Our Mission
To serve as advocates for Seattle Children's through our volunteer, philanthropic and educational endeavors to ensure excellent health care for all children in our region.
Our Vision
To be the national leader for children's hospital volunteer organizations.
Our Guilds
Guilds across Washington state support Seattle Children's. Approximately 35% of our members live outside King County, conducting fundraising events and projects in their local areas. (Dots on the map indicate guild locations.)
A guild is a group of people who join together to support Seattle Children’s and improve the health and well-being of kids. There are 500 guilds and 7,000 guild members across Washington state. Guild members are men, women and children of all ages. In fiscal year 2011, guilds raised $11 million for Children’s by hosting events ranging from auctions and wine tastings to fun runs and golf tournaments.
Each guild is different; some raise several hundred dollars each year, while others raise tens of thousands and more. Guilds also meet significant needs through “heartwarming projects” – the collection or creation of items such as blankets, toys, books and toiletries to support and comfort patients and their families. Each year, guilds donate thousands of heartwarming items.
Seattle Children’s Hospital Guild Association is the largest all-volunteer fundraising network for any hospital in the nation. We serve as the umbrella organization for all of our guilds, and we support their efforts by providing inspiration, fundraising advice and resources.
What Guilds Support
Uncompensated care
Seattle Children’s was founded in 1907 with a promise to our community:
children in our region will receive essential healthcare regardless of a family’s
ability to pay. Through their fundraising efforts, guilds have been helping the
hospital keep its promise ever since. Last year alone, Children’s provided more
than $103 million in uncompensated care. This would not have been possible
without the philanthropic support of our guilds.
Hospital programs
When a guild is passionate about a specific clinical or family support program,
it can choose to dedicate its fundraising proceeds to that area. Currently,
guilds are generously supporting the Autism Center, the Child Life Department, Cardiology and other specialties.
Research
Guilds committed to finding cures for childhood illnesses choose to support
the work of Seattle Children’s Research Institute. Currently, guilds support
brain tumor research, hydrocephalus research and mitochondrial research, as
well as other initiatives.
Learn more about joining or starting a research guild.
Funding Focus
Each year, the Guild Association directs a portion of our fundraising efforts to a particular project.
Since 2004 we have funded three endowed chairs – Infectious Disease, Pediatric Urology and Health Outcomes Research.
Learn more about this year's funding focus.