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Flower Hearts

About us

CaringBridge is a no-cost, 501(c)(3) nonprofit health platform that surrounds family caregivers with support while they care for a loved one on a health journey.

A donor-supported nonprofit founded in 1997, the organization offers tools to share and document a health journey, simplify care coordination, and connect caregivers with a supportive community.

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Our story

In 1997, our founder, Sona Mehring, had the idea for CaringBridge when she offered to support her good friends, JoAnn Hardegger and Darrin Swanson, keep everyone updated after the premature birth of their daughter, Brighid.

After making emotionally taxing and time-consuming calls, Sona knew there was a better way. She created a website to keep everyone connected and surround JoAnn and Darrin, with support - and CaringBridge was born.

Since that day, CaringBridge has remained committed to surrounding family caregivers with support while they care for a loved one on a health journey.

Learn more

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Our vision and mission

From the launch of the very first CaringBridge, we’ve been working toward a single vision: a world where no one goes through a health journey alone.

In order to turn this vision into reality, we’ve made it our mission to build bridges of care and communication providing love and support on a health journey.

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Our impact

While patients are always at the center of the heath journey, family caregivers often bear the brunt of sharing updates, financial strain, and coordination management during this overwhelming time.

Feelings of being overwhelmed, isolated, and lonely are prevalent among family caregivers and the loved ones they support on a health journey. CaringBridge addresses those needs by improving emotional health and social support, helping people come together in support of healing.

We know family caregivers can improve patient outcomes and CaringBridge helps improve their emotional health

88% achieve better patient outcomes icon

88%

of patients supported by family caregivers achieve better patient outcomes

56% experience lower hospital readmission rates icon

56%

of patients supported by family caregivers experience lower hospital readmission rates

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4x

improvement of feeling less alone after using CaringBridge for more than 6 months

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2x

more sense of purpose being a caregiver as a CaringBridge user

Source: CHCS (Center for Health Care Strategies, Inc.), May 2020. CaringBridge Caregiver Survey, November 2023.
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2023 impact highlights

144 MILLION

total visits to CaringBridge, as family caregivers, patients, or loved ones checking in to offer support and encouragement

171,397

gifts to CaringBridge were made by 145,823 donors like you–that’s incredible impact

5.5 MILLION

messages of support were posted on CaringBridge pages. This support helps people keep going during life’s hardest moments

320,000

people visit CaringBridge every day to share or receive love, hope, and support

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Inspiration

CaringBridge users from around the country have shared their stories with us to inspire and encourage others. Despite caregiving's universal impact, many of us do not identify as caregivers.

For over 25 years, CaringBridge has made it simple and safe to offer or ask for support when it’s needed most. We recognize your vital role and surround you with support at every step of the health journey.

CaringBridge is an inclusive space that empowers individuals to share their unique journeys, connect with others, and find strength in the collective support received for their functional, social, and emotional needs.

Explore stories

CaringBridge makes it easy to share updates and activate your support network all in one place

Communicate

Communicate

Support that helps you connect.

Communicate to everyone all at once in a safe and private space, relieving the burden of individually updating people.

Capture

Capture

Support that helps you process.

The very act of capturing a loved one’s health journey improves emotional health and social support.

Coordinate

Coordinate

Support that helps you ask for help.

Making it easy to ask for help, because we know it’s often the most difficult thing to ask for.

Community

Community

Support that helps you feel less alone.

Bringing together the community of your choice to rally support and connect you with others who have had similar experiences.

Passion for help, hope, healing

Everyone at CaringBridge, from team members and leadership to the Board of Directors, is passionate about making sure no one goes through a health journey alone.

Meet the team

Steadfast transparency

As a nonprofit that serves individuals during some of their most vulnerable moments, we pride ourselves on being responsible stewards of the generous donor dollars that make our work possible.

Review financials & ratings