Knowing every child's life is sacred. Cook Children's Promise: everything for the child.
Cook Children's Health Care System centers its grantmaking on pediatric care inside a health system whose promise is summarized as: "everything for the child." The clearest signal in the recent record is support for its own physician network and medical center, both receiving the largest grants in 2025 through general support. That pattern fits a funder that uses flexible funding rather than tightly restricted project-only awards. The foundation’s stated focus areas point to specialty pediatric medicine, including pediatric research, hematology and oncology, neuro-oncology and neurosciences, gastroenterology, endocrinology, cardiology, pulmonology, neonatology, and pediatric intensive care. Its active Endowed Chair Program adds another layer by backing physician-led research and programmatic initiatives through endowed chairs, with emphasis on clinical programs and research. Outside the health system, the recent grants list shows support for community and disease-focused organizations as well. All Saints Episcopal School received general support in Fort Worth, while leukemia and inflammatory bowel disease-related organizations in Dallas, Lubbock, and New York also appear among recent recipients. Together, these grants show a funder that combines internal institutional support with selective external giving tied to pediatric and medical priorities.
Pediatric healthcare is the core theme. The largest recent grant went to Cook Children's Physican Network for general support, showing direct backing for the health system’s clinical infrastructure. Specialty disease areas are also prominent. Cook Children's Health Care System lists hematology & oncology and neuro-oncology among its focus areas, and the Endowed Chair Program explicitly supports pediatric research, clinical program development, precision medicine, and epilepsy/Lennox-Gastaut. General support extends beyond core medical operations. All Saints Episcopal School received $100,000 in 2025, indicating that the foundation also funds community institutions in Fort Worth. Disease-specific nonprofits appear in the recent grants as well. Leukemia Texas and Crohn's & Colitis Foundation each received support, aligning with the foundation’s broader pediatric and specialty-care orientation.
$799K
$1.7B
$451.9M
$385.8M
Most grants fall between $8K and $218K, with a median of $55K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$55K
75th Percentile
$218K
Rick W Merrill
President & CEO
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Typical awards are in the middle-to-large nonprofit range: the 25th percentile is $8,125, the median is $55,000, and the 75th percentile is $218,086. That spread suggests a mix of smaller general-support grants and larger institutional awards. The recent list also shows repeated support for core health-system entities in 2025, which points to ongoing internal funding rather than one-off grants only. Cook Children's Health Care System does not fund individuals and makes no program-related investments. Its active Endowed Chair Program is also not open to unsolicited requests, which indicates a structured, internally directed funding model.
Giving is highly concentrated in Texas, with 83% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Fort Worth appears repeatedly in the recent list, including Cook Children's Physican Network, Cook Children's Medical Center, and All Saints Episcopal School. Beyond Texas, the foundation also gives in New York, where Crohn's & Colitis Foundation is listed among recent recipients. The broader geographic scope is local, with grants landing primarily in Fort Worth and other Texas cities such as Dallas and Lubbock.
The foundation focuses on pediatric healthcare and pediatric research, with specialty areas including hematology & oncology, neuro-oncology and neurosciences, gastroenterology, endocrinology, cardiology, pulmonology, neonatology, and pediatric intensive care. Recent grants also include general support for health-system entities and other nonprofits aligned with medical priorities.
The grant distribution is broad: the 25th percentile is $8,125, the median grant is $55,000, and the 75th percentile is $218,086. That shows a mix of modest awards and larger institutional grants.
Its active Endowed Chair Program does not accept unsolicited requests. The program is described as supporting physician-led research and programmatic initiatives through endowed chairs.
Most grants stay in Texas, with 83% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Fort Worth appears repeatedly among recent recipients, and the broader giving scope is local.
The recent grants listed are all labeled general support, and the philosophy tags emphasize unrestricted, flexible, core operating, and program-agnostic funding. That points to a strong preference for broad organizational support.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook Children's Physican Network | FORT WORTH, TX | $417,880 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Cook Children's Medical Center | FORT WORTH, TX | $257,448 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| All Saints Episcopal School | FORT WORTH, TX | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Leukemia Texas | DALLAS, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Covenant Health Foundation | LUBBOCK, TX | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Crohn's & Colitis Foundation | NEW YORK, NY | $6,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| United Way of Tarrant County | FORT WORTH, TX | $30,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Double Eagle Charities | FORT WORTH, TX | $10,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Covenant Health Foundation | Tewksbury, MA | $7,500 | 2024 | General Support |
| MENTAL HEALTH CONNECTION | FOR WORTH, TX | $13,600 | 2023 | TARRANT CARE DONATION; TARRANT CARES COMM EDUCATIO |
| JUVENILE DIABETES RESEARCH FOUNDATION | DALLAS, TX | $10,000 | 2023 | TYPE 1 DIABETES RESEARCH - WALK AND GALA SPONSOR |
| CONGENITAL HYPERINSULINISM INTERNATIONAL | GLEN RIDGE, NJ | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
Cook Children's Physican Network
$417,880GENERAL SUPPORT
All Saints Episcopal School
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
Leukemia Texas
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GENERAL SUPPORT
Double Eagle Charities
$10,000General Support
Covenant Health Foundation
$7,500General Support
MENTAL HEALTH CONNECTION
$13,600TARRANT CARE DONATION; TARRANT CARES COMM EDUCATIO
TYPE 1 DIABETES RESEARCH - WALK AND GALA SPONSOR
CONGENITAL HYPERINSULINISM INTERNATIONAL
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT