Our Mission

When a child is diagnosed with a chronic illness, the entire family is diagnosed. Parents become caregivers and medical advocates overnight, siblings quietly set aside their own needs, and once a child leaves the hospital, the social-emotional safety net disappears—leaving families isolated and invisible. Bounce Children’s Foundation was founded in 2015 to fill that gap, transforming the lives of chronically ill children and their loved ones by shifting all of them from surviving to thriving. Across Chicagoland, Bounce surrounds families with a portfolio of free, award-winning programs—family adventures, therapeutic care packages, donated event tickets, educational sessions, and a 24/7 online community. In its first decade, Bounce has transformed more than 3,000 lives across 642 families, with a remarkable 99% retention rate. As one Bounce mom put it, the foundation lets her “be a mom, not a nurse.”

For nearly 20 years, Chicago Run has used the simple, joyful act of running to promote the health and wellness of Chicago’s children. Founded in 2007, our innovative programs remove the financial and geographic barriers that keep young people—especially on the South and West Sides—from staying active. Through a continuum of in- and out-of-school programs serving youth from Pre-K through their first jobs, we help kids build physical fitness, social-emotional skills, and a sense of belonging. This year, Chicago Run served nearly 4,000 young people, and the impact is clear: participants are 72% more likely to attend school on program days, in a district where 43% of students are chronically absent. We believe every child, regardless of zip code, deserves the transformative joy of running.