Children's Music Fund

What Children's Music Fund does

Children's Music Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2002 by Dr. Raffi Tachdjian, an allergy/immunology specialist and UCLA Associate Clinical Professor, during his pediatrics residency at Massachusetts General Hospital. Headquartered in Los Angeles with growing event presence in St. Louis, the organization provides music therapy services at no cost to children and young adults living with chronic or life-altering illnesses — including cancer, blood disorders, autism, immune deficiencies, and organ diseases. It connects eligible pediatric patients with board-certified music therapists and funds clinical internship pathways at partner institutions, operating under founder leadership with a volunteer board chaired by Ronda Grech.

The core product is personalized music therapy delivered by board-certified therapists across three channels: in-facility sessions at partner hospitals (UCLA Health, White Memorial Hospital / Adventist Health), home-based visits, and — since the April 2020 COVID-19 pivot — telehealth sessions via internet video. Supporting programs include the first-of-its-kind Music Therapy Internship Sponsorship at UCLA Health (launched April 2025 with Berklee College of Music graduates), proprietary mobile Music Carts equipped with child-friendly instruments and a mobile recording studio for bedside and group sessions, an Instrument Donation program, peer-reviewed clinical research (including data presented at the IAMM 2020 Conference on 370+ pediatric and NICU patients), and the "Music Makes Us Better" national awareness campaign developed with creative agency Park & Battery. The organization reports quantified clinical outcomes such as a 2.2-point FACES pain reduction, 12 bpm heart rate reduction with 3.9% oxygen saturation increase during sessions, and 50% reduction in parental self-rated stress after one session.

Children's Music Fund is funded entirely through charitable donations, corporate sponsorships, and event-based fundraising (galas, comedy nights, benefit concerts, the upcoming Charity Sessions rooftop series). It charges patients nothing and has no paid product line. Revenue and donation totals are not publicly disclosed. The organization holds a 2025 Candid/GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency, is a member of the American Music Therapy Association, and is supported by corporate sponsors including Elevare Consulting Group (Legacy Sponsor), Infusion Connection Pharmacy (Premier Sponsor), Soleo Health, and Octapharma.

Name

Children's Music Fund

Legal name

Children's Music Fund

Website

https://thecmf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Children's Music Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2002 and based in Los Angeles, that provides free board-certified music therapy to children with chronic or life-altering illnesses via hospital partnerships, telehealth, and home-based programs funded by donations and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Therapy Services

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (621340)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Therapy (Educational/Developmental Programs) (EDAMANAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pediatric Physical Therapy & Developmental Rehab (HSADAIAE)

Keywords

• Music therapy services
• Pediatric music therapy
• Nonprofit healthcare services
• Music therapy research
• Therapeutic music programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: Individual donations from supporters who contribute to fund Music Therapy services for children with chronic conditions or life-altering illnesses. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit relying heavily on charitable contributions.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors provide financial support in exchange for recognition at events and promotional opportunities. Sponsors include healthcare-related companies and other businesses.
3. Event Fundraising: Revenue generated through fundraising events including galas, comedy nights, benefit concerts, and other community events. Proceeds support Music Therapy programs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Children's Music Fund provides Music Therapy services to children (infants through young adults) with chronic conditions or life-altering illnesses, including cancer, blood disorders, autism, immune deficiencies, heart/lung/kidney diseases, and rare diseases. Services are delivered at no cost by board-certified Music Therapists through on-site hospital partnerships, telehealth sessions, and home-based delivery, supported by research, an internship sponsorship program, and mobile music carts.

