The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Consistent with the vision of our founder Danny Thomas, no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family's ability to pay.
St. Jude founder Danny Thomas
What is St. Jude?
Entertainer Danny Thomas founded St. Jude in 1962. Since then, our researchers and doctors have worked to turn laboratory breakthroughs into lifesaving treatments for children in the United States and around the world.
What is St. Jude known for?
St. Jude specializes in care for some of the toughest pediatric cases, all while investing in resources and technologies for cutting-edge scientific research. And families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food — so they can focus on helping their child live.
Unlike other hospitals, the majority of funding for St. Jude comes from generous donors.
Seeking treatment at St. Jude?
Our approach makes us different from most children’s hospitals. St. Jude is the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. St. Jude has also been named among the top children’s cancer hospitals in the United States by U.S. News & World Report since the ranking was first published in 2008.
We treat children with cancer, blood disorders, neurological disorders, infectious diseases, and other related life-threatening diseases. Acceptance to St. Jude may be based on potential eligibility for an open clinical trial.
No child should die in the dawn of life.
Danny Thomas, founder
Why give to St. Jude?
Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food — so they can focus on helping their child live.
St. Jude has helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate in the U.S. from 20% in 1962 to more than 80% today. We won’t stop until no child dies from cancer.
Every child deserves a chance to live their best life and celebrate every moment. When you support St. Jude, you can help make cures possible for kids with cancer. Together, we can save more lives.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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For the past seven years, 82 cents of every dollar received has gone to support the treatment, research and future needs of St. Jude.
Since St. Jude is a childhood cancer charity, the majority of funds needed to operate and sustain St. Jude must be raised from generous donors. In addition, we also receive some revenue from insurance recoveries, research grant funding and returns on our investments.
When you look at total revenue, ALSAC and St. Jude are proud that 82 cents of every dollar received has gone to support patients and research at St. Jude today and in the future. Thirteen cents of every dollar supports fundraising efforts, such as events like the national St. Jude Walk/Run and advertising to help spread awareness of our lifesaving mission. Five cents of every dollar supports administration costs.
Read more about our unique operating model and future plans.
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There’s only one St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the world, located in Memphis, Tennessee, and we have affiliate clinics and fundraising offices across the country.
We share the breakthroughs we make, which means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children.
We might not be located in your community, but our research and discoveries are. We've treated children from all 50 states and from around the world.
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We accept most patients based on their ability to enroll in an open clinical trial. Your child must have a disease we treat and be within a certain age range. Talk to your child’s physician about a referral.
Find out how to seek treatment at St. Jude.
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American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC) was founded by Danny Thomas in 1957 to be the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and its sole mission is to raise the funds and awareness necessary to operate and maintain the hospital. In the years ahead, an estimated 89% of the funds necessary to sustain and grow St. Jude must be raised by ALSAC from generous donors. Learn more about why you should support our mission and our unique operating model.
From human resources to marketing to regional field representatives, ALSAC is always looking for the brightest professionals to join our lifesaving mission across the country.
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To update your name and contact information, manage or change your monthly credit card and monthly payment information, and update your Partner In Hope account, create a My Supporter Account.
You can also call us at (800) 822-6344 to cancel or change a one-time or monthly donation. Our call center is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. CT. We’ll be happy to assist you in making any changes to your one-time or monthly donation.
Learn about other ways you can support the kids of St. Jude, including:
- Send a digital card to our patients.
- Create your own fundraiser.
- Start a Facebook fundraiser.
- Send a digital card to our patients.
Learn more about St. Jude
Explore the remarkable people, moments and discoveries of St. Jude
Our stories
Learn about our patients, the treatments and research, and the inspirational stories that happen every day.
Research and news
See our most recent publications, and learn what we've been working on.