SickKids Foundation

What SickKids Foundation does

SickKids Foundation, legally The Hospital for Sick Children Foundation (Charitable Business Number 10808 4419 RR0001), is a Canadian registered charity founded in 1875 in Toronto that raises and manages private donations to fund The Hospital for Sick Children. The foundation employs between 5,001 and 10,000 people and operates a multi-channel fundraising distribution system spanning individual monthly and one-time giving, corporate partnerships with 40+ Canadian corporations, estate and legacy giving (wills, securities, life insurance, RRSP/RRIF, property), signature events including the Great Cycle Challenge, Million Reasons Run, and Scrubs in the City, face-to-face door-to-door and mall fundraising through partners Globalfaces Direct and Public Outreach, telemarketing through Causeworx, an e-commerce Get Better Gifts catalog, SMS text-to-donate, and the SickKids Lottery. Fundraising programs and administrative costs together represent 29.6% of every dollar raised in Fiscal Year 2023/24, with the remainder directed to clinical care, research, and the Precision Child Health program serving more than 100,000 patients annually.

The foundation's underlying technology and program portfolio span clinical research, genomic medicine, and AI-assisted healthcare. Specific platforms include the proprietary C-GUIDE clinical measurement tool for quantifying the impact of genomic testing (non-exclusively licensed to Genetic Alliance), the SmartRequisition AI platform under development with PhenoTips through the CIPHER network, and the SickKids AI (SKAI) program funded by iA Financial Group. Core initiatives include the SickKids-Caribbean Initiative (training, sickle cell screening, telemedicine), the Black Experience @ SickKids program addressing health disparities, the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Program, SickKidsWomenPowered women's philanthropy collective, the Breakthrough Fund for early-stage research, and the Tech and Innovation Community. The foundation is Imagine Canada Standards accredited, won The Drum Awards for Marketing Americas 2026, and has a 2,000-1 odds SickKids Lottery program.

Revenue mechanics rely on a hybrid segmentation of individual donors (monthly recurring and one-time), corporate partners spanning financial services (RBC, TD, Scotiabank, BMO, CIBC, Manulife, Bell, iA Financial), consumer brands (Tim Hortons, Purdys, Circle K), and professional services (EY, Deloitte), plus legacy and estate givers. Distribution is geographically concentrated in Canada with international program reach across 12 countries via the iHope genomic testing program. The foundation has recently expanded beyond traditional fundraising through the November 2025 takeover of Upside Foundation operations and the March 2026 launch of the CIPHER network with $5.4 million in Genome Canada funding.

Name

SickKids Foundation

Legal name

The Hospital for Sick Children Foundation

Website

https://sickkidsfoundation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1875

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

SickKids Foundation is a Canadian registered charity founded in 1875 that raises private donations through individual, corporate, and legacy channels to fund pediatric healthcare, research, and the Precision Child Health program at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Philanthropy

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hospitals, Clinics & Charitable Healthcare Providers (BPAGACAB)

Keywords

• Pediatric hospital fundraising
• Charitable donations
• Healthcare philanthropy
• Corporate giving programs
• Legacy planned giving

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters through online platforms, telemarketing, door-to-door, and mall fundraising programs. Monthly donors provide predictable revenue streams.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate giving programs including cause marketing, employee giving, sponsorship, and national partnerships with major Canadian companies through workplace giving initiatives.
3. Estate and Legacy Giving: Bequests, wills, gifts of securities, life insurance, RRSP/RRIF funds, and property donations for long-term sustainable funding.
4. Events and Fundraising Campaigns: Signature events including Great Cycle Challenge, Million Reasons Run, Scrubs in the City, and seasonal campaigns generating donations.
5. Get Better Gifts Catalog: Donor-directed gifts supporting specific hospital programs and equipment, with free eCards or printable cards for occasions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SickKids Foundation is a Canadian nonprofit charitable organization that raises funds to support The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto. It solicits donations from individuals, corporations, and community groups through multiple channels including monthly giving, one-time donations, planned/legacy gifts, lotteries, peer-to-peer events, and workplace giving. Funds raised are directed toward pediatric patient care, medical research, equipment, and hospital construction projects.

