Episode Details

How do you protect the people doing the work without taking resources away from the people you serve?

Rachel Kuhn stepped into A Special Wish Foundation of Central Ohio carrying a promise her grandmother made in 1982: give children with life-threatening illnesses and their families a moment of joy when they need it most.

But behind every Disney trip, private character meet-and-greet, airport sendoff, and carefully planned wish is a pediatric nonprofit racing against treatment schedules, poor prognoses, donor uncertainty, and the pressure to never let a qualifying child sit on a waitlist.

You’ll hear how Rachel and Wish Director Rebecca Brown are learning to protect the heart of local wish-granting while building the structure, funding, accountability, and team capacity needed to keep saying yes to families who cannot afford to wait.

What you’ll learn in this episode: 

(01:33) What no one sees between a child qualifying for a wish and the moment it goes viral.

(03:13) Why a wish isn’t just a trip, it’s a deeply personal dream shaped by treatment, timing, and hope.

(05:39) Why avoiding a waitlist matters and the intense financial and emotional pressure it creates.

(07:24) How nonprofits balance two audiences: families in need and the donors who fund it all.

(12:18) When staying lean to save donor dollars starts burning out your team.

(15:02) Why passion alone won’t sustain a nonprofit without strong business fundamentals.

(17:57) How a MrBeast-level opportunity brought massive exposure and overwhelming pressure.

(27:07) Why are they rethinking leadership, delegation, and growth on the path to 50, then 100 wishes a year.

Learn more about Rachel Kuhn & Rebecca Brown and A Special Wish Foundation: https://www.aspecialwishfoundation.org/

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This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/