why give to us?

We conduct research into conditions affecting children, such as allergies, diabetes and obesity, as well as finding answers to unsolved problems, such as cancer and genetic conditions. With a team of more than 1500 highly skilled researchers, we have the critical mass needed to solve child health problems more rapidly.

Did you know?

Each year, eight million children are born with a serious birth defect of genetic origin.  The genetic cause remains unknown for more than half of these conditions. 

ADHD is one of the most common mental health disorders of childhood, affecting seven per cent of Australian children.

The number of obese children has doubled since the 1980's, with approximately a quarter of children overweight or obese before they start school.

Australian kids are among the most obese in the world.  In Victoria alone 22,000 children are seriously obese, 33,000 are obese and 220,000 are overweight.

The incidence of type 1 diabetes has increased by 29 per cent in the past decade, with Australian children among the most affected in the world.

Three thousand babies are born 10 or more weeks premature each year in Australia.  Thanks to advances in medical technology, 80 per cent now survive.

Food allergy affects up to 10 per cent of children, and rates are rising.

One in 600 children are diagnosed with cancer each year.

Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system that affects around 18,000 people in Australia.  The incidence of MS has doubled since the 1980s.

That's why our work is so important - to continue life saving research into child health conditions that may one day prevent a child you know getting sick.

how we use donor funds

As a non profit organisation, we rely on the generosity of donors to seed fund priority research projects.  Every donation, no matter how small, has the potential to save lives.  Many of our research projects that receive government funding were initially established with funding from private sources.  Without donor support, some of our vital research would not get off the ground as governments and competitive funding bodies tend to support established research.

For every dollar donated, we leverage a further $6 from external sources.

Most importantly, we distribute philanthropic funds to our research teams based on performance and research excellence.  Gifts to Murdoch Childrens are an investment in the future health of children. 

Our cost of fundraising is 1 per cent of total revenue.

Donations to Murdoch Childrens of $2 and over are fully tax deductible. Thank you for your support.