Friends of Children's Hospital

What Friends of Children's Hospital does

Friends of Children's Hospital is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1989 and headquartered in Flowood, Mississippi. It operates as the dedicated fundraising and community engagement arm for Children's of Mississippi, the state's only dedicated children's hospital serving more than 275,000 children annually across all 82 Mississippi counties. The organization is staffed by a three-person team led by Executive Director Caitlin Foreman and governed by a volunteer board of directors, with day-to-day operations supported by a broad network of community volunteers and corporate partners.

The organization's revenue model is diversified across five primary streams: individual and corporate donations; a specialty Mississippi car tag program (136,000+ tags sold since 2005, raising over $5.2 million) distributed through county tax collector offices; an e-commerce merchandise shop selling branded apparel and collectibles via a WooCommerce-based website; a flagship BankPlus Friends CheckCard program (14,000+ active cards, over $4 million raised since 2011); and signature fundraising events including the annual Golf Tournament (raising $3.2 million+ since 1993), Clays for Kids clay shoot, Over the Edge rappelling event, Doo Dah Day car giveaway, and the newly launched Kites and Rainbows Run. There is no technology product, no AI capability, no API offering, and no proprietary software — the organization's "platform" is its event infrastructure, brand equity, and embedded distribution partnerships with BankPlus, Paul Moak Subaru, Century Club Charities, Comcast, Trustmark, Patty Peck Honda, and others.

Since inception, the organization has raised more than $45 million to fund pediatric medical equipment, facility construction (including the Kathy and Joe Sanderson Tower), Child Life Services, and patient/family support programs at Children's of Mississippi. In 2026, it committed $1.5 million toward renovation of the state's only acute inpatient child psychiatric unit, signaling an expansion into pediatric mental health funding.

Name

Friends of Children's Hospital

Legal name

Friends of Children's Hospital

Website

https://friendsofch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Friends of Children's Hospital is a Mississippi-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has raised over $45 million since 1989 to fund Children's of Mississippi through donations, specialty car tags, a BankPlus CheckCard program, merchandise, and signature fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Healthcare Fundraising

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Maternal, Child & Family Health Organizations (BPAGACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Children's hospital fundraising
• Nonprofit charity organization
• Pediatric healthcare philanthropy
• Community fundraising events
• Charitable donation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Flowood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and businesses supporting Mississippi's only children's hospital
2. Specialty Car Tag Program: Mississippi drivers purchase specialty license plates for an additional $51, with $44 going directly to Friends of Children's Hospital. Since 2005, over $5 million has been raised through this program.
3. E-commerce Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling branded merchandise including apparel, hats, decals, ornaments, and accessories with proceeds supporting the hospital
4. BankPlus CheckCard Partnership: Revenue sharing from BankPlus Friends debit card program where customers pay $12 annually and BankPlus donates $0.03 per transaction, with matching contributions up to $60,000/year. Over $4 million raised since 2011.
5. Signature Fundraising Events: Annual events including golf tournaments ($145,000-$198,350 raised), Clays for Kids ($71,000-$85,000), Over the Edge rappelling events, and car giveaways generate significant fundraising revenue

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Friends of Children's Hospital is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit fundraising organization that supports Children's of Mississippi, the state's only children's hospital. It generates charitable revenue through individual and corporate donations, branded merchandise sales, specialty Mississippi car tags, a BankPlus co-branded CheckCard program, and signature fundraising events (golf tournaments, clay shoots, rappelling, car giveaways, 5K/10K runs). Funds are directed to pediatric medical equipment, facility renovations, Child Life specialists, and patient/family support programs at Children's of Mississippi.

Product overview

Friends of Children's Hospital operates as a nonprofit organization with a unified product portfolio centered on fundraising for Mississippi's only children's hospital, Children's of Mississippi. The organization offers merchandise (apparel, drinkware, accessories, and collectibles) through its WooCommerce-powered online shop, with items including branded t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, cooler bags, wine tumblers, notecards, and Christmas ornaments. Core offerings also include specialty Mississippi car tags and a diverse events program comprising the annual Golf Tournament (since 1993), Doo Dah Day Car Giveaway, Over the Edge rappelling event, Clays for Kids clay shoot, Kites and Rainbows Run, and seasonal celebrations. The organization also funds healthcare support services including Child Life Services and the MyChart Bedside iPad program. No technology product, API, or AI capabilities are offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FRIENDS Branded Apparel and Merchandise Branded merchandise line sold through the e-commerce shop including Comfort Colors long-sleeve tees, embroidered quarter-zip sweatshirts, beach fleece crewneck sweatshirts, kid's t-shirts, embroidered baseball caps, structured active-wear caps, light-blue logo hats, FRIENDS cooler bags, wine tumblers, custom notecards with Kit Fields artwork, and collectible Christmas ornaments. Purchases support Children's of Mississippi.
• Friends of Children's Hospital Specialty Car Tag Specialty Mississippi license plate available at county tax collector offices for an additional $51, with $44 of every plate benefiting the organization. Has raised over $5 million since 2005 across more than 136,000 tags sold.
• BankPlus Friends CheckCard Program Annual debit card program with BankPlus priced at $12 per year (100% donated), plus $0.03 per transaction donated, with BankPlus matching contributions up to $60,000 per year. Has raised over $4 million since 2011 across 14,000+ active cards, and the partnership resulted in the naming of the BankPlus Community Room inside the Kathy and Joe Sanderson Tower.
• Annual Golf Tournament Signature annual golf tournament supporting Child Life Services, with corporate sponsorship tiers (e.g., Comcast as Title Sponsor in 2024). Has raised over $3.2 million cumulatively since inception, including $145,000-$198,350 per year.
• Kites and Rainbows Run Annual running event featuring 10K, 5K, Fun Run and Aquathlon divisions presented by Mutual Federal Credit Union. Inaugural event raised $77,000 to benefit Mississippi's pediatric patients.
• Clays for Kids Sporting Clay Tournament Annual sporting clay tournament held at Providence Hill Farm, raising $71,000 in its inaugural year (2023), $73,000 in 2024, and $85,000 in 2025.
• Over the Edge Rappelling Event Annual rappelling event where participants rappel down the Regions Plaza rooftop (22 stories) to raise funds for Mississippi's sick and injured children.
• Doo Dah Day New Car Giveaway Annual raffle event where participants purchase $25 tickets for a chance to win a new Honda vehicle donated by presenting sponsor Patty Peck Honda, with proceeds benefiting Children's of Mississippi. Patty Peck Honda has been presenting sponsor for 12 years.
• Individual and Corporate Donation Programs Tax-deductible donation programs accepting one-time and recurring monthly gifts from individuals and businesses, with restricted giving options supporting specific programs such as the Sidney & Friends Child Life Fund. Funds are directed to pediatric equipment, facility renovation, Child Life Services, and patient/family support at Children's of Mississippi.
• Child Life Services Program Support Restricted funding for Child Life Services at Children's of Mississippi, including salary support for Child Life Specialists and Assistants, activity room renovations, and therapeutic play programs for pediatric patients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $45 million raised since 1989
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FriendsofCH_MS
• Facebookfacebook.com/FriendsofCH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friendsofch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Friends of Children's Hospital