Friends of Children's Hospital
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Mississippi has only one Children's Hospital and it requires community support to not only sustain itself but to expand and meet the health care needs of a growing population. With construction completed in November 2020, Children's of Mississippi added its first-ever pediatric imaging center, larger newborn and pediatric intensive care units with private rooms, specialty clinic space, a center for the treatment of congenital heart defects and surgical suites to care for sick children. It's critical for Mississippi's kids to have access to state-of-the-art health care and philanthropy support is the only way the hospital can meet the needs of the more than 175,000 children treated annually.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Batson Children's Hospital and Children's of Mississippi
Provide financial support for many of the hospital's programs including Child Life and education, purchase state-of-the-art equipment, construct or renovate facilities and promote voluntarism in the community.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
University of Mississippi Medical Center 2020
External reviews

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Our Sustainable Development Goals
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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?
Friends of Children's Hospital works year-round to support the critical needs of the Batson Children's Hospital, the flagship for Children's of Mississippi, part of University of Mississippi Medical Center. Friends has pledged to raise and donate $2 million annually for 10 years (2016-2026) to help expand the Children's Hospital. Additionally, Friends also funds Child Life positions, the HUGS (grief support) program, Entertainment systems for patient rooms, ice machines and laundry facilities, snacks for staff and families, activity room supplies and more.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Friends is committed to not only raising money for the hospital's expansion but also helping to publicize the need for the community to donate. Special events and fundraisers are held year-round to bring attention to the need and generate funds to expand the pediatric facility. Strategies include utilizing various marketing methods to promote events, tell the hospital story and share the needs of the children in its care. Board involvement in the community is a critical part of generating support for the hospital.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
With a committed board working together with the staff, Friends of Children's Hospital is able to meet its goals. A strong volunteer board is critical to the organization's success.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In its nearly 32-year history, financial support from the Friends organization not only helped build the Batson Children's Hospital, its surgical center, Eli Manning Clinics, emergency department and the Sanderson Tower but has also made possible the following programs: On-demand entertainment system for patients, grief support program for families, endowed chairs for pediatric specialists, activity room staff and supplies; and equipment such as video gaming systems, patient recliners and newborn isolettes,
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
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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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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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.
Friends of Children's Hospital
Board of directorsas of 04/13/2022
John Scarbrough
Mary Clift Abdalla
Anne Daly
Sanford Moore
Kristin Allen
Gabe Baldwin
Jill Dale
Lindsay Hamm
Joey Havens
Bill Hulsey
Bethany Johnson
Fidelis Malembeka
Katherine McRae
John Scarbrough
Josh Swain
William Van Devender, Jr.
Jordan Bryan
Nicole Cleveland, MD
Jennifer Johnson
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
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:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 04/05/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.