Children's Hospital and Research Center Foundation

Children's delivers the most expert and compassionate health care regardless of our patients' ability to pay. Our research has resulted in better treatment of cancers, blood diseases, HIV/AIDS and many other life-threatening illnesses.

How do you help people in my community?

Children's Hospital Medical Center is the oldest, largest, busiest and most comprehensive pediatric medical center between Los Angeles and Seattle. For more than 80 years, Children's Hospital has provided the best possible medical care for every child in the region, regardless of ability to pay.

Founded in 1912 by nurse Bertha Wright, the "Baby Hospital" as it was known then, was first housed in the stable of the old McElrath mansion. Today, with 205 licensed beds, Children's Hospital is now a pediatric medical center supporting, in addition to patient care, nationally recognized pediatric teaching and research programs.

Children's Hospital has expanded its role over the years and now serves as both the medical "safety net" for children in the East Bay and a regional pediatric medical center with specialized staff and facilities to treat rare illnesses and complex problems. Because full-service hospitals solely for children are extremely specialized, few communities can support one. There are only 45 freestanding children's hospitals in the nation.

Children's Hospital has the largest pediatric intensive care unit in Northern California, the only pediatric emergency department and only designated pediatric trauma center between Los Angeles and Seattle. The 47-bed intensive care nursery is the state-designated regional referral center for high-risk newborns in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Children's Hospital receives more than 165,000 pediatric patient visits a year.

Most communities do not have the resource and reassurance of a children's hospital nearby. Children's Hospital is the oldest, largest and busiest pediatric medical center between Seattle and Los Angeles.

Children's Hospital takes pride in caring for all children, especially the urban poor, most of whom have no private health care coverage. As such, it is the safety-net provider for the area's children - 66 percent of our families are covered by Medi-Cal. For 83 years, our tradition has been to turn no child in the region away because of lack of funds. Children's Hospital provides almost $9 million a year in uncompensated care for those who cannot pay.

Children's Hospital takes care of children throughout California. In 1997, our patients came from 56 of 58 California counties.

Northern California's only trauma center just for children is at Children's Hospital.

Northern California's only freestanding Outpatient Center for children is at Children's Hospital.

Northern California's only freestanding Children's Surgery Center for same-day surgery is located in Children's Hospital Medical Center Outpatient Center.

Children's Hospital is a national resource for sickle cell disease and has the largest clinical sickle cell program in the country. The Sickle Cell Center is located in the Outpatient Center.

Children's Hospital has the sole pediatric-only Burn Center west of Denver. Each year Children's Hospital admits more pediatric burn patients than any other facility in Northern California.

Children's Hospital trains many of the pediatricians who become essential to our community; 70% of Children's residents remain in the Bay Area after graduation.

Children's Hospital Research Institute is on the forefront of many important discoveries in pediatric disease, benefiting families locally, regionally and internationally.

Children's Hospital is the place community pediatricians turn to for their patients when the complexity of a condition is in question.

Why do you need my support?

Children's Hospital Medical Center with its 31 pediatric subspecialties, nationally recognized clinical research and uncommonly dedicated staff, Children's Hospital is prepared to face virtually every medical challenge. Your donation to Children's Hospital may contribute towards discovering a new treatment, an improved procedure, a medical breakthrough, or put just one child--someone's child--back on the road to a normal, healthy, pain-free life.

Children's Hospital is a safety-net provider for the area's children--72 percent of our young patients are on MEDICAL. For the 87 years, its tradition has been to turn no child away because of lack of funds. Last year, Children's Hospital provided about $116 million in un-reimbursed and charity care for children from low income families.

Gift to the hospital strengthen the institution’s financial base, allowing it to upgrade and increase its ability to help even more children. For example, Children's opened an Ambulatory Service Center to relieve the serious overcrowding in its inpatient operating rooms and to meet the growing demand for outpatient operating rooms and to meet the growing demand for outpatient services.

We're here for the children but need your help to continue our work.

How can I be sure that you will use my money wisely and won't waste it?

As you know OPM requires that the organization named in its application spend 25% or less of its total support and revenue on administrative and fundraising expenses during the year covered by the submitted IRS Form 990.

In 2004 there were two Foundations at the Children's Hospital, The Children's Hospital Foundation (CHF) and The Children's Hospital & Research Center Foundation (CHRCF) and it meant revenues were split between the two Foundation’s.  This resulted in CHRCF having expenses and revenues that caused CHRCF to spend in excess of 25% of its total support and revenue on administration and fund-raising but the main reason for this was a direct result of losses on the sales of securities.

The points made for approval to OPM are as follows:

ATTACHMENT "F"

Since 1967, the Children's Hospital and Research Center Foundation has continued successfully to advance its mission of raising & prudently managing funds and other resources. In the preceding year the organization spent in excess of 25% of its total support and revenue on administration & fund-raising expenses.

This was a result of two one time only nonrecurring events.

1. A loss on sales of securities which occurred when it was decided to liquidate one investment and reinvest in the securities of another.

2. Increased expenses required to affect the departmental consolidation of two independent hospital operational foundations.

Looking forward, the consolidation has streamlined and exemplified Children's Hospital and Research Center Foundation's commitment and ability to increased support and revenue. In addition, the consolidation is allowing the highest standards of accountability and effectiveness, which will lead to reduction in expenses for administration and fund-raising efforts.

It is the newly consolidated Foundation's primary goal to ensure the planning and implementation of fund raising activities of the Foundation to be conducted in a manner that is technically sound, timely, and cost effective.

The new consolidation Foundation intends to:

1. Achieve fund raising objectives in a cost-effective manner using demonstrated and innovative technology where appropriate

2. Ensure that organizing, planning, scheduling, budgeting, accounting, and reporting are done in a timely consistent manner.

3. Acquire cost and fund raising information in the format and level of detail needed to meet reporting needs.

4. Integrate reported data in order to compare fund raising progress to planned accomplishments.

5. Appraise and assess carefully reported information in order to identify key problems that require corrective action.

6. Compare profiles of fund raising with commitments, expenditures, and work accomplishments.

7. Control any changes that may affect fund raising scope budgets or schedules.

Can I Volunteer? How?

Almost 500 men and women volunteer more than 50,000 hours of hospital work each year to support patients, families and staff. They sustain activities and comfort children in playrooms and at bedside, assist staff member in our clinic. We begin our care by making our patients feel comfortable and many times our volunteers are there to help, offering a hug and support to the parents of the patients.