Todd:
Welcome back to the podcast. We have a great one today. We have Fran Mallace, who is the President, CEO of Make-A-Wish Arizona.
Fran Mallace:
Hi, Todd.
Todd:
Welcome.
Fran Mallace:
Thank you.
Todd:
How nice to have you.
Fran Mallace:
It's great to be here.
Todd:
Well, obviously, you are a person that most people know around town. But for those who don't know you, maybe aren't familiar with you, tell us a little bit about yourself, and then one thing about you that we wouldn't find on your bio necessarily.
Fran Mallace:
Ooh, Okay. Well, I would say that probably most people know me from my career at Cox, 'cause I was there for 30 fabulous years. I was a board member for Make-A-Wish because of the generosity that Cox allowed for us to be on different boards locally and give back in the community. As a board member for six years, the opportunity came about that the former CEO was retiring. For me, Make-A-Wish has just been really everything to me for such a long time. It's because of Cox and a former colleague that I actually got involved and became a volunteer. It was being at the Wish Ball one year. I'm like, "I have to be involved somehow with this organization."
Todd:
So you went up the chain of command and said, "I really want to be involved?"
Fran Mallace:
Yeah. When her board was up, her number of years on the board, she recommended that I continue as a Cox representative and ambassador. I was fortunate enough at that time to meet with the CEO, and get the nod that I could become part of the board.
Todd:
What an awesome organization.
Fran Mallace:
Of course, the support of Coxes was incredible, and still to this day is incredible.
Todd:
That's the invisible side that most people don't see. They'll see what they use in terms of telecommunication services. But what most people don't understand, a company like Cox, SRP, APS, their reach is so huge in Arizona for so many organizations.
Fran Mallace:
So many organizations.
Todd:
Well, I'm glad that was able to happen. So, tell us something about you that we wouldn't find on your bio.
Fran Mallace:
That I love giraffes, and I feel that great leaders possess a lot of the qualities. So I love talking about leading a giraffe, sticking your neck out and taking risks. But, we only have a few minutes. I would be here all day talking about giraffes.
Todd:
I like that. Now, is this a recent thing?
Fran Mallace:
No.
Todd:
Or, you've always liked giraffes? Is this something that-
Fran Mallace:
Even as a little kid, I loved giraffes. Maybe that's because I'm vertically challenged. Standing at 5'5", I'm not going to be that seven or eight foot person. But, I've always been really attracted to giraffes. Then just one thing led to another, and then elephants for the elephant in the room, and lions for courage. But the whole symbolic part of that, making people feel comfortable about being able to do business a little bit differently than know the ordinary.
Todd:
You certainly do that very well.
Fran Mallace:
Well, thank you. It's fun.
Todd:
Well, obviously we're all familiar to a certain extent, probably when we see a story in the media with Make-A-Wish. But, tell us a little bit about the organization. How did it start? And really, how does it work?
Fran Mallace:
One of the things that a lot of people don't know, it started right here in Arizona with a little boy named Chris Greicius, who wanted to be a policeman. His mom truly started this incredible momentum for kids who were not feeling well. One of the other things is that I think a lot of people think that we are a terminally ill organization, but we're not. We like to say that we grant lasting wishes and not necessarily a last wish, because 70% of our kids outlive their diagnosis now because of all the technology and modern medicine, and advancements in medicine.
Todd:
But certainly, going through one of those procedures for these kids is horrific. For them to have something like this is life-changing.
Fran Mallace:
Yeah, because they look forward to knowing that they're going to have something with a wish granted, in terms of the eligibility, because our vision is to have every child have a wish that's eligible for granting a wish. So it's very exciting to be able to do things, particularly not only for the child, but their siblings, their family, and then the community and how involved... That was 43 years ago, 1980. Now, hopefully in first quarter, we will surpass 8,000 wishes just right here in Arizona.
Todd:
That's just in Arizona.
Fran Mallace:
Just in Arizona. 550,000 wishes have been granted around the world.
Todd:
Chris's mom started a pretty significant thing that has impact around the world.
Fran Mallace:
She did. She took, unfortunately, a situation that was sad for her, and heartbreaking, and made it this beautiful thing for so many people, and so many families, so many kids.
