Help us care for them
Help us care for them
With your help, we can do so much.
As a nonprofit, we rely on donors like you. Your gifts help us care for Minnesota kids and families facing everything from cancer to trauma to heart conditions. When you donate, you become part of a team devoted to these kids — and to the health and wellbeing of all children. With your help, we can provide not only highly specialized pediatric care but wrap-around programs that keep families strong.
Virtual Joy Drive
In-Kind Giving
Your donations of in-kind gifts like art supplies, books, toys, clothes, toiletries and blankets ensure families have what they need for a comfortable stay.
For more information, including wish lists, offsite volunteer activities, drop off locations and hours, learn more here.
How your gifts make a difference
Our patients’ stories make it clear: your donations power the most specialized, compassionate and made-just-for-kids care.
Sawyer
Diagnosed at age 6 with B-Cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Sawyer, a little girl from Owatonna who loves dancing, has spent so many long days in the hospital. Donor-funded programs at Children’s Minnesota have been a lifeline for her and her whole family throughout this cancer journey. From child life specialists helping Sawyer understand her chemotherapy port to pet therapy visits to live entertainment from Star Studio, the in-house TV station, the hospital experience has been about more than treatment — it’s about helping a kid feel like a kid, no matter what they’re going through.
Landon
Landon had his first seizure at age 3. Diagnosed with cortical dysplasia, one of the leading causes of focal epilepsy, he would live with seizures — sometimes three a day — for years to come. But that all changed last December when Landon underwent a groundbreaking surgery in the donor-supported iMRI suite at Children’s Minnesota. Neurosurgeon Meysam Kebriaie performed the delicate operation, removing all of the damaged tissue in the frontal lobe of Landon’s brain. Now 12, he lives seizure-free and is able to do what he loves most: play hockey. Donations large and small make the difference for kids like Landon.
Valerie
Valerie was just 4 years old when she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a cancer that originates in the nerve cells. Since then, she’s undergone surgery, several cycles of chemotherapy, a double stem cell transplant and radiation. Valerie’s journey is a long one, and donor-funded support programs are there to keep her whole family strong every step of the way. Services like music therapy and child life, which brighten her days in the hospital, are possible only thanks to donations from our generous community.
Your donation, no matter the size, makes a big difference.
Your donation to Children’s Minnesota, no matter how small it may seem to you, makes a big difference to the kids we care for. As a nonprofit health system, we rely on the generosity of our community.
No child turned away
Every child we meet gets the best care, regardless of their ability to pay. Nearly half of our patients rely on Medicaid, which reimburses only 70 cents for every $1 of services. Donations cover the rest, which adds up to millions of dollars every year.
Supportive care services
Your donations fund unique care programs that support healing and lead to better outcomes. These programs are not reimbursed by insurance and don’t show up on a patient’s bill.
Clinical excellence
With your gift, we can continue to deliver world-class medical care and keep up with the latest innovations. You help us invest in cutting-edge technology, facilities and research, all of which have the power to change — and save lives.
Why give to Children's Minnesota?
What is Children’s Minnesota?
Children’s Minnesota is an independent, not-for-profit health care system. We’ve been serving the community since 1924. Along with our two free-standing hospitals (one in Minneapolis and one in St. Paul), we have nine primary and specialty clinics and six rehabilitation clinics.
We care for over 160,000 kids each year and are the seventh largest pediatric health system in the country. We’re the only health system in Minnesota to provide care exclusively to children, from birth through young adulthood.
Is Children’s Minnesota a nonprofit?
Yes. Children’s Minnesota is a not-for-profit, charitable organization with 501(c)(3) designation from the IRS. That means we reinvest any profits back into the organization so we can keep improving care for our patients.
We care for over 135,000 kids each year and are the seventh largest pediatric health system in the country. We’re the only health system in Minnesota to provide care exclusively to children, from birth through young adulthood.
What is Children’s Minnesota doing to advance health care?
Everything we can. Research is one of the most important areas of focus for us, and we’re constantly looking for innovations that are completely kid- and family-focused. From improving day-to-day quality of life for children and teens to adopting cutting-edge technologies, we will never stop looking for better ways to serve kids.
What makes Children’s Minnesota unique?
Caring for kids involves more than expert medical care.
Whether it’s a child life specialist at the bedside to calm nerves, music therapy to boost mobility or interpreter services for non-English-speaking families, child and family services helps ease the fears, anxiety and stress of being in the hospital. We provide a continuum of support, information, education, comfort and connection to help patients and families navigate and actively participate in their health care experiences.
This attention to detail, comfort and care is not found at every health care facility. It’s only available at Children’s Minnesota because of generous support from donors. These programs are not reimbursed by insurance and don’t show up on a patient’s bill.
Why does a hospital need my donation?
We never turn a child away. Ever. Thanks to donations, all patients and families have access to the best physicians, treatments and wrap-around services, regardless of their ability to pay for care.
Forty-seven percent of our patients rely on Medicaid, which reimburses only 70 cents for every $1 of service. Because of this, Children’s Minnesota makes up the difference. We need to underwrite nearly $180 million of unreimbursed care each year.
How are donations used?
At Children’s Minnesota, your donation is spent on the kids and families we serve. As an independent, nonprofit health care system, philanthropic support allows us to reinvest in our organization and continue to improve and reimagine health care. To find out more about how our funds were used in 2024, check out Children’s Minnesota’s Annual Report.
