2022 Foundation Annual Report
Creating a World of Possibilities
How do we make the future a better place for everyone?
That question is at the heart of our community. What each CHOC supporter has in common is a willingness to imagine a world that is healthier and brighter, and the conviction to be a part of that transformation.
In this report, we share highlights of the incredible impact our donors made over the past year and how philanthropy is creating a world of possibilities for children now and for generations to come.
A Message from Doug Corbin
Since our beginnings on the single floor of a partner hospital in the early 1960s, CHOC and our loyal community of supporters have been defined by a collective vision to search for new possibilities that will revolutionize pediatric health care and change lives for the better. Today, we continue to be at the forefront of innovation and discovery, seizing opportunities and leading the way to a healthier and brighter future.
Philanthropy is what fuels our progress. After more than three years living in a pandemic environment, it is more apparent than ever that our world faces pressing and complex challenges, and that it takes courage and bold vision to look beyond the obstacles we face and to dream of solutions. We are truly grateful that our donors possess this imaginative, inventive and entrepreneurial spirit. Because of your kindness, generosity and passion, CHOC can realize our full potential and find innumerable ways to cross boundaries and answer pediatric healthcare’s biggest questions. We have abundant, powerful examples in the annual report that follows.
As the scope and depth of our partnerships continue to grow and evolve, so too does CHOC’s pursuit to become the nation’s leader in pediatric health care. Because of the steadfast support of our donors, we will continue to forge new ways forward to create a world—and a future— that is full of possibilities for our young patients and their families.
Douglas J. Corbin, CFRE, CSPG
Senior Vice President & Chief Development Officer
Philanthropic Highlights
Giving Families Hope
Argyros Family Foundation’s transformational gift spearheads new model of maternal-fetal care.
When families face complicated and unexpected fetal disorders, CHOC’s response is a state-of-the-art Fetal Care Center of Southern California, bringing together world-class experts in maternal-fetal medicine. The Argyros Family Foundation’s $10 million transformational gift will grow this program, ensuring our families have the best chance of achieving health and wellness for their babies.
Getting Ahead of the Mental Health Crisis
Tsao Family Foundation blazes a trail for school-based mental health services.
In the midst of our world’s unparalleled pediatric mental health crisis, CHOC has launched WellSpaces—welcoming, school-based oases where students can unwind and access support and resources on a variety of mental health, physical health and education topics, improving their overall well-being. In 2022, in partnership with the Orange County Department of Education and thanks to the generosity of the Tsao Family Foundation, we established 17 WellSpaces in Irvine schools—totaling 25 WellSpaces to-date across Orange County.
Together, we are achieving an entire world of good!
Broke ground on our new Southwest Tower
This new 330,000-square-foot Southwest Tower will house multiple outpatient services like a comprehensive imaging center, a dedicated Research Institute floor, multiple specialty clinics and more. The nine-story building will open in phases beginning in mid-2025, enabling CHOC to serve even more families in Orange County and beyond.
Introduced a Mental Health Crisis Clinic
This outpatient mental health crisis program for youth is the first program in Southern California based on a proven outpatient crisis model. The clinic provides short-term crisis services to youth ages 3 to 18 and their families who need temporary care while awaiting referral to outpatient mental health programs.
Expanded our pediatric sleep center
We opened a new pediatric sleep center with eight outpatient licensed beds. The 3,200-square-foot facility doubles the capacity of the sleep center in its previous location inside CHOC, and will provide more access for children with complex medical conditions who need additional support during a sleep study.
Created an app to ease patient anxiety
The Sharon Disney Lund Medical Intelligence, Information, Investigation and Innovation Institute (MI4) continues to make revolutionary developments toward a healthier future, including the creation of a new augmented reality app where an animated Choco Bear walks patients through the MRI process.
Together, we are growing our mighty brigade!
Philanthropy allows CHOC to continue to attract and recruit nationally recognized physicians to build preeminent pediatric healthcare programs. In fiscal year 2022, we welcomed new Defenders of Childhood, including:
Dr. Sandip Godambe
Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer
Dr. John Crawford
Medical Director, Neurology, Co-Medical Director, Neuroscience Institute
Dr. Terrie Inder
Chair of Neonatal Research
A Global Leader
Philanthropy helps our services and programs grow and strengthen, garnering the following national honors:
Ranked Among Nation’s Best Children’s Hospitals
CHOC ranked among the best in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-23 rankings. CHOC also ranked in seven different specialty areas: cancer; cardiology and heart surgery; diabetes and endocrinology; neurology and neurosurgery; orthopedics; urology; and neonatology, which earned a “top 15” spot.