Todd:
So, it started here. How did it expand from Arizona?
Fran Mallace:
Well, the first wish obviously was granted here.
Todd:
Sure.
Fran Mallace:
Then it just continued to grow. Arizona was the first chapter, and then it did catch on. The funny thing about Linda, she was one of the founders, there were four or five others, of course the police chiefs and all the people that got behind it, they started it with $37.76. So if you ever see Linda, and she's speaking at an event, she will have an envelope with $37.76 cents. But, it just took off because everyone realized the impact that a wish had. You talked a little bit about it earlier when you said the things that these families go through, when a child knows that they're going to have a wish, they're going to take their medicine, they're going to want to go to their doctor's appointments 'cause they want to feel well enough to be able to take advantage of a beautiful experience with that.
Todd:
I'm sure psychologically too-
Fran Mallace:
Oh, absolutely.
Todd:
That's got to be some good medicine.
Fran Mallace:
It's great medicine. I think if you talk to a lot of the doctors, they will tell you it is the best medicine that you possibly can have.
Todd:
So, how does it work? From start to finish, how does a wish work?
Fran Mallace:
A child who has a life-threatening disease can be referred. That's where it starts, with a referral.
Todd:
So a doctor could-
Fran Mallace:
It could be a doctor, it could be a family member, it could be a social worker, it could be a teacher. The eligibility is, any child who has a life-threatening disease that's between the ages of 2 1/2 and 18 has an opportunity to go through the process. Then we have a whole medical advisory board with things that are acceptable in terms of what that looks like, and then the fun begins. Then our volunteers with our wish grantors meet with the family, and then they can figure out what their one true wish is just by asking questions. Then they determine what that's going to look like.
Todd:
I'm sure some kids really have no idea, and other kids know that they want to go to NASA and have a day in space.
Fran Mallace:
It's so true. There are some kids that know exactly what they might want to have happen, and then others are just trying to figure out what that might be. We don't want the families to influence it. We truly want it to be the child's wish.
Todd:
What are some of the most unusual gifts that you've had?
Fran Mallace:
Well, one of my favorite wishes was one that was just about a year ago. It was for a little boy, Jesse, who wanted a man cave. You talk about partnerships in the community, and obviously the Chamber has been incredible as a partner. But the 2030 Club, which is a men's organization, they rallied behind as a corporate partner, and they picked his wish to get involved with. But it was really fun, especially seeing his face when he had this beautiful man cave in the backyard with a foosball table, and a loft, and a sign that said, "No adults allowed, especially sisters."
So the fun of the team putting that together and, again, the community coming together, that's been a fun one. But there's shopping sprees, there's lots of travel. Particularly because of COVID, there wasn't a lot of travel happening again. But, now we're seeing travel come back. The partnership with Disney, sending kids to Disney World, Disneyland, Hawaii, because there's a Disney property there. But pretty much, if you can think it up, for the most part, we want to be able to do it, within reason of course.
Todd:
Obviously, these are pretty significant exercises and they're not cheap. They're not $37 anymore. How do this?
Fran Mallace:
They are not.
Todd:
You mentioned the community. How do they play a part?
Fran Mallace:
We do. The community plays a part because there's all kinds of ways to give. There's In Kind, where we go out into the community and we get things donated. But to your point, we are 100% philanthropic, which means that we have to raise every dollar. A typical wish costs about $10,000 now. A lot-
Todd:
$10,000?
Fran Mallace:
$10,000. Because a lot of the travel, if you have booked anything recently, probably even around the holidays, is more expensive. Then also hotels and things, just the cost of those things is greater. But we do have to go into the community to get things that are donated to help offset some of that. We're not part of any of the tax credits and things.
Todd:
So, it's definitely a different exercise. But I'm also guessing there's probably no shortage of people who, when they see a kid who's not well, that wants to help.
Fran Mallace:
We have a very generous community in Phoenix, and it's fabulous to have so much support. But yes, when they hear Make-A-Wish, and they know that they can actually make a difference in a child's life and for their family, they want to lean in and help. We have an incredible board that, again, is very generous. They give their time, their money, their expertise in helping us connect people all over. So, we've been really, really fortunate.
