Ways to HelpVolunteer Volunteer Boards
Volunteer Boards
Lurie Children’s has 11 established volunteer organizations that fundraise on behalf of the hospital. Each group has a unique mission that directly impacts specific areas or programs within Lurie Children’s.
The Founders' Board
The Founders' Board of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago was established in 1882 as the Board of Lady Managers. For 136 years, the Board has supported the hospital through its members’ active engagement and philanthropy, stewardship and fundraising, advocacy, hospital governance and volunteerism.
The Board is Lurie Children’s most enduring philanthropic partner, and in the last decade alone the Founders’ Board has raised critical funds totaling more than $25 million for a number of endowed chairs for Lurie Children's staff and faculty. Most recently, the Board completed a two-year, $4.5 fundraising commitment, which benefited the Division of Pediatric Surgery and the Division of Academic General Pediatrics.
Members of the Board hold positions on a variety of committees within the hospital’s Medical Center Board and Lurie Children’s Foundation Board. They also work closely with the hospital's Government and Community Relations team to help advance policy initiatives and actively communicate the hospital's position on children's healthcare issues.
Founders’ Board members raise funds through annual fundraising events, including the Pro Amateur Golf Championship, Dinner on the Bluff and Winter Wishes, as well as through direct mail appeals and outreach and retail activities. Founders’ Board members also volunteer their time and talents to provide support to our patients and their families.
The Board’s current fundraising focus is a three-year, $7.5 million pledge entitled “New Frontiers and Pediatric Medicine and Research.” This commitment will provide support to three key areas: transformational research, community-based healthcare delivery and the funding of an endowed chair in Medical Ethics.
The Children's Research Fund
The Children’s Research Fund (CRF) was established in 1951 for the sole purpose of raising funds to advance medical research. In 1991, the organization began its affiliation with Lurie Children’s. Since then, the CRF has been a principal benefactor of the Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute at Lurie Children’s, raising more than $70 million to advance pediatric medical research at the hospital’s research enterprise.
The members of the CRF are guided by the principle that there is no higher calling in science or philanthropy than eradicating the suffering caused by debilitating disease and birth defects. The board promotes awareness of the mission through vigorous fundraising, education and outreach activities, as well as an annual showcase event, the Children’s Ball.
Over the years, the CRF’s fundraising efforts have supported a wide range of projects and initiatives. Highlights include: support for the construction and expansion of the Manne Research Institute; the creation of an endowed professorship in neurobiology; the creation of the Bernard L. Mirkin, PhD, MD, Research Scholarship; support for kidney disease research; the establishment of current use funds to support brain tumor research and neurobiology research; an endowment for the genetics program; and resources to launch the Precision Medicine program, one of the hospital’s transformational research priorities.
The CRF’s current fundraising commitment is a five-year, $10 million gift to support the comprehensive efforts of the research enterprise through its five key areas: basic science research; translational research; clinical research trials; health effectiveness; and health services and policy research.
For more information, contact Karmen Williams at kawilliams@luriechildrens.org or 312.227.7204.
The Children's Service Board
The Children’s Service Board(CSB) is comprised of 70 women with diverse backgrounds who share a passion for supporting the hospital through philanthropy, fundraising and volunteering. The CSB began its affiliation with Lurie Children’s in 1986. Since then, the Board has raised more than $16 million to support and advance critical areas of pediatric care, including commitments to the Department of Pediatric Surgery and the creation of an endowed chair for the Head of the Division of Pediatric Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
The CSB recently exceeded its $1.5 million fundraising commitment to the Division of Hematology, Oncology, Neuro-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplant to recruit a physician-scientist to lead the Molecular Oncology and Bioinformatics Program at the Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute at Lurie Children’s.
The CSB’s signature fundraising event is the Gold Coast Fashion Award Show, an annual highlight of the Chicago fashion scene. Each year the event features the season’s top fashions and brings together some of Chicago’s most influential corporate and community leaders.
For more information, contact Ilana Lerman at ilerman@luriechildrens.org or 312.227.7305.
Lurie Children's Innovators
As an Innovator, you'll network with other outstanding philanthropists, get a behind-the-scenes view of our life changing research and programs and leave a lasting impact on our patients and families. The Innovators program offers the opportunity to have unparalleled access to medical center leaders and learn about programs in need of key philanthropic support. Members commit to the program with an annual investment that is collectively pooled to fund a project chosen by the group. At the end of the year, the group gathers to hear proposal pitches from physicians and researchers and then votes on one of three projects to fund.
Other Fundraising Boards
- Chicago Baseball Cancer Charities (CBCC) is a volunteer organization comprised of former and current professional athletes, members of the Chicago sports media and the corporate community. Since 1984, the CBCC has raised more than $3.4 million for the Division of Hematology, Oncology, Neuro-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation through its annual All-Star Invitational Golf Outing, and annual gifts from Chicago White Sox Charities. For more information, contact Angela Mudd at amudd@luriechildrens.org or 312.227.7254.
- Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Emerging Leaders was established in 2009 as a leadership board for the annual Chicago Dance Marathon event. Since then, the group has raised over $3.5 million for Lurie Children’s through activities aimed at young professionals, including social events and helping to plan and host the annual Chicago Dance Marathon event held in February. For more information, contact Maci Hanson at mhanson@luriechildrens.org.
- The Children's Research Fund Junior Board (CRFJB) serves as a junior board to the Children's Research Fund. Its members are young professionals who are committed to raising funds in support of pediatric medical research at the Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute. The board’s current focus is on raising funds for research into developing more effective drug therapies for pediatric leukemia. The CRFJB’s annual signature event is Cocktails for a Cause. For more information, contact Madison Douglas at madouglas@luriechildrens.org or 312.227.7276.
- The Junior Council of Lurie Children's is made up of young professionals who are committed to pooling resources and talents to help raise awareness and funds to support Lurie Children’s Pediatric and Adolescent HIV/AIDS Program. The Junior Council holds a variety of social event fundraisers, as well as its signature annual event, Snowball. For more information, contact Ilana Lerman at ilerman@luriechildrens.org or 312.227.7305.
- K.I.D.S.S. for Kids, Inc. (Kindness Is Doing Something Special for Kids) supports the hospital’s Department of Family Services, which includes art and music therapists, social workers and child life specialists. The board’s main fundraising event is the annual Aon Step Up for Kids presented by KPMG stair climb. For more information, contact Ted McCartan at TMcCartan@luriechildrens.org or 312.227.7280.
- Little Heroes League. Little Heroes League was established to help babies born with multiple health challenges achieve their best life outcomes by funding early life care coordination both in and out of the hospital. Many public and private insurers do not identify these babies immediately after they are born and take 6 months or more to offer them care coordination assistance if they offer it at all. This means that the most critically ill newborns who require multiple complex treatments cannot receive care coordination covered by insurance during this critical developmental time in their lives.
Care coordination will help ensure the babies receive the right care, at the right time, in the right place. For more information, contact Madison Douglas at madouglas@luriechildrens.org or 312.227.7276. - The Young Associates Board (YAB), established in 2000 as a junior board of The Gus Foundation, raises funds for brain tumor research through activities aimed at young professionals, including social events and the annual Run for Gus 5K. The YAB also funds the Beads of Courage program at Lurie Children's, and organizes a variety of service projects. For more information, contact Hayley Salata at hsalata@luriechildrens.org or 312.227.7295.
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