ArticleGamifying Generosity: How Make-A-Wish Is Inspiring the Next Generation of WishMakers

How Make-A-Wish Is Engaging the Next Generation of WishMakers

When Make-A-Wish launched Student WishMakers, the goal was bigger than creating another school fundraiser. The program was designed to empower students to become leaders, inspire their communities, and discover the incredible impact they can have by helping grant life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Student WishMakers brings together elementary, middle school, high school, and college fundraising under one unified brand, making it easier than ever for young people to get involved.  

As the program has continued to grow nationwide, Make-A-Wish recognized another opportunity: give students the same powerful digital fundraising experience that has already proven successful across other Make-A-Wish fundraising programs.

Building on the Success of Mobile-First Fundraising 

After seeing outstanding engagement with Nuclavis’ smart QR code technology across its DIY fundraising experiences, Make-A-Wish expanded its digital strategy by bringing Student WishMakers into the Nuclavis mobile app ecosystem. 

The decision was a natural progression. 

The QR code experience made it incredibly simple for participants to share their personal fundraising pages wherever they were—whether in person, on social media, through text messages, or on printed materials. By reducing friction between sharing and donating, participants were able to reach more supporters and create more opportunities for giving. 

Rather than simply replicating that success, Make-A-Wish wanted to create something even more engaging for students.

Introducing the Student WishMakers Challenge 

The newest innovation is the Student WishMakers Challenge—an interactive, mission-based experience built directly into the mobile app. 

Instead of simply asking participants to fundraise, the challenge guides students through a series of meaningful actions that help them become more successful fundraisers while learning best practices along the way. 

As participants complete each activity, they unlock progress toward completing their mission. 

Examples include: 

• Updating their fundraising page  

• Making a self-donation  

• Sending text messages to friends and family  

• Posting on social media  

• Sharing their personal QR code  

• Receiving their first donation  

• Unlocking fundraising milestones at $100, $250, $500, and $1,000  

Each completed action moves participants further along the challenge, creating a fun, visual sense of accomplishment while encouraging the fundraising behaviors that have the greatest impact. 

Rather than presenting fundraising as one large task, the challenge breaks success into achievable milestones that build confidence and momentum. 

“We’ve seen firsthand how mobile-first fundraising tools, especially personalized QR codes, have helped participants connect with more supporters and raise more funds. The Student WishMakers Challenge builds on that success by giving students a guided path to fundraising success—encouraging them to use the app, share their stories, and complete meaningful actions that ultimately help grant more wishes.”
— Maggie Gibbons, Make-A-Wish America 

Driving Fundraising Through Engagement 

The Student WishMakers Challenge was intentionally designed around three key objectives: 

Increase fundraising success. Participants are guided toward proven fundraising actions that consistently lead to higher donation totals. 

Increase mobile app adoption. The challenge encourages students to explore the app’s features and return frequently as they make progress. 

Increase use of fundraising tools. Features such as QR codes, text outreach, fundraising page customization, and social sharing become natural parts of the participant journey instead of optional resources that might otherwise go unused. These tools have a proven track record of 3-5x more fundraising for Nuclavis partners.  

The result is an experience that helps students develop stronger fundraising habits while giving them immediate feedback on their progress. 

A Better Experience for Student Fundraisers 

Today’s students expect experiences that are interactive, visual, and rewarding. The Student WishMakers Challenge embraces those expectations by transforming fundraising into a guided journey instead of a checklist. Every completed action reinforces positive behaviors while reminding participants that every text sent, every QR code shared, and every donation received brings another wish closer to becoming reality. 

It’s more than gamification. It’s purposeful engagement that helps students become better fundraisers, stronger advocates, and more confident leaders, all while supporting the Make-A-Wish mission. 

As organizations continue to look for ways to inspire younger audiences, the Student WishMakers Challenge demonstrates how thoughtful mobile experiences can increase participation, improve fundraising outcomes, and make every supporter feel like they’re making meaningful progress toward changing a child’s life.