Todd:
Well, let's get to that, because I'm pleased to say you all were an Impact Award winner-
Fran Mallace:
Thank you very much for that.
Todd:
Which was such a fun day, and so well-deserved. But clearly, there has to be a lot of organization, a lot of structure, and a lot of rigor that goes on behind the scenes. Talk to us a little bit about the business.
Fran Mallace:
I would say, in terms of just making sure that we do have an impact, there definitely is a business model, like anything else-
Todd:
Sure.
Fran Mallace:
But, we have to make sure we're continuing to raise money in order to fund those wishes. Again, we're very fortunate that we have a very large community of supporters that allow for that to happen.
Todd:
Well, you mentioned your board, and there are a lot of boards in The Valley that are nonprofit boards.
Fran Mallace:
But, ours really is the best board.
Todd:
Well, I don't know. We'll have to challenge each other. But I guess the question is, what makes a good board member? We're all looking for people that can help us further the mission. When you look for a board member, what do you look for?
Fran Mallace:
We look for a variety of different things. One is engagement. Is there someone who's really going to get behind the mission? Do they love the mission? Why do they really want to be part of it? A lot of times there is a personal connection with someone on the board, whether it's someone in their family, or it could be someone that they're really good friends with, it could be a neighbor, it could be an associate. We find that a lot of times, someone that they work with. Usually, they know someone who had a wish. But we do look for a variety in diversity. We want to make sure that we have different verticals in terms of different categories on the board, again, because we want that diversity of thinking. Also know that, we look for people that are really giving. But, the engagement part is really important.
We set up expectations in terms of what that looks like. So if you're going to be committed to a board member, we want you at the board meetings, we want you on a committee of your choice. There's a variety of different things that you can do. There's usually something in terms of their growth. Maybe they're not a marketer, but they decide, "Well, I'm going to be on the marketing committee 'cause I want to learn more about that." Or maybe someone wants to be on the finance committee because they want to learn more about P&Ls and things, and how a nonprofit works. So, we do look for things like that. But, there's a commitment. They have to be at the Wish Ball, and they also have to raise a significant amount of money personally, and also what we call a get.
Todd:
To give or get?
Fran Mallace:
They're give a get, yeah. But, it's both. But we believe that you have to have a personal give because then we know you're committed, and that you're there for all the right reasons.
Todd:
Given that you have people probably in the spectrum, economically, I'm assuming it's more about what's meaningful to you.
Fran Mallace:
Absolutely. Then we also have what are called our wishmaker councils, which is a different level of giving with a give/get, and it typically is more of a young professional group. Then of course, we have 500 plus volunteers in the state of Arizona. So we-
Todd:
500.
Fran Mallace:
Yes. We cannot do anything without volunteers, and an amazing team at Make-A-Wish. Also, Make-A-Wish America is headquartered here, and they are incredible in terms of the support that they give us.
Todd:
So if a business owner is watching this and/or listening to this and wants to get involved, what's the best way to do that? Thinking, "Well, I don't know. We sell barbed wire," for instance, "How could we help?"
Fran Mallace:
We probably have a need for barbed wire, Todd, because we do a lot of redos in the backyards, and also room redos. I would say, "Contact us." That's the first step, giving us a call, or going to the website and getting more information, and then really seeing how you could fit in. We have wish granters that come in as volunteers. We also have thankathons on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We also have building of furniture. It's incredible, in terms of the need that we have with having stuff done, because the faster we can build things and the faster we can do all of that, the faster we can grant wishes, 'cause it does take between 7 and 12 months to grant a wish.
Todd:
So, there's a lot behind it.
Fran Mallace:
Yeah, there's a lot behind it. Just the number of calls we make to vendors that are helping us, and partners, the number of calls to the family, going back with the medical. Because a lot of times, when children are going through their treatments, they might get ready for a wish, but unfortunately they might have a setback where we have to either cancel something or postpone something. So it is a long process, but one that is definitely worth it.
Todd:
So what I'm hearing, and this is probably a lot more substantial than I imagined, is that there are a lot of moving parts-
Fran Mallace:
There are.
