make a difference? Join a caring community of volunteers who transform lives. Together, we can make countless wishes come true.   

Your time and unique talents are critical to bringing strength and hope to wish kids when they need it the most. In fact, our volunteers are at the heart of every wish experience.  

Make-A-Wish volunteers consider their work impactful and meaningful. And, their efforts are rewarded—not in dollars or cents, but in the incredible difference they make in the lives of our wish kids. Volunteers even have the freedom to choose when and how they would like to help transform lives in our community.  

We understand that you want to volunteer but might not know where your skills and talents best lie. Check out our volunteer opportunities and see where you can best help make wishes come true. Thank you in advance!  

Volunteer Opportunities

Wish Granter 

Work with a partner to meet with wish kids and their families to help determine their heartfelt wishes, and then work with our staff to make those wishes a reality. 

Translator/Interpreter 

Help facilitate wish experiences for non-English-speaking families. Translators attend wish visit and phone calls, but they are not directly involved in planning wishes. 

 

Office Volunteer 

Assist with various projects at our chapter office, including phone calls, mailings and research. 

Events Volunteer 

Plan, organize and implement successful fundraising events by working on committees, helping on event day and/or participating in the event. 

Skill-Based Volunteer 

Use your professional skills and knowledge on an as-needed basis to provide much-needed skills such as reading and writing in multiple languages, graphic design, photography, landscaping and more. 

Speaker’s Bureau Volunteer 

Present key information and share stories about Make-A-Wish North Dakota to increase support and educate audiences on our mission. 

Wish Ambassador 

Open to wish alumni and their families, represent Make-A-Wish at a number of external outreach and fundraising events to share your wish experience. 

We invite you to become a volunteer today!

Your Make-A-Wish Journey Starts Today  

Volunteers are critical to the mission. Get started today and soon you can bring hope and joy to local children with critical illnesses as a Make-A-Wish North Dakota volunteer.  

Step 1:  Read the volunteer position descriptions and submit an application 

Most of our positions require volunteers to be at least 18 years old. Be sure you thoroughly read through the descriptions and understand the commitment required. You can find the application for our volunteer program below. Please fill out in its entirety and submit to our office.   

Step 2: Interview with a team member  

Once your application is received and reviewed a member of our team will be in touch. If we agree that you would be a good potential fit for Make-A-Wish an interview will be scheduled. This can be done in-person or virtually and should last about 20-30 minutes. This gives our staff a chance to learn more about you, what encouraged you to volunteer and share more about our program and what to expect.  

Step 3: Complete Background Check  

After steps 1 and 2 are successfully completed, you are ready to move forward and a background check will be initiated. The background check is a required part of the application for all volunteers. Make-A-Wish volunteers commonly are trusted to work directly with our wish families and may handle Make-A-Wish resources (including money or donated goods) as they assist with wishes. For the protection of the wish families and the Foundation itself, we run an extensive background check on all staff and volunteers. In order to cover the cost of background checks, we ask volunteers to pay the initial background check fee. If you are not able to cover this cost, we are happy to work with you directly on this.  

Step 4: Trainings  

We require all potential volunteers to complete an online Make-A-Wish University training before becoming an official volunteer. This training allows you to learn more about our mission, wish kids and volunteer roles. The length of training varies depending on the roles that you sign up for and is facilitated through our virtual training site.  

Step 5: Welcome! 

Once all previous steps and screenings are completed, our team will reach out to you to share the good news - you are officially now a volunteer for Make-A-Wish North Dakota! You would now be an active volunteer for all roles, except those that require additional training. You will be an integral part of delivering our mission forward.  

Step 6: Complete Additional Training as Needed  

Some volunteer roles require additional training before becoming active in those positions. Once you are a volunteer you will be eligible to complete these additional trainings as needed.   

With any questions regarding the volunteer application process or to get started, please contact us. We are happy to help!  

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I volunteer around my schedule? 

Yes! We want volunteering for Make-A-Wish to be a win-win for both of us. You have the option to pick your roles and jobs where we have need. We try to be flexible and can accommodate your interests and schedule.

How much do background checks cost?

Background checks vary in cost depending on several factors. On average, backgrounds cost between $25-35. If you are unable to pay this fee, please let us know. We are happy to work with you on this. 

How old do you have to be to volunteer?

To be an official volunteer, you need to be at least 18 years old. Volunteers over the age of 21 are preferred but will determine on a case by case basis.  

If you are under the age of 18 and still want to be involved, there are options for you! We are happy to share about those opportunities with potential office projects, internships or even Kids for Wish Kids opportunities. Please call our office to learn more.  

What are you looking for in a volunteer?

We are looking for excited and engaged volunteer who represent our Make-A-Wish Values: Child-Focus, Community, Innovation, Integrity, and Impact.

While we welcome applicants from across the state, we are specifically looking for volunteers in the areas of Willison, Minot and Bismarck at this time.  

Who do I contact to learn more?

You can reach out to us through the ‘contact us’ tab on our website, by calling 701-280-9474 or by sending an email to [email protected].