You draw their future
2024 Foundation Annual Report
Together, we are drawing a new future for children and their families: one full of the joy of childhood and the special milestones of growing up. Your generosity brings to life a picture of health and hope for the patients and families we serve. This report illustrates the impact of our donors over the past year and highlights the masterpiece philanthropy makes possible.
A word from Jessica L. Miley
Every artist knows different elements need to come together to create a masterpiece. It takes inspiration, focus and an innovative way of seeing things.
Your generosity paints a beautiful canvas of impact. Together, we raised $62.6 million in 2024—a record-breaking year for the CHOC Foundation. And through the historic milestone of merging CHOC’s parent companies with Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, we will continue to shape the future of pediatric care, research and education in Southern California and beyond.
By sharing our vision of seeing kids healthier and happier, you help us live out our mission to nurture, advance and protect the well-being of children. From making extraordinary advancements in research and care to attracting the most brilliant talent in pediatrics, from decorating patient rooms for their birthdays to helping families feel at home in our hospital, you help bring hope and healing.
Because of you, CHOC’s pediatric health system is positioned to grow in its ability and reach to care for kids now and in the future. Every gift is a vibrant brushstroke of kindness, carrying the belief that we can preserve the magic of childhood. Thank you for drawing with us a new, hope-filled future for countless children and their families—a masterpiece I’m so grateful we’re creating together.
Jessica L. Miley
Senior Vice President | Chief Development Officer
The following services from the past year were made possible through the generosity of donors
A canvas of compassion
Our community’s generosity is helping each patient create a new masterpiece—one that’s wrapped with hope and health. And we are so thankful!
Swenson Family Foundation
The Swenson Family Foundation has been an unwavering defender of childhood, generously supporting CHOC for more than 30 years—championing and transforming care for children and their families. Their kindness ranges from support for CHOC’s social services department to investing in CHOC’s response to the growing pediatric mental health crisis. The compassionate spirit of the Swenson Family Foundation spans generations of their family members and has paved the way for vibrant futures for countless children.
“We hope the resources we share with CHOC will enrich and embolden children to live full and abundant lives. And we hope our efforts inspire others to support CHOC today and in the future,” says the Swenson Family Foundation.
Sharon D. Lund Foundation
Walt Disney said, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” Sharon Disney Lund, Walt’s daughter, shared her father’s devotion to making the world a brighter place. Their legacy lives on through the Sharon D. Lund Foundation (SDLF), which has been a longstanding partner of CHOC for over a decade.
SDLF’s generosity is making a difference for children and their families— and the future of pediatric medicine and wellness through the Sharon Disney Lund Medical Intelligence, Information, Investigation and Innovation Institute (Mi4), meeting the greatest needs of our mental health programs and supporting WellSpaces in Orange County middle schools and high schools.
Brushstrokes of generosity
The support of our community makes up a great canvas of kindness, creating a beautiful picture of healing and joy.
Sherry and John Phelan
“We are excited to help launch the Integrative Gastroenterology (GI) and Culinary Medicine program at CHOC.
We are big advocates for this integrative approach to healthcare, including an emphasis on nutrition, and applaud Dr. Ashish Chogle, medical director of gastroenterology at CHOC, for setting this new standard for pediatric GI care. We have every hope that CHOC will rapidly advance this vision for an integrative, holistic approach to care, system-wide, under the leadership of a brilliant and dedicated team. We are grateful to play a small part in it.”
Allied Anesthesia Medical Group, Inc.
“Our anesthesiologists are proud to work at CHOC and to have the opportunity to care for the most vulnerable in our community. We do whatever it takes for our patients, and working with them daily—seeing their resiliency and optimism—pushes you to want to do more.
This desire to ‘do more’ led to wanting to get involved beyond the care we deliver by providing financial support to the hospital. We aim to ensure that CHOC remains a place of hope, healing and exceptional care for generations to come.”
Clemons Family Foundation
“CHOC is a special place that provides the children of Orange County with so many healthcare services and resources.
Our family is honored to play a small role in supporting CHOC and helping to ensure that all kids get the level of care they need, regardless of circumstances.
