"Effective altruism is a philosophy and social movement that uses evidence and reason to determine the most effective ways to benefit others."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effective_altruism

There is a motivational value in Make-a-Wish. I'm not saying that extensive resources should be committed to it, but if emotional impact of a Make-a-Wish story spurs people to be more altruistic or become childhood leukemia researchers, then it's not wasted money.

I have thought about it...but I don't really know whether that's the case. There is no encouragement or any instructions how to help yourself. We aren't all famous singers. The videos are great to watch, but to me it really feels more like a pr-machine.

It may be useful to consider the Make-a-Wish foundation as a performing arts organization that focuses on a large number of intimate performances.