Variety Childrens Hospital
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO INSPIRE HOPE AND PROMOTE LIFELONG HEALTH BY PROVIDING THE BEST CARE TO EVERY CHILD.
- Income
- $1.0 billion
- Spending
- $880.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 80%
- Reserves
- 5.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 91%
- Employees
- 3,793
- Volunteers
- 398
- 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: 75 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (health care, over $100m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 5.4 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 38% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 16% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 7% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1580% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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 36% of charities in its peer group (health care, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 12 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 (1)
- $702.9 million spent. VARIETY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, ESTABLISHED IN 1950, OWNS AND OPERATES A PEDIATRIC SPECIALTY HOSPITAL NOW KNOWN AS NICKLAUS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. THE HOSPITAL IS ONE OF THE LARGEST FREESTANDING PEDIATRIC TEACHING HOSPITALS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. IT PROVIDES SPECIALIZED PEDIATRIC HEALTHCARE FOR CHILDREN REGARDLESS OF RACE, CREED, SEX, NATIONAL ORIGIN, AGE, OR ABILITY TO PAY. THE HOSPITAL HAS 307 LICENSED BEDS. NICKLAUS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL SERVES AS A REFERRAL CENTER FOR CHILDREN WITH COMPLEX, CRITICAL, OR LIFE-THREATENING ILLNESSES REQUIRING SPECIALIZED CARE. IT HAS A STATE-DESIGNATED PEDIATRIC TRAUMA CENTER. MANY PATIENTS ARE REFERRED BY OTHER HOSPITALS REGARDLESS OF THE EXISTENCE OF FORMAL ARRANGEMENTS. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) (CONTINUED FROM PART III) In 2024: 3,801 PATIENTS WERE TRANSFERRED FROM HOSPITALS THROUGHOUT FLORIDA, CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA, AND THE CARIBBEAN. WHEN CHILDREN NEED THE SERVICES OF A SPECIALIST, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT SUCH SERVICES BE PROVIDED BY A PRACTITIONER WITH SPECIFIC TRAINING AND EXPERTISE IN PEDIATRIC CARE. THE CARE OF CHILDREN WITH CERTAIN COMPLEX CHRONIC CONDITIONS, SUCH AS JUVENILE DIABETES, CANCER, OR CYSTIC FIBROSIS, IS BEST MANAGED BY A PEDIATRIC SPECIALIST IN ORDER TO ELIMINATE REFERRAL DELAYS AND EXPEDITE POSITIVE TREATMENT. CHILDREN ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO COMPLICATIONS DUE TO DELAYS THAN ADULTS. THEY DEVELOP SERIOUS COMPLICATIONS MORE RAPIDLY THAN ADULTS BECAUSE THEY HAVE LESS PHYSIOLOGICAL RESERVES AND LESS DEVELOPED ORGAN SYSTEMS. OPENED THE TENTH PEDIATRIC CARE CENTER (PCC) IN WEST PINES, OFFERING APPOINTMENTS WITH BOARD-CERTIFIED PEDIATRICIANS WHO SERVE AS PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS (PCPS) FOR BABIES, CHILDREN, AND TEENS. REPLACED THE EXISTING MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING MACHINE AT THE WEST KENDALL OUTPATIENT CENTER WITH A NEW MRI SYSTEM (Philips 1.5T Ambition), TRANSFORMING HEALTHCARE DELIVERY FOR CHILDREN. 