What The Priyanka Foundation does

The Priyanka Foundation is a US-based nonprofit organization founded in 2007 by Leela Rao in memory of her daughter Priyanka Bhakta, who died at age 8 from complications during a bone marrow transplant after battling leukemia. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota with a contact office in Mumbai, the foundation implements Child Life service programs — a category of non-medical developmental, educational, and therapeutic interventions common in North American pediatric hospitals but largely unavailable elsewhere — for chronically and terminally ill children and their families during hospital stays, clinic visits, emergency room visits, radiology, and surgery. Its core products are the Child Life Services Program and the Priyanka Child Life and Development Centers, delivered inside partner hospitals; an add-on Innovate Consulting Services line packages the foundation's program-building expertise for other healthcare systems. Operationally, the foundation has established centers at Manipal Hospital in Bangalore, India (since 2007) and maintains partnerships with Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota and Children's Hospital and Research Center in Oakland, California.

The foundation is funded almost entirely through donations (PayPal, check, and a Razoo donation page) from individuals, organizations, and corporate supporters, with no fees charged to patients. It is governed by an Executive Board, Governing Board, India Executive Team, and Advisory Board staffed by credentialed clinicians including Certified Child Life Specialists, MDs, and senior child life practitioners. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. Its GTM is community-led and partner-driven, relying on hospital partnerships, PR/earned media, community events, and organic social for awareness and fundraising. The foundation received the Womens' International Network (W.I.N.) Outstanding Service Award in 2010.

Name

The Priyanka Foundation

Legal name

The Priyanka Foundation

Website

https://thepriyankafoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Priyanka Foundation is a US-based nonprofit, founded in 2007, that delivers Child Life services — non-medical therapeutic, developmental, and educational support — to chronically and terminally ill children and their families through hospital partnerships in the United States and India.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Child Life Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Children’s Hospitals & Pediatric Health Systems (HLAFAJAG)

Keywords

• Child life services
• Pediatric psychosocial care
• Hospital child support
• Nonprofit healthcare programs
• Family bereavement support

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The foundation generates revenue through charitable donations from individuals, organizations, and corporate sponsors. Donations can be made via PayPal, check, or directly through their Razoo donation page.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Priyanka Foundation operates Child Life service programs and Development Centers within partner hospitals to provide developmental, educational, and therapeutic interventions to chronically and terminally ill children and their families. Services include pre-surgery preparation, procedural distraction and relaxation, diagnosis and treatment education, daily therapeutic activities, sibling support, and bereavement support. The foundation also offers Innovate Consulting Services to help other organizations establish hospital-based child life programs worldwide.

Product overview

The Priyanka Foundation operates a single unified nonprofit program centered on Child Life Services for chronically and terminally ill children. The core offering consists of the Child Life Services Program and Priyanka Child Life and Development Centers, which provide emotional support, preparation for medical procedures, developmental activities, and therapeutic interventions for children and families in healthcare settings. An additional consulting service (Innovate Consulting) offers expertise to other organizations seeking to establish similar child life programs worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Child Life Services Program A nonprofit program that delivers developmental, educational, and therapeutic interventions to chronically and terminally ill children and their families during hospital stays, clinic visits, emergency room visits, radiology, and surgery areas. Includes pre-surgery preparation, procedural distraction and relaxation techniques, diagnosis and treatment education, daily therapeutic activities, sibling support, bereavement support, and coordination with community organizations and performers. Delivered through Priyanka Child Life and Development Centers established within partner hospitals, modeled after Child Life Centers in North America.
• Innovate Consulting Services Consulting services for healthcare organizations seeking to start or grow their hospital-based child life services. Combines the foundation's extensive experience in building child life programs with comprehensive consulting capabilities to help other organizations establish Child Life and Development Centers worldwide.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Children's Hospital and Research Center, Oakland, CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Partner hospital supporting the foundation's mission. Listed as a stellar team member in the 2010 W.I.N. Outstanding Service Award recognition.
• Children's Hospitals and Clinics of MinnesotacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Founding partner hospital where Priyanka Bhakta was a patient from 1999-2003. The hospital's Child Life program served as the model for the Priyanka Child Life Services program. The partnership has been instrumental in establishing international Child Life services.
• Manipal HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Partner hospital in Bangalore, India where the first Priyanka Child Life and Development Center was established in 2007. The hospital provides pediatric oncology services with support from the foundation.
• Make A Wish IndiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner providing wish fulfillment services to children. Listed as a supporter of The Priyanka Foundation.
• Child's Play CharityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity partner providing games and entertainment to hospitalized children. Listed as a supporter of The Priyanka Foundation.
• Dr. Reddy's PharmaceuticalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPharmaceutical company listed as a supporter providing potential funding or in-kind support to the foundation.
• Intas Pharmaceutical CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPharmaceutical company listed as a supporter providing potential funding or in-kind support to the foundation.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CureSearch for Children's Cancer: National nonprofit supporting children with cancer through research and patient/family resources. Comparable beneficiary population (pediatric oncology) and overlapping hospital-partner distribution model.
• Make-A-Wish Foundation: Largest US-based pediatric wish-granting nonprofit, also an active partner of The Priyanka Foundation via Make-A-Wish India. Both serve critically and chronically ill children and partner with hospitals, though Make-A-Wish focuses on wish fulfillment rather than psychosocial support during treatment.
• National Children's Cancer Society: Provides financial and emotional support to children with cancer and their families. Overlapping beneficiary population and family-support service model, though operates nationally rather than focusing on in-hospital Child Life services.
• Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation: Major US pediatric cancer nonprofit funding research and family support. Comparable in serving chronically ill (specifically oncology) children and families, though focused more on research funding than direct in-hospital psychosocial services.
• Children's Cancer Research Fund: Pediatric cancer nonprofit funding research and family support programs; closely affiliated with Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota — a direct hospital partner of The Priyanka Foundation. Highly comparable mission and donor base.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities: Larger incumbent serving families of hospitalized children via housing, in-hospital family rooms, and support programs. Comparable in mission scope (family + child support during pediatric hospitalization) but operates at substantially greater scale globally.

Emerging players

• Kids v Cancer: Smaller pediatric cancer advocacy and support organization. Comparable focus on seriously ill children, though more focused on policy/regulatory advocacy than direct hospital psychosocial services.

Direct peers

• Child's Play Charity: Listed as a partner of The Priyanka Foundation. Provides games and entertainment to hospitalized children in pediatric hospitals worldwide — directly comparable service model (therapeutic play in hospital settings) and overlapping beneficiary base.
• Starlight Children's Foundation: Direct peer in hospital-based psychosocial support for seriously ill children. Starlight delivers play, distraction, and family programs inside pediatric hospitals — overlapping directly with The Priyanka Foundation's Child Life services model.

Others

• Children's Hospital Association: Industry association representing children's hospitals in the US. Adjacent rather than directly competitive — represents the same hospital partners (e.g., Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota) that The Priyanka Foundation serves with its Child Life programs.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Priyanka Foundation