The sole purpose of Miami Children's Hospital Foundation is to raise awareness and funds in support of Miami Children’s Hospital (MCH). Since 1982, the Foundation has raised millions of dollars to meet the critical needs of the Hospital. Funds raised by the Foundation have helped MCH become one of the top pediatric hospitals in the country and well-renowned worldwide as a leader in children’s health care.
For example, in 2007 the Foundation accomplished the following:
- Donations and pledges from corporations and generous donors.
- The annual Diamond Ball, the Foundation’s signature event, garnered $1.2 million in its first year.
- The Piggy Bank Endowment Fund, introduced in 2007, was created to help shore up the uncompensated expenses rendered by the Hospital, which, in 2006, amounted to nearly $20 million.
- Estates and planned gifts such as that of an anonymous donor with no association with the Hospital or Foundation, working exclusively on the advice of her attorneys, generously remembered the Foundation in her will with a donation of $2.7 million.
- The Foundation assists the Hospital by introducing and maintaining partnerships:
- Rooms to Go, a nationally recognized furniture company, graciously donated all of the furnishings for the 28 Devonshire apartments in the Hospital facility that houses families who find themselves here for a long term treatment of a child.
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida donated in excess of $1 million to support Miami Children's Hospital’s Brain Institute, the only one like it in the country for comprehensive pediatric brain treatments.
- KB Toys delivers car loads of toys for the children on a quarterly basis.
- The Rotary Club of Coral Gables donated $85,000 for the Hospital’s rehabilitation room.
- A well-known Hollywood star is donating an entire Toy Chest room.
Donations to the Foundation are not just received in the form of cash and certainly not in large amounts. Contributions are also welcome in the form of estate gifts, bequeaths, annuities, trusts and in-kind goods, services and volunteer hours on behalf of children we serve.
Funds to Miami Children’s Hospital foundation can be specified as either restricted or unrestricted. Restricted funds are earmarked, by the donor, for a particular area of interest such as the Brain Institute or Cardiology. Unrestricted funds are just that, given without restrictions and are used at the discretion of the Hospital administration. Both of these funds are distributed based on Hospital funding priorities.
Unrestricted Funds 2007:
The majority of the unrestricted funds went to support the Hospital’s New Program Development Initiative. These funds were used to recruit new faculty and/or develop new programs that bring an expansion of activities based on clinical needs, accreditation or regulatory mandates. Unrestricted funds also supported the Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs at the Fellowship level. This includes 18 MCH employed fellows in ACGME approved programs plus eight fellows in non-accredited programs and additional rotating fellows from various institutions.
Restricted Funds 2007:
2007 restricted funds supported 27 specialty areas throughout the Hospital and ambulatory service facilities. The James L. Knight Fund, administered by the Foundation, provided nearly $1.5 million for the costs of administering research programs; over $300,000 supported community wide Dental Health; and nearly $1 million supported the programs at the Children’s Brain Institute.
Additionally, over $250,000 supported medical education and over $200,000 was designated to programs at the Congenital Heart Institute. Other areas that received restricted contributions included: Radio Lollipop, The Devonshire Apartments, Hematology/Oncology, Health on Wheels, Child Passenger Safety, Craniofacial and Social Services.