Miracles for Kids
Miracles for Kids helps families with critically-ill children battle bankruptcy, homelessness, hunger and depression so they can concentrate on what’s most important – fighting for their child’s life.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
A real, but often not discussed, side effect of a life-threatening illness is financial toxicity endured by the family unit. Low-income families often choose low-cost health care plans and are later faced with skyrocketing out-of-pocket costs when tragedy hits. Families who are fortunate enough to have a low deductible and out-of-pocket maximum health plan still carry the burden of nonmedical expenses, such as: wage impact due to long hospital stays, loss of employment, travel and lodging expenses, and high-cost medical equipment. As a result, most low-income families with a critically-ill child are left with little or no funds to cover necessities like food, clothing, and rent. Often times, parents, one or both, are forced to quit their employment to provide the constant care required by the critically-ill children – leading to a financial crisis. While the team at Miracles for Kids does not consist of medical professionals, its programs offer financial and emotional support.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Housing Program
Families in crisis can easily become overwhelmed by expensive housing costs, to help relive that burden Miracles for Kids’ Housing Program provides subsidized housing for up to 12 families in extreme risk of homelessness and in need of a safe and supportive environment. The apartment complex, named Miracle Manor, is conveniently located within walking distance to CHOC Children’s. This program focuses on stabilizing families and preparing them to re-enter the community by equipping them with the tools and resources needed to secure housing on their own and improve their financial health. Families at Miracle Manor receive additional support from their case workers through wrap-around services that provide financial literacy workshops, tutoring sessions, and mental health support.
Bill Pay Program
To keep the water running and the lights on, the Bill Pay Program pays between $300 - $500 in approved monthly bills for families struggling to make ends meet.
Wellness Program
When a child is critically ill, it affects the entire family. To address this traumatic situation, Miracles for Kids provides a holistic approach to healing families, from counseling to outdoor activities, such as the summer Surf and Paddle Camp. Mental health services, educational sessions, and outdoor wellness activities help families better cope with the trauma and stress associated with life-threatening diseases.
Basic Needs Program
Getting basic necessities can be a challenge for families in crisis. To stretch already scarce budgets – food, home goods, clothing, and other basic needs items are provided to families through the Basket of Miracles and Kindness Box of Miracles programs. These packages go out every month to provide not only essentials, but school supplies and even toys and fun activities for the children to ease the pressure at home.
Where we work
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of families served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Families, Economically disadvantaged people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
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?
In order to fulfill its mission, Miracles for Kids' programming focuses on three main objectives: (1) to be a core solution to the families non-medical needs and effect immediate change by operating programs that assist critically-ill children, and their low-income families, with the financial aid and other support necessary to face daily emotional and economic struggles; (2) to provide wellness solutions to families by offering a myriad of health and wellness programs aimed at keeping Bill Pay Program children and families physically, mentally and emotionally strong; and (3) to make an ongoing impact by serving as an advocate and resource in the community for critically-ill children and their families.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Miracles for Kids is successful in meeting the financial needs of a critically under-served population of children in Southern California who are affected by cancer, blood-based diseases, organ diseases/defects, and orphan diseases. Orphan diseases are classified as rare and affect fewer than 200,000 Americans. There is a lack of community support for this demographic and Miracles for Kids has made a tangible impact by providing critically needed financial and emotional support to this population.
Miracles for Kids’ strives to align with social workers at children’s hospitals to ensure low-income families with a critically-ill child are made aware of the organization as a resource. As Miracles for Kids’ capabilities have grown, the hospitals serviced now includes CHOC Children’s, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Miracles for Kids operates four core programs that together fulfill the organization's goal of providing solutions to meet low-income families basic needs and provide year-round support: (1) Bill Pay Program - provides monthly financial aid to low-income families who, as a result of their critically-ill child, struggle to fulfill basic financial obligations such as rent/mortgage, healthy food, transportation and medical insurance payments; (2) Housing Program – Miracle Manor provides subsidized housing for up to 12 families in extreme risk of homelessness and in need of a safe and supportive environment; (3) Wellness Program - helps families better cope with the trauma and stress associated with life-threatening diseases through mental health services, educational sessions, and outdoor wellness activities; (4) Basic Needs Program - provides healthy food, household supplies, basic necessities, and more to families in need.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Miracles for Kids has assisted 1000+ families with critically-ill children throughout Southern California. In 2020, the Wellness Program expanded by 36% to help 151 individuals better cope with the trauma and stress associated with life-threatening diseases through therapy and wellness activities.
The organization plans on continuing to step up to meet the needs of those they serve by: (1) reducing the waitlist of low-income families in need of basic needs and support services; (2) expanding core stability programs with a specific focus on mental health and family stability; (3) increasing community and corporate support through newly launched giving circle and expanded corporate partnership programs.
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.
Miracles for Kids
Board of directorsas of 01/17/2024
Mr. Ken Cruse
Paula Ansara-Wilhelm
Curtis Green
David Heil
Michael Meyer
Moni Mosharaf
Bob Rovzar
Jordy Spiegel
Gary Standel
Autumn Strier
Tom Swanecamp
Ken Cruse
Jason Pendergist
Perry Viscounty
Tyler Leeson
Kevin DeAllen
Norm Christensen
Noel Wickwar
King Nelson
Rasheed Muhammad
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? Yes
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
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 09/16/2019GuideStar 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 review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.