Philanthropy

Philanthropy is vitally important to the mission of Columbia Children’s Health and the Department of Pediatrics. From the department’s earliest days, donors and volunteer patrons supported initiatives such as endowed beds (for a sum of $5.00 in 1895) to the construction of the first Babies Hospital building on the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center campus, which cost $1,750,000 in 1928.

Today our donors support new programs, research, endowed lectures, and professorships and have the opportunity to support all of our 45 pediatric subspecialties. Over the past several years, through the generosity of the groups below, we have received tremendous philanthropic support for strategic initiatives including molecular medicine, rare diseases, clinical trials, complex care, cardiovascular research, and solid organ and stem cell transplantation.

The Children’s Board

The Children’s Board at Columbia, made up of parents, former patients, donors, and physicians, was created in 2013 to help provide children and adolescents with cutting-edge, compassionate care and improved pediatric outcomes. The board raises awareness of and support for the excellent pediatric specialists and innovative programs at Columbia Children’s Health, including:

• Complex Care Center, which supports families and children facing the most complex medical conditions
• Congenital heart disease research
• Clinical Trials Program
• Center for Rare Pediatric Genetic Diseases
• Innovation Nucleation Fund, which underwrites the pioneering research of young investigators
• Solid organ and stem cell transplantation

Support the Columbia Children's Fund

The Babies Heart Fund

The Babies Heart Fund (BHF), founded in 1986, is a group of present and former patients and families dedicated to advancing the treatment of pediatric and congenital heart disease. The BHF provides funds for innovative research, quality patient care, family services, excellence in education, and faculty support such as endowed professorships.

Support the Babies Heart Fund

Hope & Heroes Children’s Cancer Fund

Created in 1996, the Hope & Heroes Children’s Cancer Fund is an independent 501(c)(3) and has a dedicated board of directors. Hope & Heroes helps position Columbia at the forefront of patient care and research in pediatric cancer and blood disorders. Initiatives and programs include:

• Valerie Fund Psycho-Social & Palliative Care Program
• Complementary Medicine and Integrative Therapies Program
• Survivor Wellness Program
• Programmatic support neuro-oncology and the stem cell transplant
• Educational Support of Fellowship program

Support Hope & Heroes

Herbert and Florence Irving Oncology Fund

Herbert and Florence Irving have been among the most significant donors to Columbia University’s medical center, supporting programs and facilities dedicated to cancer research and treatment, radiation oncology, bone marrow transplantation, and more. In 2016 the medical campus was renamed Columbia University Irving Medical Center in honor of a gift from the Irvings. Mr. and Mrs. Irving had a long-standing interest in child and adolescent oncology, and over the past two years our Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation has received more than $25 million from their estate in support of endowed professorships, a comprehensive long-term survivor program, an immunotherapy-gene therapy program, a proof-of-concept research fund, and the renovation of a new ambulatory diagnostic and treatment center.

COVID-19 Pediatric Emergency Support Initiatives

With the rapid onset of COVID-19, the Department of Pediatrics established the COVID-19 Pediatric Emergency Support Fund in March 2020. The fund has allowed the development of several key initiatives, including:

• COVID-19 Nursery Clinic
• Emergency transportation for faculty and staff
• SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19) emergency research support, which made possible groundbreaking work in a new preventative approach for respiratory viruses