In the midst of despair, a group of Shriners shared an ambitious vision — to prevent the ravages of these disabling diseases from the children of Kentucky. In 1923, a committee of members from Louisville's Kosair Shrine Temple, doctors, lawyers, and community leaders formed Kosair Charities. The mission was to provide the highest quality health care possible for children who had nowhere else to turn.

Just three years later, the committee had tangible proof of their vision. The Kosair Crippled Children’s Hospital opened on Eastern Parkway and rapidly established itself as the region's premier orthopedic and polio treatment facility. For decades, the hospital's doctors, nurses and therapists helped children benefit from advances in orthopedic treatment and polio care discovered elsewhere, while helping discover new treatments.

In 1981, Kosair Charities came to an agreement with the Norton Healthcare System to cooperate in creating Kosair Children's Hospital, which is ranked as one of the nation's top pediatric hospitals.

Today, Kosair Charities is the largest private financial supporter of Kosair Children's Hospital and since 1981 has contributed nearly $70 million to provide medical care for children whose families cannot afford to pay.

Kosair Charities has broadened its scope of support. The Kosair Charities Pediatric Center at the University of Louisville houses the Child Evaluation Center. Kosair Charities also funds agencies devoted to children's health issues, such as the Cerebral Palsy K.I.D.S. Center, the Spina Bifida Association of Kentucky, and many other organizations. We continue to help sick indigent children outside hospital environments through the Special Children Evaluation Program.

In 2001, Kosair Charities announced a crucial and vital $6.2 million contribution to the Home of the Innocents' new 20-acre children's village. The Home of the Innocents, which was caring for medically fragile children at a severely overcrowded facility, was offered a chance to establish a long-dreamed-campus. Thanks to the generous support of our donors, the dream is now a reality with the Home of the Innocents Kosair Charities Pediatric Convalescent Center opened in June 2003. Also in 2001, Jewish Hospital HealthCare Services' Frazier Rehab Institute of Louisville accepted a $2.5 million gift to build the new Kosair Charities Pediatric Pavilion.

Kosair Charities announced a $5,000,000 gift to the Cardiovascular Innovations Institute in June 2004 to create the Kosair Charities Pediatric Heart Research Center. The Institute is a partnership of the University of Louisville and Jewish Hospital. The pediatric center will focus on assessing and developing better heart assist devices that meet the special needs of children. Heart disease is the number one killer of children under age one and Kosair Charities believes that no child should face life with a broken heart.

On January 16, 2007 Kosair Charities and Norton Healthcare reached a 20 year agreement to provide $130 million in support of Kosair Children's Hospital. Included in this agreement, Kosair Charities will provide over $117 million covering hospital costs and medical services for those families who are unable to pay and $13 million to support growth needs at Kosair Children's Hospital. Norton Healthcare stated this plan will allow Kosair Children's Hospital to address significant growth needs over the next ten years.

Thousands of kids from hometowns throughout Kentucky and southern Indiana have benefited from the nearly $110 million dollars Kosair Charities has given just since the 1980s. Kosair Charities continues as the largest charity in the history of this region that provides for the medical care of children. All of this is possible thanks to the generous support of individuals and companies.