Product overview

SickKids Foundation operates a comprehensive fundraising and donation ecosystem supporting The Hospital for Sick Children. The core offerings include the main donation website enabling one-time and monthly gifts, the Get Better Gifts e-commerce catalog for symbolic gift purchases directing funds to specific hospital areas, the SickKids Lottery for fundraising, and the SickKids VS Podcast sharing patient stories. Additional programs span face-to-face fundraising (Door-to-Door, Mall, and Telemarketing programs), workplace giving partnerships with over 40 corporations, specialized initiatives like SickKidsWomenPowered, Black Experience @ SickKids, Tech and Innovation Community, the Breakthrough Fund, and international partnerships through the SickKids-Caribbean Initiative. Estate planning services complete the portfolio for legacy giving.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Monthly Giving Program A recurring donation program that allows individual supporters to provide automated monthly contributions to SickKids Foundation to fund pediatric care, research, and equipment.
• Get Better Gifts A charitable gift catalogue where donors can purchase symbolic items such as toys, meals, and hospital gear on behalf of loved ones in lieu of physical presents, with proceeds directed to patient care at SickKids.
• SickKids Lottery A fundraising lottery in which ticket purchasers enter to win prize packages such as cash, vehicles, vacations, and electronics, with net proceeds directed to SickKids hospital programs.
• Workplace Giving A corporate partnership program that enables employee payroll deductions and matched-giving arrangements with participating employers to fund SickKids programs.
• Estate Planning and Legacy Giving A planned-giving program that facilitates bequests, charitable trusts, gifts of securities, and life insurance designations to support SickKids Foundation over the long term.
• SickKidsWomenPowered A community of female philanthropists who pool annual contributions to fund a high-impact SickKids research or care initiative selected by members each year.
• Tech and Innovation Community A donor community that funds the Breakthrough Fund, financing adoption of cutting-edge technology and artificial intelligence in pediatric care at SickKids.
• Black Experience @ SickKids A community giving initiative that supports programs advancing equity, anti-racism, and health outcomes for Black patients, families, and staff at SickKids.
• Door-to-Door Program A field fundraising canvass conducted in residential neighborhoods by trained fundraisers to acquire new monthly donors for SickKids Foundation.
• Mall Program An in-person fundraising program that places branded booths in shopping malls to engage shoppers and sign up new donors for SickKids.
• Telemarketing Program An outbound phone fundraising program used to renew, upgrade, and reactivate lapsed donors and acquire new ones on behalf of SickKids Foundation.
• SickKids VS Podcast A long-form audio storytelling series that profiles patients, clinicians, and researchers at SickKids and serves as a donor engagement and awareness vehicle.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100,000+ patients treated annually from across Canada and internationally
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• PhenoTipscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2026Co-leading the CIPHER network with $5.4 million funding from Genome Canada to develop SmartRequisition, an AI-assisted platform that automates genomic test requisition workflows. Partners include IWK Health, Alberta Health Services, CHU Sainte-Justine, and CHEO.
• Tim HortonsmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 March 2026Second collaboration with Ryan Reynolds featuring Ryan's Signature Donut with limited-edition T-shirt collection featuring artwork by children from SickKids and Tim Hortons Foundation Camps.
• Purdys ChocolatierminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 November 2025Seventh annual Dear Santa Bar campaign raising $1.4 million for children's hospitals since 2019, with $2 donated per sale.
• Circle KminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 October 2025Inaugural Hero Day on October 16, 2025 in Ontario where all proceeds from select product sales donated to local children's hospitals.
• Genetic AlliancecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Non-exclusive license allowing Genetic Alliance to use C-GUIDE clinical measurement tool at no charge for iHope genomic testing program providing no-cost clinical genome sequencing to children worldwide in 12 countries.
• BellmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerWorkplace giving partner with employees joining SickKids in the fight for children's health.
• RBCmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerWorkplace giving partner through Benevity platform supporting children's health.
• TD Bank GroupmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerThrough The Ready Commitment, TD invests in solutions to improve access to care.
• ScotiabankmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerWorkplace giving partner through Benevity platform.
• ManulifemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployees joined SickKids to empower sustained health and well-being.
• EYminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployees joined SickKids in the fight for children's health.
• DeloitteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployees joined SickKids breaking down barriers in the community.
• RogersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWorkplace giving partner through Benevity platform.
• TELUSminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTELUS and team members joined SickKids in the fight for children's health.
• Sun LifeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployees joined SickKids in the fight for children's health.
• BMOminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGrows the good by giving to organizations that sustain communities.
• CIBCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFor Team CIBC, giving back is personal and comes from the heart.
• Globalfaces DirectcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne of Canada's largest face-to-face fundraising services conducting door-to-door monthly donor acquisition. Fundraisers compensated with hourly wage, no commission.
• Public OutreachcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConducts mall and venue fundraising for SickKids. Trusted partner for over 15 years with comprehensive training on SickKids mission.
• CauseworxcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTelemarketing partner providing services on behalf of SickKids with PCI-compliant procedures.
• Consortium for Global HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished in 2010, brings together universities across five continents to address global health challenges through shared learning.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (ALSAC): ALSAC is the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude, a leading U.S. pediatric treatment and research hospital. Directly comparable as a children's hospital foundation running multi-channel donor acquisition, signature events, and major-gift programs at national scale.
• Boston Children's Hospital Trust: Philanthropic arm of Boston Children's Hospital, one of the largest pediatric medical centers in the U.S. Highly comparable as a tier-1 pediatric hospital foundation raising funds for research, equipment, and patient care.
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Foundation: Foundation supporting CHOP, a top-ranked U.S. pediatric hospital and research center. Comparable in mission, donor base, capital-campaign activity, and pediatric research funding model.
• Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity: UK-based charity raising funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital, a leading pediatric research hospital. Comparable as an internationally recognized children's hospital charity with similar capital-campaign and major-gift operations.
• Seattle Children's Hospital Foundation: Foundation supporting Seattle Children's, a major U.S. pediatric hospital and research center. Comparable in fundraising scope, corporate partnerships, and pediatric research focus.
• Children's Hospital Los Angeles Foundation: Philanthropic arm of CHLA, a large U.S. pediatric academic medical center. Comparable in pediatric specialty care fundraising, corporate partnerships, and donor recognition programs.

Broad incumbents

• Children's Miracle Network Hospitals: North American nonprofit raising funds for a network of 170+ children's hospitals. Comparable as a children's hospital fundraising umbrella that competes for corporate partnership dollars and individual donor attention.

Regional players

• McMaster Children's Hospital Foundation: Foundation supporting McMaster Children's Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. Comparable as a Canadian pediatric hospital foundation competing for the same Ontario donor pool and corporate partners.
• Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation: Toronto-based foundation supporting a pediatric rehabilitation hospital. Comparable as a Greater Toronto Area children's health foundation competing for local donor dollars and corporate partnerships.

Others

• Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada: Canadian chapter of a global nonprofit supporting families of seriously ill children. Comparable as a children's-health adjacent charity competing for corporate cause-marketing partnerships and individual donor mindshare in Canada.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sickkids
• YouTubeyoutube.com/sickkidsfoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/sickkidsfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/sickkidsvs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sickkids-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SickKids Foundation