The Jester and Pharley Phund

Welcome to the home of The Jester & Pharley Phund, a nonprofit dedicated to both helping ill children, especially those with cancer, and igniting a love for reading among students nationwide.

The lessons of hope, humor, charity and strength of character in the best-selling "The Jester Has Lost His Jingle" by David Saltzman are our inspiration. David wrote and illustrated The Jester as his senior project at Yale before his death from Hodgkin's disease in 1990. His desire was to give The Jester, with its upbeat and hopeful message, to children facing serious challenges. Today, our promise to fulfill his wish remains our commitment.

When you give the joy of The Jester, you make a real difference in a child’s life.

In 2011, another 12,400 children will start their personal fight with cancer. By joining our Smiles for Kids With Cancer program, you can help us reach our goal to give The Jester book and doll to every one of these children.

While we wait for tomorrow’s cures, The Jester & Pharley Phund gives children hope and laughter as they battle cancer and other serious illnesses today.

The Jester Doll has been carried into hundreds of hospital imaging facilities to help children keep their jingle while keeping the bells quiet. “I like to hold the doll when I get my spinal taps,” 9 year-old Morgan O’Brien told us. “The doll and book make me feel better when I get chemo."

Our Literacy Programs give students a unique and engaging way to help ill children while expanding their reading skills. Children and teachers mirror The Jester's journey on a Read-A-Thon that earns Jester books and dolls for local hospitalized children.

Jester & Pharley Smile Carts ™ make laughter a part of the healing process in hospitals, clinics and shelters. The Smile Cart activity center with audio-visual equipment includes Jester & Pharley books and dolls for patients.

Through these programs as well as special projects, more than 150,000 Jester books and dolls have been given to hospitals, shelters, underserved schools and other special-needs facilities . “The Jester came to us in our time of need and gave us hope when we needed it most,” said one grateful mom.

The smallest donation will bring the biggest smile.