Children's Miracle Network Hospitals
Professional services
UnclaimedA nonprofit network that raises unrestricted funds for children's hospitals and pediatric healthcare services in the United States and Canada.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Children's Miracle Network Hospitals is a nonprofit fundraising organization supporting children's hospitals across the United States and Canada. It was established in 1983 by Marie Osmond, John Schneider, television producer Mick Shannon, and Joe Lake. The organization began with a televised fundraising event designed to connect entertainment personalities, corporate sponsors, broadcasters, and the public with local pediatric hospitals. The first telethon raised approximately $4.8 million for 22 hospitals. Over time, the telethon developed into a broader fundraising network, with local affiliates and hospital partners using a range of campaigns and community events to generate donations. The organization later became widely associated with the Miracle Balloon campaign, in which customers make small donations at participating retailers. It also operates or supports fundraising formats such as hospital radiothons, university Dance Marathon events, gaming fundraisers through Extra Life, and cause-marketing partnerships with national companies. CMN's model emphasizes local hospital control. Contributions are directed to participating children's hospitals and are generally unrestricted, allowing each institution to allocate funds according to current needs. Supported uses can include specialized treatment, medical equipment, pediatric research, clinical services, family and emotional support, health education, and assistance with costs associated with a child's hospital stay. This unrestricted structure distinguishes the organization from campaigns limited to a single disease, facility, or treatment category. The network's member hospitals collectively serve children across a large geographic area. Reference material describes the network as supporting healthcare for more than 12 million children annually and facilitating approximately 32 million treatments each year. By the organization's reported totals, cumulative fundraising has exceeded US$9 billion, with funds distributed through a network of approximately 170 hospitals. These figures are organizational or reference-source claims and should be interpreted as cumulative totals whose measurement period may vary. CMN has developed an extensive corporate and community partnership base. Participating companies have included Walmart, Sam's Club, Dairy Queen, IHOP, Costco, Panda Express, Ace Hardware, Wawa, RE/MAX, Delta Air Lines, Publix, Marriott International, and others. Walmart reported reaching the milestone of $1 billion raised through its CMN Hospitals partnership in 2019. Universities also stage Dance Marathon events, while Extra Life engages gamers in year-round fundraising for local member hospitals. In 2021, Ferrero promoted a joint campaign involving Butterfinger, CRUNCH, and Baby Ruth. The organization has received recognition in cause-marketing and digital-media awards, including Gold and Silver Halo honors, the 2014 Golden Halo, and a 2019 Shorty Award for a Facebook Live hospital-awareness broadcast. It has also received workplace recognition in Utah. The organization used the name Children's Miracle Network Hospitals from 2011 and reference material states that it planned or adopted the shorter Children's Miracle Network name in 2026. Aimee Daily, Ph.D., is identified in the supplied reference material as president and chief executive officer.
History
Children's Miracle Network was created in 1983 as a fundraising organization for children's hospitals. Its founding group consisted of Marie Osmond, John Schneider, Mick Shannon, and Joe Lake. Shannon and Lake developed the concept for a televised fundraising program, while Schneider and Osmond served as hosts. The initial telethon raised about $4.8 million for 22 children's hospitals, establishing the basic model of using national entertainment exposure to generate locally directed pediatric-health funding. The telethon remained an important fundraising mechanism for many years, although the organization gradually expanded beyond broadcast television. Local hospital markets continued to use telethon and radiothon formats, while national and community campaigns created additional ways for individuals and businesses to contribute. The organization's central proposition was that donations should benefit children's hospitals in the donor's community or region and remain flexible enough for hospitals to use where needs were greatest. Over the following decades, Children's Miracle Network developed a network model that connected participating hospitals with retail partners, corporations, universities, broadcasters, entertainment figures, and community groups. The Miracle Balloon campaign became its most recognizable mass-market fundraising device, allowing customers to make small contributions at participating businesses. Corporate campaigns with retailers, restaurants, financial institutions, travel companies, airlines, hospitality companies, and other employers became a major part of the organization’s funding base. The organization also built specialized programs for different communities. Dance Marathon events at universities use student-led activities and year-round organizing to raise money for local children's hospitals. Extra Life, launched in 2008, uses