Children’s Hospitals of Eastern Ontario Foundation is a financially transparent 1-star charity. It has an average results reporting grade of B. Its overhead spending is outside Ci’s reasonable range. Its reserve funds can cover eleven years and two months of annual program costs.

Founded in 1974, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Foundation (CHEOF) aims to improve the well-being of children in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. CHEOF raises funds for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). This includes its main hospital building, the CHEO Research Institute, and the Roger Neilson House palliative care unit. The charity states that CHEO Emergency Department visits are up 126% in 2024. It also states that about 100 children were diagnosed with cancer at CHEO in 2024, and that number has been growing each year.

CHEOF funds three main programs, listed below. Charity Intelligence calculates CHEOF spent $16.9m on its grants to the hospital in 2024. The charity reports on 2024 results in its annual report and 2023 results in its impact reports.

Capital Equipment and Redevelopment received 45% of grant spending in 2024. CHEOF funds the purchase of new equipment and buildings for the hospital. CHEOF funded the renovation of the CHEO MRI suite in 2024. The renovation includes new decor, more space, and new equipment. As part of this, CHEOF funded the purchases of a new GE SIGNA Artist Evo MRI magnet. The MRI magnet uses AI deep learning technology to offer faster and more accurate diagnoses.

Research received 40% of grant spending in 2024. CHEOF funds research at the CHEO Research Institute. The charity states that donor funds supported 795 CHEO research studies in 2023. CHEO developed ThinkRare in 2023, which helps identify undiagnosed rare genetic diseases. It also conducted a concussion study with over 3,000 youth participants.

Programs and Services received 15% of program spending in 2024. The charity reports that CHEO receives over 700,000 visits per year. CHEOF reports that CHEO’s Emergency Department had 3,175 mental health visits in 2023. It also reports that CHEO nurses screened 874 children and youths for suicide. The charity supported 75 families with specialized equipment such as portable lifts in 2024. It also reports that the Dialectical Behaviour Therapy program supported 52 patients in 2024.

CHEOF’s audited financial statements follow activity-based costing, a best practice. Its expenses are clearly defined between program, administrative, and fundraising categories.

In 2024 CHEOF received $34.6m in donations. Administrative costs are 5% of revenues (excluding investment income). Fundraising costs are 34% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 39%. For every dollar donated, 61 cents are available to go to the cause. This falls outside Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.

In 2024 CHOEF spent $16.9m on its grants, which is 25% of its revenue. In 2024 it had a surplus of $35.7m, which is 53% of its revenue.

CHEOF has $205.6m in reserve funds (cash and investments). Excluding $37.8m in donor-endowed funds, the net funding reserves can cover 1120%, or eleven years and two months of program costs. In 2024, the annual return on investment for CHEOF was 12%. Its five-year annual return on investment is 7%.

CHEOF has made grant commitments of $26.9 million to be paid out of its reserve funds and future revenues. In 2023, CHEOF had grant commitments of $20.9 million. CHEOF's board of directors has approved a capital campaign for CHEO Hospital's infrastructure redevelopment over the 12 years 2023-2035. 

This charity report is an update that has been sent for review to Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Foundation. Changes and edits may be forthcoming. 

Updated on August 8, 2025, by Grady Simpson.