(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – The Nationwide Foundation announced today a $10 million investment through its Pediatric Innovation Fund to accelerate breakthroughs in genomic medicine and data science at Nationwide Children’s while expanding community wellness initiatives through affordable housing investments in Columbus’ Linden and South Side neighborhoods. With this gift, Nationwide Foundation’s commitment to the hospital surpasses $180 million.
This year’s investment will expand access to genomic and genetic testing across Nationwide Children’s intensive care units and primary care clinics, supporting faster diagnoses and more personalized care. Funding will also support advanced testing for children with cancer and the development of new technologies. Additionally, Nationwide’s sports marketing programs including the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship golf tournament have raised more than $70 million for the hospital’s programming.
“Impact grows when organizations unite around a shared purpose and make long-term commitments to improving lives,” said Nationwide CEO and Nationwide Foundation Chairman Kirt Walker. “For nearly 70 years, Nationwide and Nationwide Children’s have worked side by side to help children and families thrive. This investment builds on that legacy by advancing groundbreaking research and innovation, strengthening communities and addressing the factors that help children live healthier lives.”
Since its launch, the Pediatric Innovation Fund has fueled the continued growth of the Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine, a national leader in pediatric genomic medicine, where researchers and clinicians use genetic information to improve diagnoses and personalize care. Physicians, genetic counselors and other staff work directly with patients and families, using genomic testing through the Institute for Genomic Medicine to advance therapies for rare and complex diagnoses.
A recent advancement from the institute is rapid genome sequencing (rGS), which provides the fastest diagnoses for the sickest patients. Making rGS available to clinicians represents years of work to bring genomics to the clinic and has resulted in better care and outcomes for hundreds of children to date. The institute also continues to advance understanding of genetic disease, even as thousands of rare diseases are identified around the world. Currently, about 8,000 rare diseases have been identified, with 40 to 50 new rare disease genes discovered each month.
“The support of the Nationwide Foundation has been instrumental in establishing the Institute for Genomic Medicine as a national leader in pediatric precision medicine,” said Tim Robinson, Nationwide Children’s chief executive officer. “Their investment has helped transform groundbreaking scientific discoveries into real-world care for children, enabling earlier diagnoses, more targeted treatments and better outcomes. As we look to the future, this continued commitment will help us bring the benefits of genomic medicine to even more children and families.”
Investing in Research Leadership
The Pediatric Innovation Fund will also establish a new endowed chair, bringing the total number of Nationwide Foundation-supported endowed chairs at Nationwide Children’s to 19. An endowed chair is among the highest honors bestowed upon physicians, scientists and academic leaders. It recognizes excellence in pediatric healthcare and research while providing long-term philanthropic support to advance innovation, discovery and patient care.
The Nationwide Foundation Endowed Chair in Genetic Medicine has been awarded to Beth Kozel, MD, PhD, chief of the Division of Genetics and Genomic Medicine and director of Constitutional Genomics Translational Research at Nationwide Children’s. In addition to her leadership roles in genetics and genomic medicine, Kozel is a nationally recognized physician-scientist whose research focuses on genetic conditions such as Williams syndrome and on developing new genetic therapies to improve outcomes.
Supporting Community Wellness Together
Other programs benefiting from this year’s $10 million gift include:
- Biomedical Data Sciences: Nationwide Foundation’s continued investment in Nationwide Children’s biomedical data sciences supports the infrastructure that researchers need to use data to help drive discovery and bring innovative analytics into clinical care, helping accelerate breakthroughs and improve the health of children for years to come.
- Affordable Housing: Additional funding to Nationwide Children’s Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Families initiative will support the development of new rental homes in Columbus’ Linden and South Side neighborhoods.
- Injury Prevention: Funding will support the expansion of ProjectDRIVE (Driving Risk Intervention and Virtual Education), a pilot teen driving safety program operating in 10 Ohio counties following a traffic violation. Led by researchers at Nationwide Children's Center for Injury Research and Policy, the evidence-based initiative helps parents and teens build safer driving habits through education and communication strategies aimed at reducing crashes and preventing injuries.
- The Kids Mental Health Foundation: Funding will support the development of resources that help parents protect their children's mental health in the digital age. Through free, expert-developed tools and educational materials, The Kids Mental Health Foundation provides actionable steps parents can take to understand the relationship between technology and mental health, talk with their children about healthy technology use, and establish boundaries that support emotional well-being.
Established in 2014, the Pediatric Innovation Fund supports pediatric and community health initiatives while advancing research and clinical discoveries at Nationwide Children’s. Including Nationwide Foundation’s transformational $50 million gift in 2006, the 12 years of support through the Pediatric Innovation Fund and a historic $100 million future commitment made in 2024, the Nationwide Foundation has dedicated more than $180 million in total to Nationwide Children’s.
About The Nationwide Foundation
The Nationwide Foundation is a nonprofit, private foundation to which Nationwide companies are the donors. Founded in 1959, the Nationwide Foundation has contributed more than $745 million since 2000 to help nonprofit organizations in communities where Nationwide associates and their families live and work.
About Nationwide
Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified financial services and insurance organizations in the United States. Nationwide is rated A+ by Standard & Poor’s. An industry leader in driving customer-focused innovation, Nationwide provides a full range of insurance and financial services products including auto, business, homeowners, farm and life insurance; public and private sector retirement plans, annuities and mutual funds; excess & surplus, specialty and surety; and pet, motorcycle and boat insurance.
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