gaming communities and online streaming to encourage participants to play games while soliciting donations for their local CMN hospital. Play Yellow connects golf-related activity with pediatric fundraising, while Radiothon allows radio stations to conduct local appeals in support of affiliated hospitals. These programs broadened the organization's reach beyond traditional charity appeals. CMN's member hospitals use funds for a broad range of pediatric healthcare needs. Reported uses include lifesaving treatments, clinical services, medical equipment, research, emotional and family support, health education, and financial assistance connected with difficult hospital stays. The organization describes its grants as unrestricted, giving local hospitals discretion to apply donations to immediate or strategic priorities rather than requiring every contribution to support a predetermined program. The network expanded into a cross-border system serving hospitals in the United States and Canada. Reference material identifies approximately 170 member hospitals, more than 12 million children reached each year, and about 32 million treatments annually across the member network. It also reports cumulative fundraising above US$9 billion. These metrics describe the organization's stated scale rather than independently verified financial results for a single reporting period. Corporate partnerships have been central to the network's visibility and fundraising. Named partners in reference material include Walmart, Sam's Club, Dairy Queen, IHOP, Costco, Panda Express, Ace Hardware, Wawa, RE/MAX, Delta Air Lines, Publix, Marriott International, and numerous other companies and professional or university organizations. In 2019, Walmart announced that its partnership had generated $1 billion for CMN Hospitals. In 2021, Ferrero linked three of its candy brands to a CMN fundraising campaign. The organization has received cause-marketing recognition, including multiple Gold and Silver Halo awards, the Golden Halo in 2014, and a 2019 Shorty Award for a Facebook Live event associated with Children's Hospitals Week. Utah Business Magazine also named CMN Hospitals among Utah's Best Companies to Work For in 2015. The organization was known as Children's Miracle Network before adopting Children's Miracle Network Hospitals in 2011. The supplied reference material states that it rebranded as Children's Miracle Network in 2026. Aimee Daily, Ph.D., is identified as the current president and chief executive officer in the supplied reference material.
- 2026
Reference material reports rebrand to Children's Miracle Network
[1]The supplied reference material states that the organization returned to the shorter Children's Miracle Network name after using Children's Miracle Network Hospitals since 2011.
- 2021
Ferrero launches three-brand CMN campaign
[1]Ferrero connected Butterfinger, CRUNCH, and Baby Ruth to a fundraising campaign benefiting CMN Hospitals.
- 2019
Walmart partnership reaches reported $1 billion
[1]Walmart celebrated raising a reported cumulative $1 billion through its partnership with CMN Hospitals.
- 2014
Receives Golden Halo recognition
[1]The organization won the Golden Halo, a cause-marketing award recognizing its work with partners and campaigns.
- 2011
Organization adopts Children's Miracle Network Hospitals name
[1]Reference material identifies 2011 as the point at which the organization began using the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals name.
- 2008
Extra Life begins
[1]Extra Life was established as a gaming-based fundraising program supporting children treated at local member hospitals.
- 1983
Organization founded and first telethon held
[1]Marie Osmond, John Schneider, Mick Shannon, and Joe Lake founded the organization. Its first telethon raised approximately $4.8 million for 22 children's hospitals.
Products and positioning
A national cross-border pediatric-health charity that converts corporate, community, and individual donations into flexible funding for local children's hospitals.
Retail fundraising campaign
Miracle Balloon
The Miracle Balloon is the organization's best-known retail fundraising format. Customers make small donations at participating businesses, often represented by paper or digital balloon icons. The campaign aggregates many low-value contributions and directs the resulting funds to local children's hospitals for flexible use across pediatric care, equipment, research, family support, and other hospital priorities.
Gaming fundraising program · 2008
Extra Life
Extra Life is a gaming-centered fundraising platform created in 2008. Participants play games, livestream or share their activities, and seek donations throughout the year. Funds are associated with local Children's Miracle Network member hospitals, connecting online gaming communities with pediatric healthcare needs in their own regions. Reference material reports that the program has raised more than $100 million since its inception.
University fundraising program
Dance Marathon
Dance Marathon consists of university-led fundraising events supporting Children's Miracle Network hospitals and related pediatric services. Student organizers typically build campaigns around events, peer-to-peer fundraising, and community participation. Reference material reports that Dance Marathon events collectively raised more than $350 million, including more than $36 million raised by Indiana University's event for Riley Hospital for Children.
