Established in Ottawa in 1974, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Foundation hopes to further the physical, mental and social well-being of children and their families in eastern Ontario and western Quebec by raising, managing and dispersing funds.  In F2018, CHEO Foundation granted $7.3m to Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), $6.7m to Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, and $812k to Roger Neilson House. In F2018, CHEO Foundation received $30m in revenues and granted $15m (50%). In F2018, CHEO had $82m in funding reserves, but made $129k on investment income. CHEO reports that each year, it has more than 6,900 admissions and 7,800 surgeries, as well as nearly 169,000 visits to its outpatient clinics. Moreover, it reports it has one of the busiest pediatric emergency rooms in the country, with more than 72,000 visits a year. 

CHEO Foundation granted $7.3m to Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario for programs, services, and equipment. In F2018, CHEO conducted 7,725 surgical procedures and had a total of 6,638 admissions to the hospital. The most recent published annual report was from F2017. In F2017, CHEO serviced 75,961 emergency department visits, 175,421 ambulatory clinic visits, and 10,879 medical day unit visits. CHEO reported in F2017, the renovation and expansion of CHEO’s Surgical Day Unit and Post Anesthetic Recovery Unit was completed. CHEO reports it is doctors, nurses and staff can now provide surgical procedures for almost 10,000 patients per year. This is an increase of 1,500 kids and will reduce wait times for children and youth needing surgery by up to 50 percent. 

Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Foundation distributed $6.7m in grants to the hospital’s research institute in F2018. Funds were provided to 37 scientists, 548 staff, and 98 trainees.  In F2018, there were 651 active studies with 45,546 patients and families involved.  

Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Foundation distributed $800k in grants to Roger Neilson House (RNH) in F2018. RNH had 457 total admissions and provided 2,621 days of care in F2018. As compared to F2017, the symptom assessment service at Roger Neilson House saw a 64% increase in growth, the perinatal hospice bereavement support group increased by 38%, and there was an overall growth in occupancy of 15%. 

In F2018, the Foundation granted a total $14.8m to the hospital, research institute and Roger Neilson House, including: $6.7m to research grants and programs, $3.1m to capital equipment, $3.4m to hospital programs and services, $500k to other capital expenditures, $467k to research equipment, $388k as gifts in kind, $60k to fellowships, and $50k for a research building. 

Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Foundation is a Major 100 charity with $19.3m in donations and special events fundraising revenue in F2018. Administrative costs were 4% of revenues (excluding investment income) and fundraising costs were 49% of donations and special events fundraising. CHEO Foundation does not disclose lottery costs separately from fundraising costs. These lottery costs are included in the fundraising costs. This likely materially overstates CHEO Foundation's fundraising costs and fundraising ratio.  As stated, for every dollar donated, 48 cents go to the cause. This is outside Charity Intelligence’s reasonable range for overhead spending.

CHEO has funding reserves of $82.2m, of which $19.6m are donor-endowed. Excluding donor-endowed funds, CHEO Foundation has a program cost coverage ratio of 453% meaning it can cover annual grant spending for 4.5 years. CHEO Foundation has grant commitments of $16.1m to payout in F2019 ($18.6m in grant commitments for F2018). CHEO management says that accumulated surpluses are for future needs and/or future capital campaigns.

CHEO Foundation's funding reserves contributed $0.1m in investment income in F2018 (Ci estimates a 0% rate of return) compared with $5.0m in F2017 (Ci estimates a 7% rate of return). Over the last seven years, Charity Intelligence estimates CHEO Foundation's investment returns have averaged 6%. 

This charity report is an update that has been sent to CHEO Foundation for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on May 29, 2019 by Parker Thomlinson.