World of Children - Charitable Organization & Foundation

Uplifting Vulnerable Children Worldwide

World of Children & Sholl-Freede Foundation

The 25-year tradition of World of Children is now powered by the innovation and strength of the Sholl-Freede Foundation!

As the Sholl-Freede family – Sandy Sholl, Adam Freede, and Daniela Braga Freede – we have a deep calling to protect children from suffering and harm and have dedicated more than 30 years to heartfelt philanthropy.

In 2023, the retiring Co-Founders of the World of Children, Harry and Kay Leibowitz, placed their trust in our hands and empowered the Sholl-Freede Foundation to carry forward the 25-year success of World of Children to its next bold chapter.

As founders and investors in many business ventures, our family has a proven passion for people, entrepreneurial spirit and innovation. Together with treasured legacy donors, our family has committed several million dollars in funding to support World of Children’s next stage of growth and transformation.

We are grateful for your continuing partnership as we drive impactful new efforts to make this world a better place for children who truly need us.

World of Children's Proven Impact

$15 million has been awarded to over 130 organizations working in 70 countries impacting the lives of millions of children.

100% of donor contributions have been used directly to support vulnerable children in need – all administrative expenses are underwritten by the generous Board Members.

We maintain a child’s sense of wonder! World of Children is about DISCOVERY – our system to identify, verify, fund, and uplift the highest quality organizations dedicated to serving vulnerable children has been recognized as the “gold standard” by entities such as UNICEF- USA, Wall Street Journal, USA Today and CNN.

In 25 years, no one does what we do better. The New York Times referred to World of Children’s Awards as the “Nobel Prize for Child Advocates.”

Our Mission

World of Children unlocks the future for vulnerable children by funding, elevating, and creating a community for the most effective changemakers worldwide.

The foundation has become the foremost recognized program for organizations who are dedicated to changing the future for vulnerable children. Since it was founded, World of Children has made its mark in the global nonprofit sector by identifying, verifying, and investing in high impact programs that are answering the world’s most pressing problems facing children today.

Our Founders

The story of World of Children began in 1996 when Co-Founder Harry Leibowitz had an epiphany while he was recovering from cancer surgery at age 55. He was watching the Pulitzer Prize announcements when he realized that while there was a Pulitzer Prize for art and literature, a Nobel Prize for sciences and peace, and an Oscar for film, but there were no awards for those who were tirelessly and selflessly serving children in need around the world.

That realization was a catalyst for Harry who met his wife Kay-Isaacson-Leibowitz just before the second annual Awards Ceremony. Kay attended the event as a guest and quickly fell in love with both Harry and World of Children. Together, they led the World of Children through its first 25 years of heartfelt success, serving millions of children in need all around the globe.

Our Work

World of Children focuses on a broad range of children’s issues and awards funding in areas including health, education, safety, and human rights, providing grants through five award pillars: Crisis, Humanitarian, Protection, Health, Education. Millions of children have been impacted through grant funding and support provided by World of Children, giving them the opportunity to experience what’s most important: their childhood.

Since 1998, World of Children has dedicated more than $15 million to help fund high-impact programs serving the world’s most vulnerable children. The organization has awarded nearly 130 organizations working in the United States and 70 other countries, each of them focused on addressing the world’s most pressing issues affecting children such as poverty, hunger, health, human rights, safety, and education.

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2024 Investments

A Leg To Stand On

Cedar Financial and TCM Group raised $18,880 through a rousing auction at their 2024 Annual Charity Dinner. World of Children shared 100% of the funds raised with A Leg To Stand On to provide free surgery, prosthetic limbs and rehabilitation care to children inthe developing world. A Leg To Stand On forever transforms the lives of children living with a disability, breaking the cycle of poverty they were born into and giving them the opportunity to fearlessly pursue their dreams. altso.org

Chernobyl Children International – Geisinger Health Foundation

Through the generous support of the Geisinger Health Foundation, World of Children shared a $25,000 grant with Chernobyl Children International in the Spring of 2024. Geisinger Health Foundation funds supported an international team of 12 Cardiac Surgeons and Nurses traveling to L’viv in Eastern Ukraine to provide life-saving surgeries on children and newborns battling life-threatening conditions in a time of war. The program also provided urgent medical equipment, materials and training to save many lives in this challenging time and far beyond. chernobyl-international.com

Yemin Orde

Yemin Orde’s educational program “The Village Way” is a model that has been replicated in 20 educational institutions in Israel, shared by all sectors of Israeli society – Jews and Arabs alike. Yemin Orde provides youth who have suffered neglect, abandonment, and extreme poverty the chance to find a home, a family, and a future. World of Children shared a $25,000 grant with Yemin Orde in 2024 to give new hope to some of the 400,000 at-risk youth in Israel today. The Village Way is an impactful, proven program that ensures at-risk youth can refocus their energies from struggle and survival to success. https://www.impact-israel.org/yemin-orde

Tikva

Thousands of Jewish children go hungry every day in Ukraine. It is estimated that 2,500 children are orphaned or homeless there today, suffering abuse as they live in poverty. Tikva provides love, care, aid and education to the at-risk children and impoverished families in Odessa. World of Children shared an urgently needed $20,000 grant to help feed Jewish orphans during this difficult time of war. Tikva Odessa has delivered an incredible year of hope for their community, providing evacuations from war zones, rescuing refugees, offering medical and psychological care, and serving millions of healthy meals in both Ukraine and Romania. TikvaOdessa.org

“World of Children is one of the most effective and efficient mid-sized nonprofit organizations in the world.”

– Caryl M. Stern, Former President and CEO of UNICEF USA

100%

Thanks to the generous commitment of the Sholl-Freede Family to underwrite all administrative expenses, 100% of your donation will go directly to children in need.

100% Guaranteed. We employ a rigorous initial and follow-up vetting process. Every partner organization has been verified and passed a forensic audit by one of the world’s leading security firms to ensure that they meet World of Children standards guaranteeing impact.

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