Who We Are

The WHAS Crusade for Children

Our Mission: The WHAS Crusade for Children makes life better for children with special needs by inspiring generosity with our community partners.

Our Vision: Together we provide resources to impact all children with special needs.

100% of each donation to the WHAS Crusade for Children helps children with special needs.
Through the Crusade we’ve changed the lives of millions of children in Kentucky and Indiana since 1954.
Right now we’re funding 1 in 3 children who need the Crusade.

Change a child’s life, support the WHAS Crusade for Children.

To make a donation securely online, click here.

The WHAS Crusade for Children Endowment

In September, 2002, the WHAS Crusade for Children Board of Directors voted to create the new Crusade Endowment.

It guarantees that 100 percent of the Crusade’s annual telethon collections continue to go directly to agencies that help children with special needs. It ensures that millions more children will be helped for decades to come.

100% of each donation to the WHAS Crusade for Children helps children with special needs
The Crusade Endowment Campaign fully funds our future.
Beyond your annual contribution, we need your Crusade Endowment donation now.

Change a child’s life forever, support the WHAS Crusade Endowment.

To make an Endowment donation securely online, click here.

How the Crusade works

The WHAS Crusade for Children, Inc. established in 1954 by WHAS-TV, raises money for agencies, schools and hospitals to better the lives of special needs children.

$195 million raised for special needs children
In its first 67 years, the Crusade has raised more than $195 million. Thanks to generous contributions of goods and services, the Crusade is able to return 100 percent of all donations to organizations that serve special needs children in all 120 Kentucky counties and more than 50 southern Indiana counties. Fire departments raise more than 50 percent of the money each year by staging road blocks and other events

An independent board decides
An independent board of interdenominational ministers known as the Crusade Advisory Panel decides how donations are distributed each year.

Agencies apply for grants
Representatives from agencies, schools and hospitals apply for grants and appear before the panel during grant hearings held each spring. Once the hearings are complete, the advisory panel determines which agencies receive Crusade donations.

Since agency grant requests far exceed donations to the Crusade each year, the panel has difficult decisions to make.

For a complete listing of grant application rules, click here.

The Crusade telethon airs in June
The annual Crusade Internet/radio/telethon is held each year on the first full weekend in June and is aired on WHAS Radio (AM 840), WHAS-TV (Channel 11.1) and worldwide on WHAS11.com. Portions of the broadcast are also seen and heard on a Kentucky statewide network.

Millions of children have been helped
Millions of children have been helped by the Crusade since 1954.

Donations are tax deductible
The WHAS Crusade for Children, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity. Gifts are tax deductible as permitted by law. The Crusade is the most successful and oldest local telethon in America.

To make a secure online donation, click here or call (502) 582-7706.

Recap of the 2020 WHAS Crusade for Children

See a list of leaders and donors that appeared on the 2020 WHAS Crusade for Children rescheduled to August 8 & 9 due to the worldwide pandemic, just click here for more.