2022 Leapfrog Top Hospital
Highlighting its nationally recognized achievements in patient safety and quality, CHOC has again been named a Top Children’s Hospital nationally by The Leapfrog Group. CHOC was one of two West Coast children’s hospitals to be honored.
Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator
CHOC Foundation has received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator for its strong financial health and ongoing accountability and transparency. This is the 14th time the Foundation has earned this elite distinction since 2005.
A Rare Disease Center of Excellence
Designated as a National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) Rare Disease Center of Excellence, CHOC joins a highly selective group of 31 medical centers seeking to expand access and advance care and research for rare disease patients in the United States.
World-Class Newsworthy Moments
An estimated 10 billion people saw media coverage about or including CHOC in fiscal year 2022. Here’s a look at some key media relations efforts that gained mass attention:
Groundbreaking Research
One standout media segment was a national “60 Minutes” piece about comparative oncology, examining how cancer treatments for dogs could also lead to breakthrough treatments for humans, and featuring CHOC as a site for a clinical trial using modified listeria bacteria to elicitan immune response against bone cancer.
As part of the segment, “60 Minutes” correspondent Anderson Cooper spent time at CHOC when patient Krystie received the treatment in the outpatient infusion center. The segment featured an interview with Dr. Elyssa Rubin, a CHOC pediatric oncologist, and highlighted the expert and compassionate team of experts in our outpatient infusion center.
Pediatric Clinical Expertise
CHOC has diligently contributed to a safer and healthier community during the pandemic, administering more than 30,000 COVID-19 vaccines since they became available. The need for expert pediatric health information grew even more critical during the “triple-demic” in late 2022, when RSV, COVID-19 and flu rates soared, increasing the number of young patients at children’s hospitals nationwide and parents’ concerns about their children’s health.
CHOC providers of varying specialties shared expertise with a range of news media, including local broadcast and print outlets, as well as national media:
- “Good Morning America,” which featured an interview with Dr. Jasjit Singh, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and medical director of infection prevention and control at CHOC;
- The Washington Post, which included insights from Dr. Sandip Godambe, CHOC’s chief medical officer;
- The New York Times, which featured the expertise of Dr. Coleen Cunningham, CHOC’s pediatrician in chief.
The Return of CHOC Foundation’s Signature Events
For the CHOC Foundation, 2022 was a year of renewal and transformation. We were thrilled to safely bring our CHOC community back together after so much time apart, and our bustling fundraising activities were renewed with our trademark signature events returning in-person.
CHOC Gala, Miracles Under the Stars
The long-anticipated 2022 CHOC Gala set a new record—more than $5.7 million raised for our pediatric cardiology program. Under the stars, the evening featured mission moment speakers, exclusive live auction packages and entertainment from Lionel Richie, the Oscar, Golden Globe and four-time Grammy award-winning artist.
CHOC Adventure in the Park, presented by the Disneyland® Resort
The reimagined celebration of 30 years of Walking for Kids sparkled like no other at Disney California Adventure® Park, presented by the Disneyland® Resort. We welcomed over 5,000 participants in 400 teams who collectively raised over $1.9 million.
CHOC Classic, presented by PMH Laboratory, Inc.
Our annual golf tournament celebrated 10 years with an unforgettable day at the renowned Pelican Hill Golf Club, fundraising over $495,000 that will make a lifelong difference for the CHOC patients and families we are privileged to serve.
CHOC Follies, “The Great Chocsby!”
Our 2022 production, titled “The Great Chocsby!,” featured Orange County’s most talented business, social and civic leaders performing in an original 1920s-inspired musical that raised $480,000 to help CHOC bring mental health services, care and research to our community.
Giving by the Numbers
The support that we received in 2022 was out-of-this-world!
Here are the financials for the past fiscal year (July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022).