Caring for a hospitalized child is never easy, but CHOC is able to ease the stress by providing services for the entire family. This caring warmth is part of what makes CHOC wonderful.”
Patient spotlight: Carson
A cancer diagnosis changed Carson’s life—and his family’s—in a heartbeat. But CHOC and our community of supporters were with them every step of the way and, today, Carson is cancer-free.
Painting brighter tomorrows
Celebrating CHOC’s 60th anniversary
CHOC has been a beacon of hope for children and families for six decades. What started out as a 62-bed children’s hospital in 1964—the first in Orange County—now serves more than 2 million kids.
As we celebrated 60 years of defending childhood, we’re deeply grateful to our generous community of supporters. Your commitment means that every patient and their family have the services, treatment and care they need to face any health challenge head-on and reclaim childhood—regardless of a family’s ability to pay.
Launching a new urgent care and Center for Children’s Health
Conveniently located in our Commerce Tower and across the street from CHOC Orange, our new pediatric urgent care features 12 exam rooms, two procedure rooms and a radiology room. The new location provides our patients and families with increased options for the best care for non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries.
In addition, the opening of the new CHOC Center for Children’s Health, located in the Joe C. Wen & Family Center for Advanced Care at the new UCI Health-Irvine medical complex, offers primary care, specialty care and rehabilitation services. This new clinic allows us to provide more appointment opportunities and convenience to our patients and families throughout Orange County.
Raising over $2 million to date on the CHOC Raise Up platform
For every 5K, bake sale, gaming livestream, holiday party and more, our community is proving that we’re stronger and healthier together!
Here are the top 2024 CHOC Raise Up fundraisers and hospital services you championed:
- Top Community Fundraisers Hosted by 17 local police and fire departments, the Motorhome Madness & Figure Eight Demolition Derby raised $56,502.
- Top Fundraising Campaign The Holiday Joy Drive, with $167,588 raised for CHOC families.
- Top Supported CHOC Service Fundraisers benefiting CHOC’s greatest needs raised over $398,483!
Patient spotlight: Piper
Born with an extremely rare and often misdiagnosed autoimmune condition called opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome (OMS), CHOC helped Piper and her family thrive. OMS affects one in five million people—usually young children, and today, Piper—now a teen—is in remission and living life to the fullest
Giving by the numbers
This past fiscal year (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024) was a record-setting one!
Philanthropic highlights
| Giving by Area/Donation Breakdown | Total | % |
|---|---|---|
| Patient- and Family-Centered Care | $31,282,583.60 | 50% |
| Greatest Needs | $21,044,752.93 | 34% |
| Leadership and Education | $3,600,813.27 | 6% |
| Deferred | $3,300,000 | 5% |
| Innovative Technology | $2,752,769 | 4% |
| Groundbreaking Research | $554,051.70 | 1% |
| Other | $140,667.50 | <1% |
| Grand Total | $62,675,638 | 100% |
$155 million+ in community benefits
Each year, CHOC treats over a quarter-million children. CHOC provides more than $155 million in total community benefits such as resources and information, disease/injury prevention and behavioral health services. Of that, more than $135 million—over 85%—is uncompensated care that ensures every child receives the services they need.
A portrait of hope: Charley Awards
Every year, the CHOC Foundation honors partners who have made a lasting impact on CHOC through our annual awards ceremony. Here, these supporters are celebrated and are bestowed with our highest honor, the Charley Award, named after prominent donor and CHOC champion, Charles Hester. Each recipient has set high standards for the generous contribution of time, talent and philanthropy that have nurtured CHOC since its founding in 1964. In 2024, we are grateful to recognize: Swenson Family Foundation, CHOC Follies Cast & Crew, Jose Abdenur, MD, Monica Furman, McCarthy Building Companies, Ron Salisbury and Lezlie Brown-Zoller.
Monica Furman
CHOC Follies Cast & Crew
Jose Abdenur, M.D.
Ron Salisbury
Lezlie Brown-Zoller
Award-winning pediatric care
Thanks to our community’s generosity, CHOC has been a leading destination for children’s health for more than 60 years. Here are some of the many national honors we garnered in 2024–together.
