The gift is one of the largest philanthropic donations made to an American pediatric hospital and one of the largest in the history of the Texas Medical Center (TMC). With this extraordinary support, Kinder Children’s Cancer Center aims to be the nation’s largest and most comprehensive cancer center focused exclusively on children. The center will be based in a new facility centrally located in the TMC on the 6700 block of Main Street in Houston.
“Our philanthropic efforts center on supporting transformational projects in Houston, and this initiative exemplifies that mission in every way,” said Rich Kinder, chairman of Kinder Foundation. “We were deeply impressed by the extraordinary leadership and unwavering commitment of both UT MD Anderson and Texas Children’s to pursue a bold, collaborative model of care. It is a rare and powerful moment when two leading organizations come together to create something entirely new – something capable of reshaping the future of pediatric cancer care. We are honored to contribute to what we believe will be a world-renowned center of excellence. This collaboration is not only a gift to Houston, but to families everywhere who face the unimaginable.”
The generous support of Kinder Foundation will serve as the lead gift for a multi-year campaign to secure funds for the new facility and for breakthrough pediatric oncology research and patient care. This unprecedented investment and collaboration are a testament to the unwavering commitment by both institutions to end childhood cancer.
Kinder Children’s Cancer Center will launch in early 2026, with plans to build a new TMC facility with inpatient beds, ambulatory care and state-of-the-art research labs. Plans are for Kinder Children’s Cancer Center to be connected by a sky bridge to Texas Children’s Hospital, the largest children’s hospital in the nation. Designed from the ground up and purpose built with children and families in mind, the center will provide specialized oncology care in a healing environment, uniting scientific innovation and clinical excellence to close the gap between research and real-world impact for children facing cancer.
“All of us at Texas Children’s are profoundly grateful for the incredible generosity of Rich and Nancy,” said Debra F. Sukin, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Texas Children’s. “This historic gift is a testament to the vision and future impact of our groundbreaking collaboration with UT MD Anderson and our shared mission of eradicating pediatric cancer. Our state-of-the-art facility will expand access for children in need of the most advanced care, accelerate clinical research, education and training and ultimately create a comprehensive program equipped to lead the global fight against childhood cancer. At Texas Children’s, our team is committed to solving the unsolvable every day, and thanks to Kinder Foundation and our collaboration with MD Anderson, we have the support to do so for many generations to come.”
Combining the collective scale and complementary expertise of the nation’s largest comprehensive pediatric health system with the nation’s top cancer center under one roof, Kinder Children’s Cancer Center will work to generate more cures by accelerating drug development for childhood cancer patients using UT MD Anderson’s powerful clinical trials engine and industry relationships. This collaborative effort will improve access for children in need of specialized cancer care, ensuring children with cancer can live rich, full lives and move into adulthood free of cancer.
“We are immensely grateful to Rich and Nancy for their support and for trusting UT MD Anderson and Texas Children’s to bring this vision to life. Aligned with our mission to end cancer, we are proud to work with Texas Children’s to build what will be the world’s preeminent children’s cancer center,” said Peter WT Pisters, M.D., president of UT MD Anderson. “Kinder Children’s Cancer Center will become a global destination for comprehensive childhood cancer care and survivorship, transforming how children and their families experience diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. We know families will find comfort and hope in knowing that these two leading health care organizations are joining forces to focus exclusively on children’s cancers.”
Both institutions are recognized as leaders in clinical and laboratory research, offering new opportunities for collaborative drug development and clinical trial programs focused on addressing unmet needs for children. The new center will be able to offer more trials for children with cancer than any other institution, which provides innovative options for those patients and speeds the pace of progress.
At the center’s launch, pediatric oncology patient care will be consolidated at Texas Children’s Hospital, bringing clinical teams together in a unified effort to care for children with cancer and to support their families. Radiation Oncology will remain at UT MD Anderson, and Adolescent/Young Adult programs will be provided at both institutions. Kinder Children’s Cancer Center will be governed by a board with equal representation from both institutions, and an international search will be conducted to identify a physician and administrator to lead the center.
The gift was announced this evening at an event hosted at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Drs. Sukin and Pisters celebrated this milestone alongside Nancy and Rich Kinder, Kevin P. Eltife, Chairman, UT System Board of Regents, and Park Shaper, Chairman, Texas Children’s Board of Trustees.
Together, these efforts mark a nation-leading step forward in the work to end childhood cancer —bringing hope, healing and breakthroughs to patients and families around the world.
- 30 -
About MD Anderson
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world's most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. The institution’s sole mission is to end cancer for patients and their families around the world, and, in 1971, it became one of the nation’s first National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer centers. MD Anderson is No. 1 for cancer in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals” rankings and has been named one of the nation’s top two hospitals for cancer since the rankings began in 1990. MD Anderson receives a cancer center support grant from the NCI of the National Institutes of Health (P30 CA016672).
About Texas Children’s Hospital
Texas Children's, a nonprofit health care organization, is committed to creating a healthier future for children and women throughout the global community by leading in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked as the best children's hospital in Texas and among the top in the nation, Texas Children's has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women's health. The system includes the Texas Children's Duncan NRI; the Feigin Tower for pediatric research; Texas Children's Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; Texas Children's Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston; Texas Children's Hospital The Woodlands, the first hospital devoted to children's care for communities north of Houston and Texas Children's Hospital North Austin, the new state-of-the-art facility providing world-class pediatric and maternal care to Austin families. The organization also created Texas Children's Health Plan, the nation's first HMO focused on children; Texas Children's Pediatrics, the largest pediatric primary care network in the country; Texas Children's Urgent Care clinics that specialize in after-hours care tailored specifically for children; and a global health program that is channeling care to children and women all over the world. Texas Children's Hospital is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, visit TexasChildrens.org.
About Kinder Foundation
Kinder Foundation, a family foundation established in 1997 by Rich and Nancy Kinder of Houston, Texas, provides transformational grants that impact urban green space, education, and quality of life. More at KinderFoundation.org.
END