Miami Childrens Health System Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Nicklaus Children's Health System is the region's only healthcare system exclusively for children. Our mission is to inspire hope and promote lifelong health by providing the best care to every child. TO PERFORM THE FUNCTIONS OF, OR TO CARRY OUT THE PURPOSES OF NICKLAUS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AND ITS AFFILIATED ENTITIES, AND TO INVEST IN, RECEIVE, HOLD, USE, AND DISPOSE OF ALL PROPERTY, REAL OR PERSONAL, AS MAY BE NECESSARY OR DESIRABLE TO CARRY INTO EFFECT THE AFOREMENTIONED PURPOSES.
- Income
- $362.0 million
- Spending
- $449.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 80%
- Reserves
- 20.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 89%
- Employees
- 1,576
- Volunteers
- 269
- Highest pay
- $2.6 million, president & ceo
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: 81 out of 100. Higher than 73% of charities in its peer group (health care, over $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 20.7 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 18% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 24% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 12% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1580% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 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: 100 out of 100. Higher than 53% of charities in its peer group (health care, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2518 of 19 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
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
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 (1)
- $359.6 million spent. A NONPROFIT CORPORATION CREATED IN 2011, formed as a holding company for Variety Children's Hospital d/b/a Nicklaus Children's Hospital and Subsidiaries (the Hospital). Additionally, the System facilitates partnerships with private physicians and explores other revenue opportunities. The System includes a regional pediatric network anchored by the Hospital, located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The Hospital is complemented by a network of ambulatory centers and pediatric care clinics located throughout South Florida, primarily in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. VARIETY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL D/B/A NICKLAUS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL PROVIDES SPECIALIZED PEDIATRIC HEALTHCARE TO CHILDREN. Nicklaus Children's Pediatric Specialists, LLC (NCPS) is a single-member Limited Liability Company formed to support the physician practices deemed necessary by the Hospital. NCPS is a subsidiary of the System. Nicklaus Children's Hospital Foundation, LLC (Foundation) is a single-member Limited Liability Company formed to raise funds and support the Hospital and other related organizations. The Foundation is a subsidiary of the System. IN 2024, NICKLAUS CHILDREN'S HEALTH SYSTEM, INC: ESTABLISHED A COLLABORATION WITH BROWARD HEALTH, WITH NICKLAUS CHILDREN'S BECOMING THE PEDIATRIC PROVIDER AT BROWARD HEALTH'S FORT LAUDERDALE AND CORAL SPRINGS LOCATIONS BY 2025. THIS AFFILIATION WILL IMPROVE ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY PEDIATRIC SERVICES FOR THE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES OF BROWARD COUNTY AND REDUCE THE PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN THAT LEAVE BROWARD COUNTY FOR SPECIALIZED CARE. OPENED THE KENNETH C. GRIFFIN SURGICAL TOWER, EQUIPPED WITH 12 ADVANCED AND FULLY INTEGRATED OPERATING SUITES FOR PERFORMING THE MOST COMPLEX PEDIATRIC SURGERIES, INCLUDING TRAUMA CARE, SURGICAL CANCER INTERVENTIONS, AND PEDIATRIC PLASTIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERIES SUCH AS CLEFT LIP-AND-PALATE, ORTHOPEDIC AND SPINE, BRAIN, AND HEART SURGERIES. THE KENNETH C. GRIFFIN SURGICAL TOWER IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE PEDIATRIC SURGICAL FACILITIES IN THE UNITED STATES AND COMBINES LEADING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY WITH A FOCUS ON DELIVERING A COMPASSIONATE PATIENT EXPERIENCE. COLLABORATED WITH THE DIGITAL SAFETY ALLIANCE TO LAUNCH SAFE SOUND, A NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE AWARENESS OF THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH DIGITAL ACCESS AND PROVIDE TOOLS