Children's Hospital and Research Center Foundation

You can help save a child's life. Donations help sick kids with advanced medical treatment and find new cures to childhood cancer and other diseases.

How do you help people in my community?

Giving to Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland provides life-saving research that has global impact. One such example would be research on a vaccine for meningoccal B (meningitis), a disease that takes the lives of scores of children here in the U.S. and around the world.

Research carried out at Children’s Hospital Oakland has impacted global standards for treatment in areas such as diabetes, nutrition, cancer and more. Children’s researchers are renowned for their bench-to-bedside findings and ability to swiftly bring lifesaving discoveries from the lab directly to the families who need them.

As the only nonprofit pediatric research center in the country not affiliated with a university, Children’s entrepreneurial and independent spirit has made it one of the fastest-growing biomedical research enterprises in the region, attracting some of the top minds in science. Our team of 200-plus researchers and clinicians has been at the forefront of discovery, contributing to significant advances in medical research and patenting more than 25 scientific inventions in the past five years alone.

Why do you need my support?

A gift to Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland may be the most empowering gift you ever make. Your gift will be leveraged, as you’ll not only be helping us provide health care, your donation also supports innovative research and treatments that have global impact. More than 70% of the patients at Children’s Hospital are on government assistance for their medical care. This means that the hospital is not reimbursed for a portion of care we provide. It’s because of the generosity of people like you that we’re able to care for our patients and provide the latest in innovation and health care advancements  to vulnerable children in our community. 

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

Children’s Hospital & Research Center Foundation goes through a rigorous financial audit each year.  During our most recent audit the Foundation spent 15.6 percent of its total support and revenue on administrative and fundraising expenses, significantly less than the IRS suggested best practice of 25 percent or less. Children’s management pays close attention to controlling costs and making sure your donations are put to the best use – caring for kids.

The Board of Directors, with the chief executive officer, set the strategic direction of the medical and research center and the Foundation. Board members’ backgrounds and areas of expertise include finance, medical practice, health policy, corporate management, nonprofit management, government and law.

Children’s current board chair Jim Keefe, is owner and founder of Mercantile Capital Corporation and has worked in finance his entire adult life.

“There’s a finance concept I keep in mind as I serve this hospital: leverage,” said Mr. Keefe, an active trustee since 2003. “I believe it’s important to find opportunities to leverage your skills in favor of a good cause. I’m lucky to be able to leverage my skills at this incredible institution with dedicated people serving a critical population—children. In my view, that is pretty close to as good as it gets.”

Can I Volunteer? How?

At Children’s Hospital Oakland we have a robust volunteer program with as many as 1,000 people volunteering each year. Volunteers are asked to volunteer a minimum of 100 hours annually.  To learn more about volunteering at Children's Hospital Research Center Oakland go to www.children’shospitaloakland.org.