$150 million latest gift from Rich and Nancy Kinder is among the largest donations made to a children’s hospital- raises their philanthropy to $850 million
In a year defined by extraordinary advances in science and generosity, Rich and Nancy Kinder’s latest philanthropic act stands as one of Houston’s most consequential gifts—a $150 million commitment to launch the Kinder Children’s Cancer Center, a transformative partnership between Texas Children’s Hospital and MD Anderson Cancer Center aimed at revolutionizing the diagnosis, treatment, and long-term care of childhood cancer.
The Kinders’ gift, announced earlier this year, is among the largest donations ever made to a children’s hospital in the United States.
It will serve as the cornerstone for a $1 billion vision to create what leaders from both institutions describe as the world’s preeminent center for pediatric oncology—where care, research, and hope are woven together under one roof.
The new facility, to rise along the 6700 block of Main Street in the Texas Medical Center, will physically connect Texas Children’s and MD Anderson by skybridge and symbolically unite their missions through shared governance, research, and patient care.
Rich Kinder, the former energy executive turned philanthropist who co-founded Kinder Morgan, said the decision to support the project came after months of discussions with both institutions.
“We were deeply impressed by the extraordinary leadership and unwavering commitment of Texas Children’s and MD Anderson,” he said.
“This collaboration is not only a gift to Houston but to families everywhere who face the unimaginable.”
His wife, Nancy Kinder, who serves as president and CEO of the Kinder Foundation and is a longtime member of MD Anderson’s Board of Visitors, added that she had “been waiting for just the right project,” and found it in this effort to reimagine children’s cancer care at scale.
The scope of the endeavor is breathtaking. Beyond bricks and mortar, the donation is designed to accelerate recruitment of top-tier physicians and scientists, fund new treatment protocols and genomic research, and expand access for families across socioeconomic lines.
Pediatric oncologists have long noted that while survival rates for many cancers have improved, the field remains fragmented, with research spread thinly across small centers and rare cancer types.
The Kinder gift directly addresses that gap, creating the infrastructure for unified trials, shared data, and concentrated expertise.
Hospital leaders describe the gift as catalytic. Dr. Debra Sukin, President and CEO of Texas Children’s, called it “a once-in-a-generation investment that establishes Houston as the global epicenter of childhood cancer care.”
Dr. Peter WT Pisters, President of MD Anderson, said the project would be a “global destination for comprehensive pediatric cancer treatment and survivorship.”
Plans are underway to consolidate MD Anderson’s pediatric oncology operations into the new center at Texas Children’s, forming a 50/50 joint venture that will operate under the Kinder name.
For Rich and Nancy Kinder, the donation is the latest chapter in a philanthropic journey that has reshaped Houston’s civic landscape.
Through the Kinder Foundation, established in 1997, they have become synonymous with large-scale, high-impact giving in education, green space, and urban development.
Their $50 million gift to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston funded the Nancy and Rich Kinder Building; their $70 million commitment to Buffalo Bayou Park redefined the city’s public spaces; and their ongoing support of Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research has made Houston a national leader in studying cities and social policy.
To date, the foundation has committed more than $850 million across its major initiatives, always with a focus on projects that transform rather than simply sustain.
The Kinder Children’s Cancer Center extends that philosophy into the realm of health care and science.
By joining forces, Texas Children’s and MD Anderson hope to eliminate duplication, expand the pipeline of pediatric oncologists, and create a model of efficiency that could influence the national landscape of specialty care.
Plans call for the first construction phase to begin in 2026, with full completion projected by 2030 or 2031.
A global search is underway for a leader to oversee the joint enterprise.
The Kinders’ philanthropy has always reflected both civic pride and moral clarity—a belief that Houston, their lifelong home, can and should lead the world in areas that matter most to human flourishing.
This latest gift, rooted in compassion and scientific ambition, carries that conviction forward.
In the words of one hospital official, “When the Kinders give, they don’t just write a check. They write a new chapter.”
And in this case, that chapter may rewrite the story of childhood cancer itself.