Todd:
And it's very complicated from a logistical perspective, but also from an economic perspective, and so on and so forth. It's going to require the right person at the helm, which is you. What's your leadership style?
Fran Mallace:
I love being able to empower people and get the heck out of the way. Let people do what they need to do, hiring the right people for the right jobs. I was really fortunate that it was a great foundation, and a lot of incredible people that have been working at Make-A-Wish, some for a year, some for seven or eight years. But I really do try to just be supportive and make sure that I can get all the obstacles out of the way, and just be there to find out whatever they need. I do a lot of listening tours, making sure that our culture is one that's really thriving. Very people-focused, so making sure that we have a plan for our team so that they can continue to grow. We do IDPs, independent development plans, so that everyone truly does have a career path too. We want to make sure that they truly want to stay, and we want to retain our very best talent.
Todd:
When you talk about culture, what would you say that looks like? How would you define the culture?
Fran Mallace:
I would say just people-focused. We're always making sure that we are doing the right thing. We really want people's opinions, and ideas, and their thoughts about how we can continue to do things better and better. Love great ideas, and most of them come from our frontline employees. So it's really fun to be able to have that connectivity too, and we have a lot of fun.
Todd:
What's the toughest part of the job?
Fran Mallace:
I would say probably the toughest part is just wanting to get things done sooner than we actually can get them done. I think it's that patience of making sure that we can have everything done, and doing it quicker. That'd be part of the magic wand, getting more wishes granted quicker.
Todd:
Do you have any more of those?
Fran Mallace:
I think we'll find one for you.
Todd:
Okay. Clearly, we can understand why you were a winner of the Impact Awards. Thinking about other companies that are looking at perhaps getting nominated or nominating themselves for that, why should they think about nominating themselves?
Fran Mallace:
Well, there are so many great organizations out there. Think about the impact that you have in the community. Tell your story, because it's contagious. So make sure that everyone is seeing all the good work that you're doing. I always like to say, "It's getting caught in the act of doing something good." So that, to me, is the spirit of what an Impact Award is all about. But people want to help, and I think it's just a great opportunity for the community to come together. Just from my past days at Cox Media, our thing was, "Better together." That's what it's all about, everyone really coming together as a community, and helping each other out, and supporting each other.
Todd:
One of the criticisms that I hear about us, in the nonprofit world, is that there's a lot of silos and not necessarily a lot of collaboration. You are known as someone who collaborates well, and I'm sure your funders appreciate that, as well as your board. Talk to us about, what's the secret there?
Fran Mallace:
Well, I think the magic formula or the magic wand, is really making sure that you are collaborating. We could not do it without you. Todd, you have been incredible in the support that we get. But just in the medical community, the doctors, look at Phoenix Children's Hospital Banner, just to name a few. We would not get referrals if we didn't have partnerships there. Then you look at the Amanda Hopes and you look at the Ronald McDonald House, our children that have cancer, because that's one of our qualifying illnesses, we couldn't do it without everybody. So just knowing that we can lean in, and have those partnerships, is so key to all of us in having that success. Who doesn't want to help grant a wish for a child? But, we could never do it without... It takes everybody to make it happen.
Todd:
But, it takes a strong leader to do it.
Fran Mallace:
Well, we have a great leadership team. We have great people. So that's very nice of you but, honestly, I wake up every morning because I can't wait to get to work.
Todd:
Looking ahead, what are some of your goals for the organization and your team as you move forward?
Fran Mallace:
More of the same, and some more. One would be that we are very focused on another record-breaking year. One of the things that we were able to do is, we granted 424 wishes, and we are set up to do a minimum of 450 for this coming year. Then, of course, raise enough money to be able to make sure that happens. But we are very, very committed to making sure that every eligible child can be granted a wish. That means going into the underserved communities and underrepresented. That is a very big focus for us this year. We've expanded statewide, so we now have a few additional employees in Southern Arizona and Northern Arizona so that we can make sure that that happens. But we're super excited about that, and we are not stopping until every single child in Arizona is granted a wish.
Todd:
It's great to hear that zip code's not going to be a deterrent anymore.
Fran Mallace:
Well, and you know what? You can't determine illness by zip code either.
