Changemaker for the Children

President & CEO enCourage Kids Foundation Jean M. Butler

Since 1985, enCourage Kids Foundation has helped humanize healthcare for children and their families by resourcing impact-driven pediatric programs and supporting the Child Life Community. Programs offer relief from the constant burden of treatments, hospital stays, and doctor appointments, while also supporting pediatric facilities to meet the unique needs of their patients. enCourage Kids Foundation envisions a world where every child regardless of the difficulty of his or her medical journey—experiences joy, hope, resilience, and healing.

Serving nearly one million children annually, enCourage Kids is focused on making hospitals a better place to get better. As the new President & CEO of enCourage Kids Foundation, Jean M. Butler is a changemaker who is making a tremendous difference in the lives of people of all ages. Leading the well-established nonprofit which helps humanize healthcare for children and their families through impact-driven pediatric initiatives, Butler is an advocate businessperson with a heart of gold.

Prior to this new role, she was instrumental as the Chief Executive of The Toy Foundation, where she created and launched many national programs, including those with Ronald McDonald House Charities, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the U.S. Department of Defense, CASA For Children, Amazon, Target, and many more.

Never one to shy away from the work that makes a powerful impact on mankind, Butler reflects on the importance of the foundation in America today with grace and dignity. It is fight worth fighting for every single day, especially as the organization focuses on the latest fundraising endeavors.

“We exist to benefit children who are in need, children who are sick, and their family members. So, if we don’t have a means of funding, we are not able to operate these programs, which have a direct impact on the well-being of children, not just physically, but emotionally, socially, psychologically,” she states. “They really impact the entire child as well as the family unit. It would be a shame if we weren’t able to expand our work because that’s certainly our goal. We know the need is out there.

In fact, particularly when it comes to mental health, there aren’t enough partners and professionals who are able to help these children. We know we have a role to play here. And right now, our ambitions are very big.”

Expanding in her new role, she is honored to help be a part of the enCourage Kids Foundation’s 38th Anniversary Gala, which takes place on June 22, 2023. The group is proud to honor Adam Doneger, Executive Vice Chairman, Newmark, and Josh Cromer, Head of Credit Investments, Rialto Capital, and their spirit of philanthropy. This year, Mount Sinai will be the recipient of The Michele Hall Duncan Humanizing Healthcare Award. This award is in memoriam of our late President & CEO Michele Hall Duncan for her over two decades of dedication of humanizing healthcare for pediatric patients and their families.

We were so fortunate as to have raised millions through this gala. That would mean that we could roll out these mental health wellness comfort kits nationwide. It would mean that we could impact millions more children in hospitals. And we know that our work goes well beyond the walls of the hospital. Our work touches the hearts, not just of the children. But the parents and the siblings and, and other family members who are connected to the child who happens to be going through some type of suffering.

The extremely rewarding night plays a big part in big plans for the future of the foundation. Butler expresses the desire to triple in size and do much greater good for every family that needs help. We honor her advocacy along with the organization for the passionate work they strive to accomplish in 2023 and beyond.