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Rady Children's Hospital Foundation
The Foundation was established in 1985 as the fundraising and investment arm for Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego.
Rady Children's Hospital Foundation
The Foundation was established in 1985 as the fundraising and investment arm for Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego. Ernest Rady, former chairman of the hospital's board and founder of American Assets Trust, is the primary benefactor. The foundation's capital base originates from Rady's real estate and financial-services fortune, with the corporate trust continuing as a donor and partner in campus expansions. Investment strategy spans direct and fund commitments — with allocations to venture, growth equity, buyout, distressed debt, and natural resources. The portfolio also includes direct secondaries and special situations. Geographically the focus is domestic, with the foundation's owned real assets concentrated in San Diego County. Confirmed holdings include the Rady Children's Hospital Main Campus, the ICU and Emergency Services Pavilion, and the Autism Discovery Institute. The Auxiliary — a 1,200-volunteer fundraising unit — has contributed more than $100 million to the hospital since 1953 and pledged $2.5 million to the Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine in 2015. Rady Children's Hospital Foundation does not publicly disclose total assets. Operational team size beyond the Board of Trustees and Auxiliary leadership is not published. The foundation maintains close ties with UCSD as an academic and clinical affiliate, and with the San Diego Padres — CEO Erik Greupner serves on the foundation's board. In 2025, Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego merged with Children's Hospital of Orange County to form Rady Children's Health, expanding the philanthropic catchment area. Unlike most hospital foundations that outsource investment management, Rady runs its own multi-asset strategy internally — blending real estate assets from the Rady family's operating company with a diversified endowment-style portfolio of direct and indirect positions. This hybrid structure lets the foundation hold property directly on its books while still participating in venture and distressed funds, an architecture more common among single-family offices than healthcare nonprofits.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1985
AUM
$197M (Altss estimate)
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
San Diego
Corporate office
3020 Children's Way, San Diego, CA 92123
Principals
Ernest Rady
Founder
Erik Greupner
Board of Trustees Member
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who is the primary benefactor behind Rady Children's Hospital Foundation?
Ernest Rady, founder and former chairman of American Assets Trust — a publicly traded real estate investment trust — is the foundation's founding donor and primary benefactor. His wealth originates from commercial real estate and financial services. The Rady family and American Assets Trust continue to support the hospital's campus expansions.
How does the foundation invest its endowment?
The foundation deploys capital across venture, growth equity, buyout, distressed debt, natural resources, direct secondaries, and special situations. It also holds direct real estate — including the hospital's main campus and outpatient facilities — an unusual structure for a hospital philanthropy. The investment approach blends a diversified endowment model with property held directly from the Rady family's operating company.
What is the relationship between Rady Children's Hospital Foundation and the Auxiliary?
The Rady Children's Hospital Auxiliary is a volunteer fundraising unit that operates under the foundation. With 1,200 volunteers across 20 local units, it has raised over $100 million since 1953 for hospital programs and capital projects — including a $2.5 million pledge to the Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine in 2015. The 2025-2026 Auxiliary President is Rowena Treitler.
Does the foundation participate in direct investments or only fund commitments?
The foundation makes both direct investments and fund commitments. Direct holdings include the Rady Children's Hospital Main Campus, the ICU and Emergency Services Pavilion, and the Autism Discovery Institute. On the fund side, allocations cover venture, distressed debt, and natural resources.
What is the Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine, and how is it funded?
The Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine is a research entity focused on rapid whole-genome sequencing for critically ill newborns and children. It is philanthropically funded through the foundation, including a $2.5 million pledge from the Auxiliary in 2015 and an endowed chair established in 2019.
How did the 2025 merger with CHOC affect the foundation?
In 2025, Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego merged with Children's Hospital of Orange County to form Rady Children's Health. The foundation's philanthropic catchment now extends to Orange County, though the investment portfolio and governance remain anchored in San Diego.
What is the foundation's posture on co-investments alongside external GPs?
The foundation's strategy includes direct secondaries and special situations, which suggests it evaluates co-investment opportunities alongside external managers. However, public disclosures do not specify co-investment policies or named co-investors.
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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