Carson Leslie Foundation
helping kids fight cancer
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
There is an extensive unmet need for advances in the pediatric medulloblastoma community. Medulloblastoma is the most common form of malignant brain tumor in children, yet it has received little focus in the cancer space. As with most health issues, education about the disease and the need for a cure is essential for those in the community to become involved. The Carson Leslie Foundation is dedicated to educating our entire nation about this disease and the need to push for a cure. Some facts about the disease include: Medulloblastoma is the most common form of brain cancer in children, affecting an estimated 20% of the 28,000 children living with a brain tumor diagnosis. The median age of diagnosis of medulloblastoma is 7 years and more than 70% of diagnoses are in children under ten years of age. No cure exists for medulloblastoma.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Encourage Kids in the Battle|Mental Health
Pillars 2&3 Paused during Covid:
CARSON'S CORNER Teen Program has 5 distinct pillars.
CARSON’S CORNER has 6 distinctive components:
1. CARSON’S CORNER, an actual room on the oncology floor at Children’s
2. CARSON’S CORNER ON-THE-ROAD, extraordinary outings out-and-about the great City of Dallas
3. CARSON’S CORNER-SHINDIGS, themed Shindigs in Carson’s Corner and the Family Room
4. CARSON’S CORNER-UNDER ARMOUR BACKPACKS, backpack filled with items for long hospital stays
5. CARSON’S CORNER-CLOSET, a gift closet exclusively with gifts of encouragement for teen patients
CHILDHOOD BRAIN CANCER RESEARCH - medulloblastoma
Identify and collaboratively fund childhood brain cancer research leading to a cure - specifically medulloblastoma
ADVOCACY | AWARENESS | ACTION - Federal - State - Local
Communicate: childhood brain cancer is the deadliest disease of our Nation's children.
- 1 in 285 children will be diagnosed with cancer before turning 20
- Treatment is decades old and a barbaric assault on children’s growing bodies and brains.
- Medulloblastoma is the most common form of brain cancer in children
- A meager 1% of the National Institute of Health’s funding is dedicated to childhood brain tumor research.
Hearts of Gold Hootenannies
Our Covid pivot program, while kids are sequestered to their rooms.
Every month we're like the Tooth Fairy and Santa Clause - delivering unexpected surprises to the hospitals room of each kid battling cancer at Children's Health, Dallas. Together, with the generous support of a wide variety of community partners, each hootenanny includes a fun interactive unexpected surprise like remote-control toys (all powered up of course), STEM Kits, Art Kits, LEGOS, Nerf Guns; you get the idea and we’re open to suggestions! We often ALSO include a cozy comfort item like a soft blanket, funny socks or a cotton hat.
Much more than toys, these surprises support children's mental heath, bringing smiles and letting them know "they are loved."
Where we work
External reviews

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Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of families served in cancer treatment
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adolescents
Related Program
Encourage Kids in the Battle|Mental Health
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Provide Texas children's hospitals with Under Armour backpacks, filled with essentials and gifts for teens entering the hospital for cancer treatment (Dallas, San Antonio, Houston)
Number of research studies conducted
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adolescents
Related Program
CHILDHOOD BRAIN CANCER RESEARCH - medulloblastoma
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Invested $100K in medulloblastoma Liquid Biopsy program at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Number of children with cancer receiving one of our monthly gift bag of surprises
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adolescents
Related Program
Encourage Kids in the Battle|Mental Health
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Together, with the generous support of a wide variety of community partners, we deliver a hootenanny of surprises to each of the 48 hospital rooms of the kids battling cancer at Children's Dallas.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The Carson Leslie Foundation has an ambitious goal to bring less toxic treatment, leading to a cure, for pediatric medulloblastoma, the most prevalent brain cancer in children.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The Carson Leslie Foundation has a strategic plan to cure childhood medulloblastoma by incentivizing research in some of the most promising, yet underfunded areas of research.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Launched in 2010, the Carson Leslie Foundation (CLF) honors Carson’s last whispered wish: “momma, make sure they study those tumors in my brain because if those tumors can help some kid someday not die from cancer like I am, I’d like that – please help the next kid with cancer, it’s hard to have cancer.” – Carson Leslie
Today, the Carson Leslie Foundation is a valued collaborator in the pediatric cancer space. As our work grows, our goal is to be come the go-to source for information for medulloblastoma. A recent article by the Dallas Morning News Article, published October 2019, highlighted our work with Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas CPRIT, a $6 billion cancer research institute and the largest state sponsored cancer research institute in the United States, focusing on expediting innovation in cures and prevention. “CPRIT has funded ground-breaking cancer research and prevention programs in Texas, making our state a leader in the fight against this deadly disease…. CPRIT also brings people together who are dedicated to the same cause, such as Annette Leslie. … Annette Leslie formed the Dallas-based Carson Leslie Foundation and was invited to join CPRIT’s Patient Advisory Council on Childhood Cancers. Through her advocacy, CPRIT has expanded its role in pediatric cancer, including a $3.2 million program to fund research directed at less toxic treatments for childhood brain cancer.”
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
The Carson Leslie Foundation has made significant investments in medulloblastoma research and continues to engage with like minded organizations to identify and invest in further research.
In July, 2021, CPRIT and the Carson Leslie Foundation held the 2nd gathering of top researchers focused only on childhood brain cancer. This inaugural group met to discuss, identify and encourage collaboration within the childhood brain cancer space. The outcome of Researcher’s RoundUp helped frame the CancerPrevention and Research Institute of Texas' (CPRIT'S) Childhood Brain Cancer RFA’s. We are anxiously awaiting the RFA's from 2022 and actively planning the 2023 Researcher's Roundup with CPRIT.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Carson Leslie Foundation
Board of directorsas of 08/18/2023
Mr. Gerald McDougall
PriceWaterHouseCoopers (PWC) - Retired
Term: 2015 -
Mr. Neil Smiley
Loopback Analytics
Term: 2014 -
Walter Capone
Caeregen Therapeutics
Neil Smiley
CEO Loopback Analytics
Steve Coffey
Covera Ventures
Craig Leslie
Beck Construction
Ripley Martin
IntelyCare
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
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Gender identity
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Disability
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