Tom Weatherall

Tom Weatherall has served as President & CEO of Make-A-Wish® New Jersey since 2005, after joining the organization as Vice President for Development in 2002. Under his leadership, the chapter has become one of the highest-performing Make-A-Wish chapters in the entire Make-A-Wish enterprise, which includes 57 chapters in the United States and more than 40 international locations. MAWNJ consistently ranks among the Top 10 in fundraising and wish granting.

Weatherall led the successful capital campaign that created The Samuel & Josephine Plumeri Wishing Place, fondly known as ‘the castle,’ designed with the guidance of Disney Imagineers. It’s the world’s first dedicated wish-granting facility within the Make-A-Wish organization. It is seen as a ‘game-changer’ by staff, board, donors, volunteers and national leadership, as it has greatly enhanced the wish delivery and overall experience of wish-granting for the children and families served by MAWNJ. Since opening in 2011, the Wishing Place has transformed the wish experience for children and families, enabling the chapter to grant as many wishes in its first 14 years at the castle, as it had in the previous 30 years combined.

During his tenure, Make-A-Wish New Jersey has secured the largest gift and largest bequest in Make-A-Wish history at the time and maintained Charity Navigator’s highest four-star rating for exceptional governance and financial stewardship. Under Tom’s leadership, MAWNJ has received the “Power of One Award”—Make-A-Wish America’s highest honor and referred to as “chapter of the year”—in both 2018 and 2022, becoming one of only three chapters to earn this distinction twice.

A respected leader, Weatherall has served on numerous Make-A-Wish America national committees, advises chapters on major gift strategies, and in 2023 became the first Make-A-Wish chapter executive to present at a Make-A-Wish International conference. He has also participated in Fanatics’ Professional Athlete Immersion Program alongside former NBA star Allan Houston, mentoring professional athletes interested in philanthropy, and serves on the Advisory Panel for the Garden of Dreams Foundation.

Prior to Make-A-Wish, Weatherall held leadership positions in higher education administration and nonprofit consulting at Saint Peter’s University, Seton Hall University, Loyola University New Orleans, and Graham-Pelton Consulting. He has also served on numerous nonprofit boards throughout his career.

His honors include induction into the Saint Peter’s University Athletic Hall of Fame, the Meadowlands YMCA Honesty Award, Irishman of the Year from the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of the Jersey Shore, and Humanitarian of the Year from the Ancient Order of Hibernians.