About us
Children need support. We're here to help.
We know that grief can lead to a lifetime of challenges and subscribe to the premise that no child should face grief without support.
Our mission is to provide support to children with a terminally ill parent, before and after a parent’s death, by creating comprehensive support systems, backed by research and informed by experts and those with personal experience.
What we do
Grief playbooks
We are developing a series of Playbooks or "how-to" guides to help those who surround the child, like friends, cousins, teachers, etc, understand how best to support the children at different ages and stages of their lives. These playbooks will be developed in a variety of formats, like videos, written material, maybe even coloring books, depending on what is best for the children.
Research program
We are conducting what we believe is first-of-its-kind research, combining academic, ethnographic, and focus group research to learn how best to support children. We intend for this research to be open source, shared with other nonprofits, clinicians, and academics, and guide the development of our future work.
The Smile Network
We are creating a proprietary online community, the Smile Network, that will offer social connection for children and parents, to ensure the ill parents’ network endures, and when combined with the others who surround the child can provide active support.
Meet the team
Nick Hungerford
Founder & Board Chair
Nick, currently an advisor at Portage Ventures, invests globally in early-stage fintech businesses.
Nick founded Nutmeg (now part of JPMorgan), Europe’s largest online investment management service, and led the company from an idea through development. Nick obtained an undergraduate degree from Exeter University in the UK and holds an MBA from Stanford University.
Nick is receiving treatment for Ewing's Sarcoma at Dana Farber, Boston and Georgetown University Hospital, Washington DC.
Nancy Hungerford
Founder & Board Member
Nancy is the devoted wife and mother to Nick and Elizabeth Hungerford. She is based in Washington, DC.
Nancy is grateful for the opportunity to help other families navigate the stress and heartache of living with a loved one with a terminal illness.
Nancy worked as a news anchor, reporter and producer for CNBC International across Europe and Asia. She is now a conference moderator and media consultant, and aspiring media-tech entrepreneur. Nancy received a Master’s Degree in European Political Economy from the London School of Economics and a B.A. in Foreign Affairs and History from the University of Virginia.
Jeff Kimball
Group President
Jeff is a seasoned non-profit entrepreneur who is deeply passionate about building communities to support grieving children.
Jeff previously served as CEO of the United Way, Chief Possibilities Officer at Experience Camps for Grieving Children and CEO of Circle of Care, an organization that supports children with cancer.
Widowed at age 38 with two children, Jeff is a former speechwriter for Sen. Joe Biden, campaign manager for Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV and communications advisor on Wall Street. He is the author of The Power of Conviction, the authorized biography of James Tillman, who spent 18 years in prison wrongfully convicted. He's an avid painter and writer.
Amy Ganz
Content Director
Amy is a former associate producer for CNBC and Fox News. She obtained a master's degree in Communications from Syracuse University's Newhouse School Of Public Communications in 2022, and a bachelor's degree in Digital Communications & Media from NYU in 2019.
She is passionate about building communities across social media and The Smile Network to help support children going through the unimaginable.
Board of Directors
Dedicated. Experienced. Passionate.
Our board brings a wealth of experience and diverse views to their work as stewards of the organization. If you're interested in joining the board, contact us.
