Meet the Team Behind: The Confetti Foundation

The Confetti Foundation makes sure children spending their birthdays in hospitals, clinics, and hospice still get the celebration they deserve. Through themed kits, they bring decorations, activities, and a little bit of normalcy and joy to families during an otherwise difficult time. Learn more about their work here!

Can you tell me about the need for your work?

Birthdays are supposed to be a chance for kids to feel special, but for children dealing with an illness or extended hospital stay, their birthday may look very different. Families can be focused on treatments, procedures, and their child’s health, making it difficult to create the kind of celebration they would have at home. We want to give families a chance to put those worries aside, even briefly, and simply celebrate their child. Every child deserves to feel remembered and special on their birthday, regardless of where they have to spend it.

What is included in a Birthday in a Box?

Each box contains what a family needs to transform a hospital room into a birthday celebration, including themed decorations, a birthday banner, activities and toys, and plates, cups, and utensils. We have more than 100 themes so celebrations can feel personal and special to each child. Our boxes are available at no cost to children ages 1 to 18 who are celebrating their birthday while admitted to a participating hospital, pediatric oncology clinic, or hospice facility. For those interested in funding a Birthday in a Box, it costs about $50 per box and $3,500 to sponsor a hospital for an entire year. 

How did The Confetti Foundation get started?

Our founder, Stephanie Frazier Grimm, was inspired after her godson was born eight weeks premature and spent time in the NICU. During that experience, she learned about another baby celebrating his first birthday in the hospital and began wondering what happened when children had to spend their birthdays there. Having spent her own 13th birthday in a hospital, Stephanie understood how meaningful a real celebration could be. In January 2014, she founded The Confetti Foundation to make sure hospitalized children still get to experience the joy of their birthday.

Can you tell me about your reach?

Since The Confetti Foundation was founded in 2014, we’ve celebrated more than 22,000 birthdays and worked with more than 450 hospitals across the country. Now, we’re working towards expanding our reach so children can receive Birthday in a Box celebrations across all 50 states. Ultimately, we want to make sure no child has to miss out on being celebrated simply because they’re spending their birthday receiving medical care. We also have a vast volunteer network who make birthday cards and banners, create friendship bracelets, collect new books or party supplies, organize fundraisers, and more.