Product overview

Children’s Music Fund is a nonprofit organization (501(c)(3)) providing Music Therapy services and programs to children with chronic conditions or life-altering illnesses. The core offering is personalized Music Therapy delivered by board-certified therapists. Supporting programs include a Music Therapy Intern Sponsorship at UCLA Health, the Music Makes Us Better national awareness campaign, mobile Music Carts equipped with instruments and recording studio for hospital bedside sessions, Instrument Donation program, and ongoing Music Therapy Research. The organization also runs advocacy through the CMF Kids Ambassador Program and monthly giving through the One Heart Fan Club. During COVID-19, Telehealth Music Therapy was introduced as a remote service delivery method. The organization is a member of the American Music Therapy Association.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Music Therapy Services Personalized Music Therapy treatment plans delivered by board-certified Music Therapists to children with chronic conditions or life-altering illnesses, including cancer, blood disorders, autism, immune deficiencies, and organ diseases. Services reduce pain, fear, and anxiety while providing coping mechanisms during medical treatment; provided at no cost to eligible children.
• Telehealth Music Therapy Remote Music Therapy sessions delivered via internet video platform, enabling children to receive real-time therapy from board-certified Music Therapists during circumstances that prevent in-person sessions, including for homebound patients and during public health restrictions.
• Music Therapy Carts State-of-the-art mobile Music Therapy carts equipped with child-friendly instruments and a mobile recording studio, designed by Children's Music Fund for in-hospital Music Therapy sessions at patient bedside or in group settings.
• Music Therapy Internship Sponsorship First-of-its-kind program fully financing clinical internships for Music Therapy students at UCLA Health, covering living wages and supporting educational requirements for board certification and licensure, while delivering thousands of healing hours of Music Therapy to pediatric patients.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.2 point reduction in pain on FACES score (p<0.05) after 15 minutes of Music Therapy
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Angad Arts HotelminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 June 2026Venue partner for Charity Sessions rooftop fundraiser, hosting the inaugural event on August 29, 2026 to benefit CMF Kids.
• UCLA HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2025First-of-its-kind collaboration establishing the Children's Music Fund Music Therapy Internship Sponsorship, fully financing clinical internships for two Music Therapy students at UCLA Health. The nine-month program provides over 2,000 healing hours of Music Therapy while supporting educational requirements for board certification.
• Berklee College of MusiccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2025Educational partner whose graduates Audrey Creevey and Rose Koo were the first recipients of the Children's Music Fund Music Therapy Internship Sponsorship at UCLA Health.
• Park & BatterycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 November 2023Award-winning brand, creative and marketing agency that developed the Music Makes Us Better national awareness campaign, the organization's first major national marketing initiative to elevate Music Therapy as an essential form of treatment.
• World Federation of Music TherapyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 November 2023Global federation that supports World Music Therapy Week, an annual recognition and awareness campaign that Children's Music Fund participates in to increase awareness for Music Therapy.
• Concerts.CafeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 11 December 2021Platform partner for Livestream Benefit Concert, providing virtual concert streaming capabilities to reach donors and supporters.
• International Association of Music & MedicineminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 November 2020Conference sponsor for the IAMM 2020 Conference where Children's Music Fund presented new Music Therapy research findings on physiological impacts on pediatric and NICU patients.
• White Memorial Hospital (Adventist Health)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2018First hospital to receive Children's Music Fund's specially designed music carts, funded by the Water Buffalo Club, supporting in-hospital Music Therapy sessions for underserved and chronically-ill children.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Children's Hospital Association: Industry association for North American children's hospitals. CMF partners with member institutions (UCLA Health, White Memorial), making this association a relevant ecosystem participant in CMF's hospital partnership strategy.
• Berklee College of Music: Major music college whose graduates (Audrey Creevey, Rose Koo) are the inaugural recipients of CMF's UCLA Health internship sponsorship. Functions as a talent source and educational partner within CMF's service delivery ecosystem.
• World Federation of Music Therapy: Global umbrella organization for the music therapy profession, which CMF actively supports through World Music Therapy Week. Provides international field context and a peer ecosystem for CMF's domestic programming.
• American Music Therapy Association: Professional association representing music therapists in the United States. CMF is a member organization operating within the field this body governs, providing credentialing standards (MT-BC) that underpin CMF's therapist network.
• UCLA Health: Major academic medical system that hosts CMF's first-of-its-kind Music Therapy internship program. Functions as CMF's most important hospital partner and clinical training site rather than a competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Ronald McDonald House Charities: Large, highly-recognized nonprofit supporting families of seriously ill children during hospital stays. Overlaps with CMF in hospital-based pediatric support mission and competes for healthcare-focused donor dollars.
• Make-A-Wish Foundation: One of the largest and most recognized children's charities globally, granting wishes to children with critical illnesses. Competes with CMF for the same pool of pediatric health-focused charitable donors.
• Starlight Children's Foundation: Large, well-established pediatric charity delivering programs (including music, gaming, and entertainment) to seriously ill children and their families. Larger incumbent that overlaps in mission space and directly competes for the same pediatric health donor dollars.

Direct peers

• Musicians on Call: Nonprofit that brings live and recorded music to hospital patients, including children. Shares CMF's core model of using music to support healing in clinical settings, and operates a similar volunteer- and donation-driven nonprofit structure.
• Songs of Love Foundation: Creates personalized songs for seriously ill children and young adults, operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving pediatric hospital populations. Directly comparable to CMF in child-focused music-as-healing mission and donation-driven delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thecmforg
• Facebookfacebook.com/theCMForg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/children's-music-fund
• Instagraminstagram.com/thecmforg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Children's Music Fund