Todd:
No, it doesn't care.
Fran Mallace:
It doesn't care. It doesn't matter.
Todd:
So how do you deal with, for instance, non-native speakers, and kids who maybe don't speak English, who want a wish?
Fran Mallace:
Well, one way to do it is, you hire bilingual or trilingual employees, and that's exactly what we've just done. So all of our, really, truly, probably the last five or six hires, have either been bilingual or trilingual. So, it's very important that we do communicate. We're also building, of course with your help as well, just making sure that we're in the communities that we serve. That's been a really big focus for the past six to eight months. We're making some waves, we're getting some traction.
Todd:
Absolutely. Then looking around the corner 10 years from now, where do you want the organization to be?
Fran Mallace:
In great financial shape so that, in perpetuity, we can grant wishes. Those are the things that we think about. It's really important because, beyond myself and the team that's there today, we want to make sure that we set up the best for the future, and make sure that we are going to be able to grant wishes forever,
Todd:
Make Chris's mom's proud.
Fran Mallace:
And make her proud, and keep the legacy going.
Todd:
Absolutely. Well, what is something about Make-A-Wish that you wish that people knew that they don't know?
Fran Mallace:
I think it goes back to, again, it started here, so everybody has a lot to be proud of in Arizona. That we are a lasting wish, not necessarily a last wish. That the impact and the power of a wish, and what it does for the family, especially the siblings. Again, the community coming together, there is nothing like it. So, those are really the big things.
Todd:
Well, I think it's a good point 'cause I think people do have that notion that maybe it's for kids who are just terminal, and it's for kids who are sick.
Fran Mallace:
There's not a day that goes by that someone doesn't think that. Even as a former board member, I thought that. So we have a lot of work still to continue to tell that story, but this is a great opportunity to be able to do that. So, thank you.
Todd:
Well, and then the focus on the family and the siblings, because they're suffering just as much. To be able to have a day or two, or whatever, to forget about it must be a real game changer.
Fran Mallace:
It really is a game changer. Again, it really makes a difference.
Todd:
Well, I want to thank you for spending so much time with us today.
Fran Mallace:
Thank you.
Todd:
We're going to do a quick lightning round. You obviously have a fascinating background. What was your first job?
Fran Mallace:
My first job was babysitting.
Todd:
What did you learn?
Fran Mallace:
Then camp counselor. I learned that I wanted to wait to have kids for a very long time, but it was great to have them. No, that's all. I'm just kidding. But really, my first job was babysitting. You learn a lot of responsibility because you're having to be in charge of this human being at 13 or 14 years old. You're like, "Wait a second. You're going to leave me alone with this child?"
Todd:
I'm not qualified.
Fran Mallace:
But, it prepared me to be a mom.
Todd:
Okay. Now we're going to go a different way. First concert,
Fran Mallace:
Elton John. Madison Square Garden.
Todd:
You said that with a lot of pride, and rightfully so.
Fran Mallace:
Well, my parents had to drop us off, and then another parent picked us up. So, that's why.
Todd:
So, you were cool.
Fran Mallace:
I remember it like it was yesterday.
Todd:
Okay. If I had the power, which I don't-
Fran Mallace:
If you had a magic wand?
Todd:
If I handed you a magic wand and give you a wish, what would it be?
Fran Mallace:
Oh, my gosh. Well, I love what one of the doctors always say. They say that, "The next wish is always the best wish." But if I had my own personal wish, and I will share something that a lot of people at my office and who are very friendly with me... I love Virgin River on Netflix, and I happen to be very fond of their main character, Jack Sheridan. So I would like to go on set and hang out with Jack and Mel, and have fun with them in Vancouver.
Todd:
So a little cameo?
Fran Mallace:
Absolutely. Even if I've just walking past them and waving, it would be perfect.
Todd:
You never know. Well, thank you for spending so much time with us, and for your leadership, and for everything you're doing.
Fran Mallace:
Oh, my gosh.
Todd:
It's astounding to think about the impact you're having every single year, and it's growing.
Fran Mallace:
Thank You.
Todd:
We'll look forward to more.
Fran Mallace:
Back at you. Thank you so much.
Todd:
You bet. Thank you.