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Ways to Give

Your Donation Changes Children's Lives at Shriners Children’s Erie

Shriners Hospitals for Children, now branded as Shriners Children's, has been leading specialty pediatric healthcare since 1922. We deliver specialty pediatric care to children around the world, providing a comprehensive range of treatments and services that help improve the quality of children's lives and allow them to reach their full potential.

There are many reasons to make a charitable gift to Shriners Hospitals for Children – and your passion for helping children is likely at the top of that list. Friends like you make it possible for us to provide pediatric specialty care, regardless of the family's ability to pay or insurance status, today and for years to come.

Read on to learn how you can support Shriners Children's Erie through ways that include planned giving, hosting and attending fundraising events, and participating in our community outreach.

Give Today

Shriners Hospitals for Children has pressing needs to meet every day. When you give an outright financial gift, you make our current work possible and help to shape the future of healthcare for children with medical needs. Outright gifts include:

  • Online donations via our donation site, LovetotheRescue.org
  • Checks or other monetary gifts

Shriners Hospitals for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. Your generous gift directly helps support patient care at Shriners Children's Erie.

Give online today.

Give through your workplace matching gift program.

Give Tomorrow

At Shriners Hospitals for Children, planned giving ensures we can continue to provide the most amazing care anywhere for generations. When we know about your future intention, we can plan for your gift and all the good it can do.

Planned giving and other types of planned philanthropy advance our research and improve the medical care we provide, benefiting patients for generations. To ensure we meet the wishes of our donors, our giving programs include careful planning and thorough consideration, as our knowledgeable fundraising staff consults with donors, their families, legal professionals and wealth advisors. Together, we’ll develop a plan for giving that aligns with your specific tax objectives and estate planning needs.

  • Bequests: Maintain full control of your financial resources during your lifetime and reduce your taxable estate by including Shriners Children’s Erie in your will or living trust.
  • Charitable Gift Annuities: Provide a lifetime income to you and/or a loved one and earn a current income tax deduction with a gift of cash or property.
  • Gifts of Life Insurance: Earn an immediate income tax deduction and a possible premium deduction by designating Shriners Children’s Erie as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy.
  • Gifts of Real Estate: Making a gift of real estate directly contributes to the Shriners Children’s mission. Gifts of real estate can be directed to Shriners Children’s locations in the United States. We can help ensure that your real estate assets have the greatest possible impact while also maximizing tax benefits. For more information, visit Real Estate Donations.
  • Gifts of Retirement Plans: By naming Shriners Children’s Erie as the beneficiary of your retirement account, such as a 401(k) or IRA, you can avoid passing on heavy income and estate taxes to your heirs.
  • Gifts of Stock: Shriners Children’s is able to offer our supporters an easy method to make stock donations in 10 minutes or less. You can now donate stock from your brokerage to Shriners Children’s through a secure portal, making the gifting process fast, safe and easy. If you would like to specifically designate Shriners Children's Erie when making your donation, please contact us for assistance.
  • Endowments and Naming Gifts: Give your family name the opportunity to represent something special at Shriners Hospitals for Children. These giving opportunities are closely aligned with a donor’s interest such as building, room or equipment namings, program-specific namings or endowed academic chair namings.
  • Cryptocurrency: Donors’ gifts change lives at Shriners Children’s, and crypto giving is a powerful way to make a difference and maximize your impact. Learn more about the tax advantages of cryptocurrency donations or, start giving today. For electronic transfer information, please contact plannedgiving@shrinenet.org.

Learn more about these planned giving areas.

Fundraisers and Special Events

There are so many ways to get involved and support Shriners Children's Erie. From our annual Children’s Charity Cup to volunteering to help fundraise or support patient needs and activities, there is always a way to help patients and their families receive life-changing care. Click here for more details on how to support, and below are fundraising programs offered at Shriners Children's Erie.

female walk participant

Fundraise for Love

Share your story and track your fundraising success all in one place through an online campaign for Shriners Children's. Whether you're running a marathon, hosting an office collection or competition, celebrating a birthday, collecting holiday donations or highlighting a Shriners Children's patient you know, this is your resource for creating your own fundraising page. You will receive tips and tricks to fundraise online and guided steps to build your fundraising page.

Create your own fundraising page.

family working on laptop

Children's Charity Cup

The Shriners Children’s Charity Cup is the area’s only marathon hockey fundraiser. Started in 2018, the Children’s Charity Cup has raised over $150,000 to support the mission of Shriners Children's Erie. Each year, over 30 teams have gathered to play hockey for 24 straight hours and raise money to help the kids served at the outpatient center. To learn more about Shriners Children's Erie’s signature fundraising event, click here.

Hockey players and patient

Proud Supporter Events

Individuals, groups or businesses may organize fundraisers and special events to benefit Shriners Children's Erie. These events may include golf tournaments, walks, fashion shows, dance-a-thons or any type of events you can dream up!

For more information about fundraisers, special events or in-kind donations, please contact our senior director of philanthropy:
David R. Schumacher, CFRE
Email: daschumacher@shrinenet.org
814-875-8781

Donations of Toys, Crafts and Other Items

Patients and families are encouraged by your gifts, knowing that you are thinking about them and wishing them hope and healing. If you would like to make an in-kind donation, please contact David R. Schumacher, CFRE, our senior director of philanthropy at Shriners Children's Erie first, to be sure there is a current need for the item(s) you would like to donate.

To protect the health and safety of our patients, all toys, books and other items must be new. Our infection control policy prohibits our acceptance of used items, food or any items containing latex.

You may also mail a donation to:

Shriners Children's Erie
Attn: Child Life
1645 West 8th St.
Erie, PA 16505

Donations are accepted weekdays from 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. Please call us at 814-875-8781 if you need more information about delivering your donation, or if you are bringing a large donation of 50 items or more. Larger deliveries require an appointment.

Donate Your Vehicle to Benefit Shriners Children's Erie

Your car donation can help transform children's lives. Each vehicle donated helps Shriners Children’s deliver exceptional healthcare. Please consider any vehicle, running or not, including cars, trucks, trailers, boats, RVs, motorcycles, campers, off-road vehicles, planes, heavy equipment, farm machinery, and most other motorized vehicles. The vehicle can be in any condition and picked up from any location. Your vehicle is towed at no cost to you. Complete the online vehicle donation form or call 833-SHC-KIDS (833-742-5437) seven days a week. Learn more about the program. The process is easy, and your gift may qualify as a tax deduction.

We’re always here for our patients, regardless of a family's ability to pay or insurance status.