Address: 725 Welch Road, Palo Alto CA
Web: www.stanfordchildrens.org
Email: communitypartnerships@stanfordchildrens.org
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford was the vision of Lucile Salter Packard, the founding donor and visionary for children’s health. Her dream was simple: to nurture both the body and soul of every child. She believed in the power of nature as an important part of the healing process. She wanted kids to be treated like kids—not just patients. And she believed that caring for a child meant involving the whole family. Today, Stanford Medicine Children’s Health honors that vision through its dedication to delivering innovative services, unparalleled family-centered care, and impactful community health improvement.
Stanford Medicine Children’s Health Community Partnerships team, which oversees the organization’s Community Investment Grants program, envisions healthy communities that share equal access to achieving good health—where the community and the hospital, serving as catalysts for health equity, actively engage through a shared commitment to community health. Its mission is to improve community health and advance equity through authentic bidirectional partnership with, and investment in, community.
As an institution dedicated to the health of children and expectant moms, Stanford Children’s holds an inherent responsibility to ensure that the gaps in community health needs are addressed. Through community investment, it is committed to advancing health equity and improving health outcomes for communities. Its grantmaking efforts are focused on addressing the most pressing health needs of children, expectant moms and families in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Despite living in one of the wealthiest regions in the county, many children and families in the community struggle and go without necessary health care services and community support.
Program Information:
Stanford Children’s key areas of focus include improving access to primary health care, ensuring economic stability, enhancing social, emotional, and mental health, and supporting maternal and infant health. It is committed to health equity by partnering with organizations that provide critical services, particularly for underserved populations.
Financial Information:
Amount Dedicated to Health-Related Grants: $2 million (FY24)
Special Initiatives and/or Representative Health and Human Services Grants
Second Harvest Food Bank—This grant supports Second Harvest of Silicon Valley in its ongoing efforts to combat food insecurity among low-income children and families in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties in California. With the grant, the organization purchases and distributes 500,000 nutritious meals at no cost to recipients, reaching nearly 139,000 children. By partnering with 421 nonprofit organizations and distributing 34.95 million pounds of food, Second Harvest ensures that families have access to the essential nutrition needed for a healthy lifestyle. The grant also supports efforts to enroll eligible households in CalFresh, further enhancing their ability to achieve long-term food security. ($250,000)
Ravenswood Family Health Network—This grant supports Ravenswood Family Health Network’s Pediatric Services Program in providing comprehensive, high-quality health care to pediatric patients across four clinic sites. During the grant period, RFHN exceeded expectations, serving 8,486 children and implementing standardized referral processes for complex social service needs, resulting in 273 social services visits. Additionally, 88.3 percent of well-child visits included a nutritional insecurity screening, identifying 27.7 percent of families in need. The grant also facilitated staff recruitment and the expansion of the CenteringParenting® program, ensuring ongoing, holistic care for children and their families. ($250,000)
Acknowledge Alliance—The grant supports the Resilience Consultation Program (RCP), which addresses the pressing issues faced by educators and students in the Mountain View Whisman District. With the ongoing challenge of learning loss and the pressure on teachers to restore pre-pandemic academic performance, RCP provides crucial support through educator consultation sessions, classroom observations, and social-emotional learning lessons. By fostering stronger relationships between educators, students, and administrators, RCP helps create a collaborative environment that enhances both academic achievement and social-emotional well-being. The program’s expansion and continued success underscore its vital role in supporting the mental health and resilience of the entire school community. ($50,000)
Stanford Medicine Children’s Health and GIH
Belonging to the Grantmakers In Health (GIH) network has provided Stanford Medicine Children’s Health with invaluable insights into the latest trends and best practices in health care grantmaking. Although it has yet to fully utilize GIH for visibility, it is enthusiastic about the prospect. The organization looks forward to leveraging GIH’s resources and connections to amplify its impact and enhance the visibility of its initiatives. This partnership promises to open new doors for collaboration and innovation, helping it better serve its community and advance its mission.
The Role of Philanthropy in Meeting Pressing Needs
“At Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, we’re committed to improving lives beyond our hospital walls. We focus on all aspects of health—physical, mental, and economic. We know many families struggle with access to care, economic instability, and behavioral health issues, including disparities in maternal and infant health. By addressing these needs through our community partnerships, we aim to help families overcome barriers and achieve better health outcomes.”
–Michele Lew, Senior Vice President, Government and Community, Stanford Medicine Children’s Health
