The Johns Hopkins All Children’s Heart Institute, recently ranked #46 in the nation in the U.S. News & World Report pediatric hospital rankings for 2024-2025, received a $15 million endowment from a large group of donors led by Eric and Catherine Kobren, Sarasota-based philanthropists.

As a perpetual fund, the endowment could provide up to $750,000 annually to support cutting-edge research, advanced education, and innovative training at the Heart Institute. This reliable funding enables the Heart Institute to push the boundaries of pediatric cardiology, cardiac surgery, and cardiac intensive care, attract top talent, and pursue long-term excellence.

“This achievement reflects the collective efforts of everyone involved — our community, the Johns Hopkins Health System, and, most notably, the extraordinary vision and generosity of our former trustee, Eric Kobren, and his wife, Cathy,” says Jenine Rabin, executive vice president of Johns Hopkins All Children’s Foundation, Community Relations and Health Equity Integration. “Eric and Cathy Kobren's remarkable contributions — inspiring, initiating, and concluding the campaign with $1 million in gifts — were key to this success. Their vision inspired more than 330 donors, including organizations, community events, and individuals, to contribute, ensuring that the Heart Institute has the resources needed to continue advancing care.”

The Kobrens have a long history of supporting an academic, data-driven approach to children’s health, including creating the first two endowed professorships since All Children’s joined the Johns Hopkins Health System.

Eric Kobren serves on the Board of Trustees for Johns Hopkins Medicine and previously served on the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Board. He founded several investment- and health-related businesses, including Fidelity Insight, Kobren Insight Management and MediRegs. Catherine Kobren was the founding chairwoman for A Woman’s Journey, a Johns Hopkins Medicine women’s health seminar, in Sarasota and continued as chairwoman to sellout crowds for several years.

“This was truly the work of the entire Hopkins community,” Eric Kobren says. “In addition to the many individual donors, Kevin Sowers of Johns Hopkins Medicine and Jenine Rabin of the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Foundation shared our vision to establish this important endowment. For that, we are eternally grateful. This endowment will help ensure that our young cardiac patients will always receive the first-class care they require.”

Johns Hopkins Medicine and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Foundation matched all donations, tripling every dollar donated.

“This truly is more than just a financial milestone but a testament to the commitment and dedication of so many to support this department and their long-term success,” Rabin says. “This milestone will have a lasting impact on our hospital and the families we serve.”