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. BECAME THE FIRST CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL IN SOUTH FLORIDA TO OFFER IN-HOUSE PHARMACOGENOMICS TESTING AS PART OF NICKLAUS'S COMMITMENT TO PRECISION MEDICINE. NICKLAUS ACQUIRED THE BIOSYSTEMS PHARMACOSCAN SOLUTION AND GENETITAN MC FAST SCAN INSTRUMENT, WHICH COMBINES PHARMACOGENOMICS TEST RESULTS WITH OTHER INFORMATION SUCH AS A PATIENT'S OVERALL HEALTH, LIFESTYLE FACTORS, AND FAMILY HISTORY TO HELP DETERMINE A PERSONALIZED TREATMENT PLAN FOR EACH PATIENT. LAUNCHED HOSPITAL SAFETY FOR ALL, AN INTEGRATED SAFETY AND QUALITY FRAMEWORK, DESIGNED TO PREVENT HARM TO PATIENTS, STAFF, AND VISITORS. THROUGH THIS INITIATIVE, TEAMS ACROSS THE HEALTH SYSTEM COLLABORATE TO CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE WORKFLOWS AND IMPLEMENT PROCESSES FOCUSED ON ACHIEVING QUALITY IMPROVEMENT MILESTONES. DUE TO THESE EFFORTS, THE HOSPITAL EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN PREVENTABLE SAFETY INCIDENTS AND A DECREASE IN ALREADY RARE HEALTHCARE-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS. ESTABLISHED ONLINE SCHEDULING TO IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY AND CONVENIENCE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN SOUTH FLORIDA, GIVING FAMILIES THE OPTION TO SELF-SCHEDULE APPOINTMENTS WITH BOARD-CERTIFIED SPECIALISTS AND PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS. ATTAINED MAGNET RECOGNITION BY THE AMERICAN NURSES CREDENTIALING CENTER'S MAGNET RECOGNITION PROGRAM FOR THE FIFTH CONSECUTIVE TERM. NICKLAUS CHILDREN'S IS ONE OF ONLY FIVE CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS IN THE NATION TO HAVE RECEIVED A FIFTH MAGNET DESIGNATION AND JOINED THE RANKS OF ONLY ONE PERCENT OF HOSPITALS NATIONWIDE THAT HAVE ATTAINED THIS FIFTH-TERM MAGNET MILESTONE. THE MAGNET RECOGNITION PROGRAM DISTINGUISHES HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS THAT MEET RIGOROUS STANDARDS FOR NURSING EXCELLENCE AND IS THE HIGHEST AND MOST REGARDED HONOR AN ORGANIZATION CAN RECEIVE FOR PROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE. NICKLAUS CHILDREN'S WAS THE FIRST PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL IN FLORIDA AND THE FIFTH PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL IN THE NATION TO ACHIEVE ANCC MAGNET DESIGNATION IN 2004. WAS NAMED A TOP CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL BY THE LEAPFROG GROUP. 2,400 HOSPITALS WERE CONSIDERED FOR THE AWARD THIS YEAR. AMONG THOSE, NICKLAUS CHILDREN'S IS ONE OF ONLY EIGHT HOSPITALS TO ACHIEVE A TOP CHILDREN'S DISTINCTION. WAS RECOGNIZED BY THE NATIONAL SAFE SLEEP HOSPITAL AS A "GOLD CERTIFIED" HOSPITAL FOR ITS COMMITMENT TO BEST PRACTICES AND EDUCATION ON INFANT SAFE SLEEP. WAS INCLUDED IN NEWSWEEK'S LIST OF AMERICA'S BEST CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS 2024. NICKLAUS CHILDREN'S WAS RECOGNIZED WITH THE MOST PROGRAMS RANKED WITHIN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, WITH DISTINCTIONS IN GASTROENTEROLOGY, NEONATOLOGY, NEUROLOGY, AND ENDOCRINOLOGY. 2024 STATISTICAL DATA INCLUDES - TOTAL INPATIENT DAYS: 60,426 TOTAL INPATIENT ADMISSIONS: 10,695 INPATIENT AVERAGE DAILY CENSUS: 189.3 TOTAL OUTPATIENT VISITS (MAIN CAMPUS): 182,009 TOTAL OUTPATIENT VISITS (AMBULATORY CENTERS): 348,219 TOTAL AMBULATORY URGENT CARE VISITS: 210,276 TOTAL SURGICAL CASES: 9,893 AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY: 5.6 DAYS Nicklaus Children's Hospital completed the ISO 9001 Quality Management System certification by DNV GL. Nicklaus Children's is the second freestanding children's hospital in the nation to obtain this certification. Since the hospital's initial DNV GL accreditation in 2016, Nicklaus Children's and its network of outpatient centers have participated in annual accreditation site visit evaluations to ensure steady progression toward ISO 9001 certification. ISO 9001 sets forth criteria for quality management that include a strong customer focus, engagement of top management, a process approach, and continual improvement. The ultimate
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 May 1951.
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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