The Childrens Heart Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE MISSION OF THE CHILDREN'S HEART FOUNDATION (CHF) IS TO ADVANCE THE DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND PREVENTION OF CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS (CHDS) BY FUNDING THE MOST PROMISING RESEARCH.
- Income
- $3.6 million
- Spending
- $3.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 74%
- Reserves
- 5.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 15
- Volunteers
- 309
- Highest pay
- $207,156, president & ceo through 9/30/2024
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 70 out of 100. Higher than 31% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 5.4 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 28% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 8% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 7% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1574% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 12 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 95 out of 100. Higher than 58% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2515 of 15 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $2.5 million spent. RESEARCHTHE CHILDREN'S HEART FOUNDATION FUNDS THE MOST PROMISING CONGENITAL HEART DEFECT (CHD)RESEARCH. SINCE 1996, CHF HAS INVESTED NEARLY $20 MILLION INTO CHD RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATIONS.IN 2024 CHF FUNDED NEARLY $1.8 MILLION IN CHD RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATIONS ACROSS FOUR KEY INITIATIVES: 1. INDEPENDENT RESEARCH FUNDED BY THE FOUNDATION, 2. COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH WITH THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION THROUGH JOINT CONGENITAL HEART DEFECT RESEARCH AWARDS, 3. FUNDING THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS' PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP AWARD, AND 4. FUNDING CARDIAC NETWORKS UNITED (CNU), A NATIONAL PEDIATRIC AND CONGENITAL CARDIOVASCULAR RESEARCH NETWORK. CHF PROVIDED FUNDING FOR THE FOLLOWING INDEPENDENT RESEARCH:DR. YULI KIM, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA 2 YR. GRANT AWARD FUNDED BY CHF; MEND A HEART FOUNDATION FUND RESTRICTED FUNDS HEPATIC PERFUSION AND LIVER HEALTH AS ASSESSED BY DUAL CHOLATE CLEARANCE ASSAY IN FALD SUBMITTED BY YULI KIM, M.D., PERELMAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA.DR. ROBERT TRANQUILLO, REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA - TWIN CITIES, 2 YR. GRANT AWARD FUNDED BY CHF; APPROVED BY BOD IN 2024. GROWING TRANSCATHETER PULMONARY STENT VALVE FOR CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE SUBMITTED BY ROBERT TRANQUILLO, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA TWIN CITIES.DR. YUN ZHANG, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IRVING MEDICAL CENTER 2 YR. GRANT AWARD FUNDED BY CHF; APPROVED BY BOD IN 2024. ADVANCING NEONATAL TETRALOGY OF FALLOT CARE WITH A COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION FRAMEWORK SUBMITTED BY YUN ZHANG, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IRVING MEDICAL CENTER.THE CHILDREN'S HEART FOUNDATION PROVIDES FUNDING TO CARDIAC NETWORKS UNITED TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN WITH CHDS. ONE OF CNU'S CURRENT RESEARCH EFFORTS - THE PAC3 CHEST TUBE PROJECT - IS NOW BEING IMPLEMENTED AT NEARLY 20 U.S. HOSPITALS AS RESEARCHERS CONSIDER THE OPTIMAL TIME FOR CHEST TUBE REMOVAL IN YOUNG CHD PATIENTS.THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP AWARD WAS FUNDED IN 2024; HOWEVER, THE 2024 RECIPIENT WILL BE AWARDED IN 2025.
- $174,296 spent. AWARENESS CONGENITAL HEART WALKS: THE CHILDREN'S HEART FOUNDATION'S CONGENITAL HEART WALK SERIES IS THE NATION'S LARGEST WALK SERIES SOLELY DEDICATED TO RAISING AWARENESS AND FUNDS FOR CONGENITAL HEART DEFECT RESEARCH. 36 CONGENITAL HEART WALK EVENTS TOOK PLACE IN 2024. THE WALKS OFFER A CHANCE TO STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY AND SPREAD AWARENESS ABOUT AMERICA'S MOST COMMON BIRTH DEFECT - CHDS, AND WE RAISED ALMOST $2,300,000!FUNDRAISING EVENTS AND CAMPAIGNS: VARIOUS FUNDRAISING EVENTS AND CAMPAIGNS TOOK PLACE THROUGHOUT 2024, INCLUDING #GIVINGTUESDAY, HEART MONTH, VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH, AND OUR MATCHING FROM THE HEART CAMPAIGN - ALL OF WHICH HELPED RAISE AWARENESS AND FUNDS OF THE CHILDREN'S HEART FOUNDATION'S CRITICAL MISSION.GENERAL AWARENESS: THE CHILDREN'S HEART FOUNDATION UTILIZES SOCIAL MEDIA AND VIDEO STORYTELLING TO SPREAD FURTHER AWARENESS OF CHDS AND CHF. OUR SOCIAL MEDIA EFFORTS FOCUS ON SHARING STORIES OF CHILDREN, ADULTS, AND FAMILIES IMPACTED BY CHDS, AS WELL AS TELLING OUR AUDIENCE ABOUT THE IMPORTANT RESEARCH EFFORTS WE ARE FUNDING. THESE TOOLS HELP US REACH PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT HAVE PREVIOUSLY KNOWN ABOUT OUR IMPORTANT WORK.
- $151,281 spent. ADVOCACY WE ENDEAVORED TO CREATE MORE AWARENESS OF THE NEED FOR ADVOCACY FOR THOSE WITH CHDS AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS BY TELLING THEIR STORY ON OUR WEBSITES, IN VIDEO, AND THROUGH SPECIAL BROADCAST PRODUCTIONS, LIKE THE PBS VISIONARIES SERIES. OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS FOCUS ON RAISING AWARENESS OF THE NEED FOR INCREASED FUNDING FOR RESEARCH, SURVIVIVAL,LONGEVITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE EFFORTS WHICH HAVE DRAMATICALLY INCREASED FOR CHD PATIENTS. THERE HAS BEEN A 37.5% DECREASE IN BABIES DYING AT BIRTH WHICH IS A TREMENDOUS RESULT, BUT WE KNOW THAT BABIES ARE STILL BEING BORN DAILY WITH CHDS.WE INTEND TO PROVIDE MORE EDUCATIONAL AND OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES AROUND THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT FOR CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS. OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS SEEK TO EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITIES ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS AND ITS IMPACT ON INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since June 2003.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
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