Every year, tens of thousands of donors provide the resources that allow caregivers and researchers at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to do their very best work. A few exceptionally generous individuals, companies, foundations and other organizations lead that community of supporters each year. Highlighted here are the seven largest donations to Children’s Hospital in fiscal year 2015.

Top Gifts

$50,000,000 - Raymond G. Perelman

Equaling the largest gift in the 160-year history of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Raymond Perelman committed $50 million to support research at Children’s Hospital through the creation of the Raymond G. Perelman Research Fund, portions of which will support the Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics; two Perelman Scholars, new tenure-track faculty positions at CHOP; the Raymond G. Perelman Endowed Chair in Pediatric Neuro- Ophthalmology; and the Perelman Fund for Research Innovation, a permanent source of reliable funding for the CHOP Research Institute to strategically identify and support new pilot research initiatives. 

$5,000,000 - GIANT Food Stores

GIANT has been a generous supporter of the Children’s Miracle Network at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for more than a decade, and in FY15 the company made its largest commitment ever, designating $5 million to support the Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care located on the Raymond G. Perelman Campus. In recognition of GIANT’s investment in the project, the 9,000-square-foot main lobby of the Buerger Center has been named for the company.

$3,908,475 - American Association for Cancer Research

Continuing to fulfill the tremendous $14.5 million pledge it made with St. Baldrick’s Foundation and Stand Up to Cancer in 2013, the American Association for Cancer Research provided nearly $4 million in support of immunogenomic research aiming to create new treatments for children with high-risk cancers.

$3,000,000 - Marilyn and Allan Furman

Marilyn and Allan Furman have been generous donors to CHOP for more than 40 years. In that time, their philanthropy has supported leukemia research programs in the Center for Childhood Cancer Research. In FY14, they made a significant gift to establish the Stephen J. Furman Oncology Clinic, in honor of their son, in the new Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care. This past year, they gave $3 million more to support CHOP’s research into leukemia.

$2,200,000 - Vincent F. McGonagle

Vincent F. McGonagle and his late wife, Kathryn, made their first gift to CHOP 20 years ago and have been steadfast supporters ever since. In honor of his wife, Mr. McGonagle established the Kathryn R. McGonagle Child Life Oncology Endowed Fund this past year to provide permanent support for vital child life services in the Cancer Center. He made an additional gift to the new Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care in Kathryn’s name to support the oncology isolation playroom.

$2,000,000 - Leonard B. Kahn

As the opening of the Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care drew nearer, more generous people came forward to make their mark on the building and the advances in outpatient care it represents. Leonard Kahn was a lifelong New Jersey dairy farmer and ranch owner, as well as a generous philanthropist who donated the majority of his estate to charities. This past year, Mr. Kahn made a $2 million gift to the new Buerger Center. He passed away shortly afterward. In recognition of his generosity, the unique spiraling ramp in the lobby will be known as the Leonard B. Kahn Discovery Walkway.

$1,000,000 - Irma and Norman Braman

Former owners of the Philadelphia Eagles, Irma and Norman Braman completed a $5 million pledge they made to create the Suzi and Scott Lustgarten Center for GI Motility, named after their daughter and her husband, who have also helped fund the center. Giving $1 million every year for five years, the Bramans created not only the center but also two endowed chairs and a separate research endowment, all focused on GI motility. Their invaluable contribution to CHOP’s work in this field will benefit children whose esophagus, stomach or intestines don’t work properly, often without obvious causes.