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This column is a forum for Children's Hospital Boston employees to get answers to questions they have about the hospital. If you have a question about any aspect of the hospital, send it to news@childrens.harvard.edu. We'll ask the appropriate person to answer the most commonly asked questions and print their responses. (You can submit questions anonymously.)
Question: "How does the Trust figure out where donation money goes? How much money is donated? "
Answer: Children's has given help and hope to many families in New England and beyond battling illness and disease. So when people can give back, they do — often to a cause that's near and dear to their hearts. And those gifts are deposited in funds that match the respective donors' interest or what is called a "designation." Some families want to support their favorite clinician or scientist working to conquer a specific disease; others give to particular programs or departments.
Last year, several families wanted to improve the hospital experience for future patients. One family outfitted the pulmonary exam rooms with plasma TVs and DVD players for patients with cystic fibrosis and others who often spend several hours in a room waiting for visits with different specialists. Another family, after a wait in our Emergency Department, made a generous donation that allowed us to buy toys to keep kids occupied and take their mind off their illness. In each case, the Trust ensures that gift dollars are spent for the purpose stated by the donor.
Trust staff also work with all the patient care and research departments and programs to identify and document their needs, which are then presented to donors for consideration when major gifts are made. This process involves medical chiefs and hospital senior management.
Any gifts not restricted to a specific area go into an unrestricted fund called the Children's Fund, which is used by hospital leadership as part of the hospital's operating budget to ensure support goes where it's needed most.
In 2007, generous donors gave $95.5 million to the hospital. Children's couldn't provide the level of care delivered without support from them.
Thanks for asking!
— Jan Cady, president, Children's Hospital Trust
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