Named a “Best Children’s Hospital”
CHOC is ranked among the nation’s top children’s hospitals in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2024-25 best children’s hospitals rankings. CHOC also ranked in eight different specialty areas: cancer; cardiology and heart surgery; diabetes and endocrinology; neonatology; neurology and neurosurgery; pulmonology and lung surgery; urology; and behavioral health, a new survey specialty comprising mental health, adolescent medicine and neurodevelopmental services.
Ranked among the best international hospitals
CHOC is one of 250 pediatric hospitals among Newsweek’s 2025 World’s Best Specialized Hospitals list, recognizing our hospitals’ excellence in specialized care. Additionally, CHOC is one of 350 hospitals across 28 countries to be named to Newsweek’s World’s Best Smart Hospitals 2025 list, noting our work in implementing state-of-the-art medical technologies.
Clinical excellence and leadership highlighted nationally
Becker’s Hospital Review–a top national healthcare trade publication–included CHOC as one of the 150 top healthcare places to work in. CHOC’s Hyundai Cancer Institute, mental health program and diabetes and endocrinology program were also mentioned in its lists of notable programs among U.S. hospitals and healthcare systems.
Additionally, the publication listed President and Chief Executive Officer Kimberly Chavalas Cripe as one of 196 female hospital presidents and CEOs to know and named Chief Medical Officer Sandip Godambe, M.D. as a CMO to know.
Two new Centers of Excellence
CHOC has been named the first Center of Excellence for Auricular Neuromodulation (IB-Stim) worldwide. IB-Stim is a non-surgical medical device used to treat chronic abdominal pain and nausea associated with irritable bowel syndrome and other disorders of gut-brain interactions, and CHOC was one of the first pediatric hospitals to use the device on patients in the U.S.
CHOC has been selected as one of five Batten Disease Centers of Excellence across the country and the only one on the West Coast, a designation that will accelerate research to meet the needs of patients affected by this challenging neurometabolic disorder that typically begins in childhood.
Patient spotlight: Kara
When Kara was born, not all of her amniotic fluid could be expelled from her lungs, causing her to have trouble breathing. She also had a bacteria that put her at risk of developing pneumonia. She spent the first weeks of her life in the neonatal intensive care unit, undergoing a regimen of antibiotics. Today, she is happy and healthy—recently serving as our 2024 ambassador for CHOC Walk in the Park, presented by Disneyland® Resort.
Together, building healthier futures for children
We are excited to kick off 2025 with fantastic news: the merger between CHOC and Rady Children’s Hospital (San Diego) has officially been completed, and we are now united under our new parent organization, Rady Children’s Health. This milestone is a testament to our passionate medical staff and, especially, to the dedication and generosity of our valued donors like you!
It’s a true privilege for Kimberly Chavalas Cripe and Patrick A. Frias, MD, to step into the role of co-CEOs and co-presidents of Rady Children’s Health. Together, they will lead the phased integration of our organizations and advance our shared dedication to enhancing pediatric care, driving research, fostering innovation and strengthening education.
This relationship provides new and exciting benefits like accelerating our mission to nurture, advance and protect the health and well-being of children. Building on a combined legacy of more than seventy years of clinical excellence, Rady Children’s Health is a pivotal moment for our organizations, for Southern California and, most importantly, for children and families.
Our thanks to you
Your generosity is an invaluable part of the masterpiece we’re creating together, a collective work of art that powerfully reflects hope for children and their families now and for years to come.
We’d like to share our deep gratitude to the CHOC Foundation Board of Directors. Your enduring wisdom, leadership and dedication to CHOC enable us to carry out our mission. Through your passion and commitment, you guide our efforts and inspire others to become defenders of childhood.
To the community of individuals, organizations and foundations who are committed to helping kids get back to being kids, thank you. It is because of your steadfast partnership that we’re able to do the work that we do. Each child we treat has the best possible chance of living a healthier life, and every family we serve is met with hope, knowing they’re not alone—because you’re by their side.
Together with you, we’re making something beautiful.
We’re so grateful for our community of donors