Broadcast fundraising program
Radiothon
Radiothon is a local radio fundraising format in which participating stations conduct on-air appeals for their affiliated Children's Miracle Network hospital. The format extends the organization's original broadcast heritage while allowing hospitals and stations to tell local patient and community stories.
Sports and community fundraising program
Play Yellow
Play Yellow is a golf-related fundraising initiative connected with Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. It provides a sports and recreation context for individuals, clubs, and partners to raise money for pediatric hospitals.
Marketing campaigns
- 2024Wilkes University and Lackawanna College esports fundraiser
United States
The institutions' esports program hosted a 12-hour gaming event at Bartari, with participation and streaming open to the public.
Outcome. Funds were raised for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and associated pediatric care.
- 2021Ferrero candy campaign
United States
Ferrero linked Butterfinger, CRUNCH, and Baby Ruth to a joint fundraising initiative for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.
- 2008Extra Life
Global
A year-round gaming fundraising program that brings together tens of thousands of participants to play games and solicit donations for local CMN hospitals.
Outcome. Reference material reports more than $100 million raised since the program began.
- Miracle Balloon campaign
United States · Canada
A mass retail donation campaign in which customers make small contributions through participating business locations. It is described in the reference material as the source of most of the organization's cumulative fundraising.
Outcome. Supports unrestricted grants and services at local member children's hospitals.
- Dance Marathon
United States
University communities organize recurring events and peer fundraising for local children's hospitals. The reference material reports collective fundraising above $350 million.
Outcome. Provides funding for pediatric hospital services, including the reported more than $36 million raised by Indiana University's event for Riley Hospital for Children.
Brand decisions
2026
Reported rebrand to Children's Miracle NetworkStrategyBackground
After using the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals name since 2011, the organization reportedly revisited its public-facing identity.
Action taken
The supplied reference material states that the organization rebranded as Children's Miracle Network.
2011
Adoption of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals nameStrategyBackground
The organization had historically been known as Children's Miracle Network and sought a name that more explicitly identified its hospital-focused mission.
Action taken
Reference material states that the organization began using Children's Miracle Network Hospitals in 2011.
Aftermath
The longer name was used for the subsequent period before the reported 2026 return to the shorter Children's Miracle Network name.
Recent events
Reported
Anthropologie names Children's Miracle Network Hospitals its holiday charitable partner[3]
Anthropologie announced Children's Miracle Network Hospitals as its exclusive charitable partner for the 2021 holiday season. The announced activities include matching customer donations up to $100,000 and donating more than 600 holiday craft kits.
Reported
Dairy Queen Canada partners with Marissa Papaconstantinou for Miracle Treat Day[4]
Dairy Queen Canada announced a partnership with Paralympic medalist Marissa Papaconstantinou to support children's hospitals. Participating locations were to donate net proceeds from Blizzard Treats purchased on October 28 to Children's Miracle Network member hospitals across Canada.
Reported
Ferrero brands launch children’s hospitals campaign[5]
CRUNCH, Butterfinger and Baby Ruth launched a campaign featuring limited-edition packaging and donations from participating product sales to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, up to $350,000.
Reported
Rapid Technologies announces Children's Hospital donation program[6]
Rapid Technologies announced a program to donate 1% of revenue from its ServiceNow professional services and software licenses to clients’ local Children’s Hospitals, through its corporate partnership with the Children's Miracle Network.
Reported
Staples US Retail partners with Children's Miracle Network Hospitals on PPE collection[7]
Staples US Retail partnered with Children's Miracle Network Hospitals to collect personal protective equipment and donations for local member hospitals at participating Staples stores.
Sources7 sources
- 1Children's Miracle Networken.wikipedia.org
- 2Children's Miracle Network Hospitals official websitechildrensmiraclenetworkhospitals.org
- 3Anthropologie指定儿童奇迹网络医院为节日慈善合作伙伴prnewswire.com
- 4Dairy Queen Canada 与 Marissa Papaconstantinou 合作支持 Miracle Treat Daynewswire.ca
- 5Ferrero旗下品牌推出儿童医院公益活动confectionerynews.com
- 6Rapid Technologies宣布儿童医院捐赠计划prnewswire.com
- 7Staples US Retail与儿童奇迹网络医院合作收集个人防护装备prweb.com
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