$56.8M
Total Donations
13,303
Total Donors
45,558
Number of Gifts
$143 million+ in community benefits
Each year, CHOC provides more than $143 million in total community benefits such as increased access to pediatric healthcare resources and information, behavioral health services, disease and injury prevention interventions and community action. Of that, more than $128 million—nearly 90%—ensures all children receive the services they need, regardless of their family’s ability to pay.
$1 million+ raised on CHOC Raise Up
In 2022, our CHOC Raise Up platform reached the milestone of raising $1 million…and counting. From lemonade stands to holiday parties and tribute gifts, CHOC Raise Up is a peer-to-peer fundraising program that brings the community together to create a positive impact for CHOC through your own personalized approach.
Donation Breakdown
Giving by area | % of Total |
---|---|
Patient & Family-Centered Care | 50% |
Greatest Needs | 28% |
Deferred | 16% |
Board Designated – CHOC & Foundation | 5% |
All Others Groundbreaking Research, Leadership and Education, Innovative Technology, Awaiting Designation | 1% |
Reflecting back and looking ahead
As we look toward 2023, we are eager for what lies ahead, including the 10-year anniversary of the Bill Holmes Tower.
Opened in spring 2013, the iconic, multicolored, seven-story facility brought all patient departments and services under one roof for the first time in CHOC’s history—after nearly 50 years of sharing services with neighboring St. Joseph Hospital.
Over the past decade, the Bill Holmes Tower has elevated pediatric care in the region with:
- The Julia and George Argyros Emergency Department (ED), the only pediatric-dedicated emergency department in Orange County. Since its opening, the ED along with our robust transport team has treated nearly 800,000 total patients and seen tremendous growth, including being verified with the highest ranking possible as a Level I pediatric trauma center.
- A holistic patient-and-family-centered experience with services like: the Panda Cares Center of Hope, a meditation and prayer room with a spiritual care staff who consults people of all faith traditions, including over 7,000 patients and families, and 1,000 associates and providers per year; and The Cherese Mari Laulhere Child Life Department, providing compassionate care for approximately 70,000 children per year through activities such as Seacrest Studios—our in-house, multimedia broadcast center—and Turtle Talk with Crush, an interactive experience for children to have live conversations with their favorite Disney-Pixar animated sea turtle.
- An expansion that tripled the size of our children’s hospital, allowing us to now serve over a quarter-million patients each year!
This was just the start, and we have no doubt that the standard of care established through the Bill Holmes Tower will truly carry on and keep changing the world. CHOC is continuing its trajectory of growth and transformation to become a leading destination for children’s health and we are grateful for our community who continue to share our mission and join us in this journey.
We are proud of this tremendous decade milestone, and are thankful to the following donors for their key roles in bringing the Bill Holmes Tower from conception to reality.
Donors
The donors listed here made a singular gift of $1 million or more, or cumulatively gave $1 million or more to the “Change CHOC, Change the World” campaign that enabled us to build and develop The Bill Holmes Tower.
- Anonymous
- The Argyros Family Foundation
- Blue Shield of California Foundation
- Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals
- CHOC Follies
- Costco Wholesale Members, Employees & Vendors
- Sandy Segerstrom Daniels
- Disneyland® Resort
- Jean M. Fox
- Fry Family Foundation
- Glass Slipper Guild
- Estate of Robert E. and Mary R. Harke
- The HealthCare Foundation For Orange County
- Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian
- Bill Holmes
- Sophie and Lars Holmquist
- Hyundai Hope on Wheels
- Jack & Jill Guild
- The Shannon and Amy Ko Foundation
- Kohl’s Cares
- Robert M. and Diana Leaverton Family
- Henrietta and Harold Lee
- Kathryn T. McCarty
- Pediatric Subspecialty Faculty, Inc.
- Swenson Family Foundation
- Estate of Robert L. Tidwell
- United Way of Orange County
- Weingart Foundation
- West Coast University
Thank you
High-quality, patient-centered medical treatment, innovative technology and groundbreaking research are all part of our vision to create a world of possibilities for our patients, and each of these cornerstones thrive because of your philanthropy.
We extend to our Board of Directors a sincere thank you for your innovative leadership, kind hearts and dynamic efforts to widen our horizons, inspire and strengthen our CHOC community and champion philanthropic support for the health and well-being of children.
We are also tremendously grateful to the individuals, organizations and foundations who continue to partner with us in this valuable work.
Your support means the world to us because it means the world to our patients.