Local Foundation Wins Gold, Silver Medals for Websites

PALO ALTO – Two children’s health websites operated by the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health have won top awards from the national Council on Foundations.

Kidscal.org, an online calendar of children’s health events in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, took a gold medal for websites run by independent foundations with assets of $21 to $100 million. Kidsdata.org, which consolidates and tracks data about the health and well being of children in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, won a silver medal in the same category.

The awards, part of the Council on Foundation’s 2006 Wilmer Shields Rich Awards Program for Excellence in Communications, were announced March 14.

Kidscal.org, launched in June 2003, provides a free central listing for the many children’s health events scheduled daily by nonprofit organizations in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. About 200 events — parenting classes, immunization clinics, trainings for nonprofit staff — are on the calendar at any time, and are searchable by event topic, date, location, or keyword. The site also features a weekly e-mail news digest, Kidscal Update, that highlights new and notable listings from the calendar.

Kidsdata.org lists community resources, volunteer opportunities and extensive research on children’s health issues, in addition to tracking indicators of children’s health. The site was one of five finalists for a Webby Award — the leading international award for websites — in the Family/Parenting category in 2005.

The foundation’s main website, www.lpfch.org, won a gold medal from the Council on Foundations in 2005.

The Palo Alto-based Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health is a public charity whose mission is to “promote, protect, and sustain the physical, mental, emotional and behavioral health of children.”

Also see:
http://www.kidscal.org
http://www.kidsdata.org