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Children International
Children International was founded in 1936 as a humanitarian organization with a community-development model. President & CEO Susana Eshleman leads a board...
Children International
Children International was founded in 1936 as a humanitarian organization with a community-development model. President & CEO Susana Eshleman leads a board that includes Andy Erpelding of FLO Growth Partners, Suzanne Jimenez of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and Brad Cloverdyke, former VP of HR for American Century Investments. The foundation's $45M in assets (Altss estimate) supports a multi-asset strategy spanning direct real estate, donor-restricted endowments, and trust assets. Programming concentrates on health access, positive role models, and life-skills training in 10 countries across Latin America, the Caribbean, India, and Africa. Known co-investors and partners include the Pathy Family Foundation funding employment training in Guatemala, the Phelan Family Foundation backing community centers in the Dominican Republic and Ecuador, and Abbott collaborating on nutrition and health initiatives. Children International's headquarters sits on a commercial campus at 2000 East Red Bridge Road in Kansas City. It also operates dedicated facilities abroad — a Friends' Center in Santiago, a Sperber Community Center in Guayaquil, and a Building Dreams Community Center in Santa Rosa, among others. The organization participates in workplace giving with Microsoft, which donated over $25 per employee volunteer hour in 2024. The foundation elevates its structural posture through a board-designated endowment and beneficial interests in trust assets, giving it a permanent capital base rare among non-governmental organizations. That hybrid balance sheet fuses charitable operating needs with long-duration investments in youth workforce development, creating an architecture where real assets and programmatic spending are managed under a unified capacity-building mandate.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1936
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Kansas City
Corporate office
Kansas City, MO, United States
Principals
Susana Eshleman
President & CEO
Andy Erpelding
Board Member
Suzanne Jimenez
Board Member
Brad Cloverdyke
Board Member
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Children International?
President & CEO Susana Eshleman leads the organization's global operations and strategy, including oversight of financial assets. The board includes Andy Erpelding, founder of FLO Growth Partners with expertise in M&A and private equity, Suzanne Jimenez, National Director of Innovation and Insights at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and Brad Cloverdyke, former VP of HR for American Century Investments.
Is Children International structured as a grantmaking foundation or an operating charity?
Children International operates as a direct-service organization rather than a pure grantmaker. It employs staff and deploys capital into its own community centers and programs across 10 countries, delivering health care, education, and job-skills training. It maintains a commercial headquarters in Kansas City and dedicated facilities in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, India, and Colombia.
How is Children International's endowment constructed?
The organization holds a board-designated and donor-restricted endowment alongside beneficial interests in trust assets, both based in Kansas City, Missouri (Altss research). It also owns commercial real estate outright, including its world headquarters and five named international community centers. This blend of dedicated programming facilities and permanent financial capital creates a hybrid operating-and-endowment model.
Does Children International co-invest alongside other foundations?
Yes. The Pathy Family Foundation has funded employment training programs in Guatemala and other countries. The Phelan Family Foundation supported construction of community centers in the Dominican Republic and Ecuador. These collaborations function as direct co-investments into specific programmatic assets rather than pooled funds.
Which corporations does Children International partner with, and how?
Microsoft participates as a workplace giving and volunteer partner, donating over $25 per employee volunteer hour in 2024. Abbott collaborates on nutrition and health initiatives, including roundtable discussions at the UN General Assembly. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt supports global community literacy programs through its innovation team, where board member Suzanne Jimenez serves as National Director.
What professional networks does Children International's leadership belong to?
The organization participates in the Global Philanthropy Council as an inaugural member, the Pathfinders Society for transformative donors, Nonprofit Connect as a member organization for Kansas City nonprofits, and the Combined Federal Campaign for federal employee giving (CFC #12078). These networks support both donor cultivation and peer learning within the nonprofit sector.
What geographies does Children International operate in?
Programming spans 10 countries with dedicated facilities confirmed in the Dominican Republic (Santiago), Ecuador (Guayaquil), Guatemala (Guatemala City), India (Kolkata), and Colombia (Santa Rosa). The headquarters and endowment base remain in Kansas City, Missouri, United States.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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