TO HELP PARENTS CREATE A SAFER WORLD FOR CHILDREN ONLINE. RECEIVED A $15 MILLION GIFT FROM SOUTH FLORIDA PHILANTHROPISTS HELEN AND JACOB SHAHAM. THIS DONATION WILL HELP THE HOSPITAL'S CANCER AND BLOOD DISORDERS INSTITUTE PROVIDE HOPE TO FAMILIES IN SOUTH FLORIDA AND IMPACT WORLD-CLASS PEDIATRIC CANCER CARE AND RESEARCH FOR CHILDREN. IN RECOGNITION OF THE DONATION RECEIVED, NICKLAUS NAMED THE PROGRAM THE HELEN & JACOB SHAHAM CANCER & BLOOD DISORDERS INSTITUTE. LAUNCHED THE LARGEST MULTI-YEAR FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN IN ITS 75-YEAR HISTORY AT THE 17TH ANNUAL DIAMOND BALL - FORWARD FOR GENERATIONS. AT THE EVENT, THE SYSTEM RECEIVED A RECORD-BREAKING AMOUNT - $6.9 MILLION - TO BENEFIT CHILDREN SERVED BY NICKLAUS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. WAS SELECTED BY THE RYAN SEACREST FOUNDATION AS THE HOME OF SOUTH FLORIDA'S FIRST AND ONLY SEACREST STUDIO, A STATE-OF-THE-ART STUDIO FOR PEDIATRIC PATIENTS TO EXPLORE THE CREATIVE REALMS OF RADIO, TELEVISION, AND NEW MEDIA. THE SEACREST STUDIO WILL SERVE AS A HUB FOR PATIENT ACTIVITIES, EDUCATION, AND ENGAGEMENT WITH CELEBRITIES VISITING NICKLAUS CHILDREN TO HELP BRIGHTEN PATIENTS' DAYS. WAS NAMED ONE OF AMERICA'S MOST LOVED WORKPLACES. THE HEALTH SYSTEM WAS ALSO RECOGNIZED FOR BEING A MOST LOVED WORKPLACE FOR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS, CAREER ADVANCEMENT, AND WELLNESS. THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION, A GLOBAL FORCE FOR LONGER, HEALTHIER LIVES FOR ALL, AWARDED NICKLAUS CHILDREN'S HEALTH SYSTEM GOLD LEVEL RECOGNITION IN THE 2024 WELL-BEING WORKS BETTER SCORECARD, REPRESENTING A NOTABLE COMMITMENT TO THE HEALTH OF ITS WORKFORCE AND COMMUNITY. FIVE NICKLAUS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL SPECIALTY PROGRAMS WERE AGAIN IDENTIFIED AMONG THE NATION'S BEST BY U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT IN ITS 2024-25 BEST CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS SURVEY RESULTS (CARDIOLOGY AND HEART SURGERY, NEONATOLOGY, NEUROLOGY AND NEUROSURGERY, ORTHOPEDICS, AND PULMONOLOGY). NICKLAUS CHILDREN'S HAD THE MOST RANKED PROGRAMS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. RECEIVED AN UPGRADED AA- BOND RATING WITH A STABLE OUTLOOK FROM FITCH RATINGS AND A REAFFIRMED A RATING WITH AN IMPROVED POSITIVE OUTLOOK FROM STANDARD & POOR'S. THESE AGENCIES RECOGNIZED NICKLAUS CHILDREN'S AS THE PREMIER PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL IN SOUTH FLORIDA FOR ITS LEADING AND GROWING MARKET SHARE, EXPANDING AMBULATORY FOOTPRINT, AND GROWING HOSPITAL AFFILIATIONS IN THE REGION. OPENED THE 10TH PEDIATRIC CARE CENTER IN WEST PINES, OFFERING APPOINTMENTS WITH BOARD-CERTIFIED PEDIATRICIANS WHO SERVE AS PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS FOR BABIES, CHILDREN, AND TEENS. THE DIGITAL HEALTH "MOST WIRED" SURVEY, SPONSORED BY THE COLLEGE OF HEALTHCARE INFORMATION MANAGEMENT EXECUTIVES (CHIME), REFLECTS THE COMMITMENT OF HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS TO DIGITAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION. FOR THE 8TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR, NICKLAUS CHILDREN'S ACHIEVED LEVEL 9 IN THE ACUTE SURVEY CATEGORY, AND FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, IN THE AMBULATORY SURVEY CATEGORY. DURING 2024, AMONG MORE THAN 48,000 FACILITIES REPRESENTED, NICKLAUS CHILDREN'S RANKED ABOVE PEERS IN CATEGORIES LIKE ANALYTICS AND DATA MANAGEMENT, POPULATION HEALTH, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND PATIENT ENGAGEMENT. AFFILIATES OF NCHS INCLUDE: CHILDREN'S HEALTH VENTURES, INC. (CHV) IS A FOR-PROFIT FINANCIAL HOLDING COMPANY CREATED TO ENTER INTO JOINT VENTURES, ACCESS NEW MARKETS, AND PROVIDE REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES. CHV IS A SUBSIDIARY OF THE SYSTEM. Miami Children's Insurance SPC, Limited (the Captive) was formed in the Cayman Islands to access professional liability insurance markets. The Captive is a subsidiary of the Hospital. Miami Children's Health Plan, LLC (the Health Plan) is a limited liability company formed with an independent third party. The Health Plan operated as a licensed Florida
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since August 2013.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 2026.
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