About
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, located in Memphis, Tennessee, is a pediatric treatment and research institution focused on childhood cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Founded in 1962 by entertainer Danny Thomas on the principle that no child should die in the dawn of life, St. Jude combines frontline patient care with cutting-edge research — and no family ever receives a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing, or food.
Mission
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.
What they do
- Treats children with cancer and other serious pediatric diseases, serving patients from all 50 states and from around the world
- Conducts research as the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children
- Covers all costs for families: no family ever receives a bill for treatment, travel, housing, or food, so parents can focus entirely on their child's recovery
- Extends its reach through affiliated clinics across the United States
History
Danny Thomas opened St. Jude in 1962. When the hospital opened, the overall childhood cancer survival rate was about 20 percent; thanks in part to treatments and protocols developed at St. Jude, that figure has risen to more than 80 percent today.
Scale and impact
- Childhood cancer survival rates have improved from 20 percent in 1962 to over 80 percent today
- Named one of the top children's cancer hospitals in the United States by U.S. News and World Report every year since 2008
- Unlike most hospitals, St. Jude relies primarily on donor support for its operations, and reports that 82 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to patient care and research
Financials
According to ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, for the fiscal year ending June 2025 St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Inc (EIN 62-0646012) reported total revenue of 2,208,853,162 dollars, total expenses of 1,897,571,834 dollars, and total assets of 12,933,669,993 dollars. The IRS issued its tax exemption in May 1963, and it is a 501(c)(3) public charity.