(It’s time once again to drum up some support for deserving charities. This time, it’s one that I’ve heard quite a bit about in various media, which focuses, interestingly enough, on fixing childhood facial deformities. It’s an interesting mission, rather more narrow than most of the other groups we’re covered so far. Still, that makes them no less deserving, and I think Operation Smile would be well served with some more positive press.)
Charity: Operation Smile, International
Website: www.operationsmile.org
Organization: Operation Smile is an independent 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions are deductible from taxable income according to IRS guidelines.
Goals: Operation Smile aims to fix childhood dental deformities. They also work more broadly to develop health care systems in underdeveloped parts of the world and work to train health care service people in those areas.
Classification: The NTEE classification on Guidestar lists Operation Smile as a Surgery, Health and Rehabilitative, and Children’s Services charity.
BBB Report: Operation Smile meets nineteen of twenty Standards for Charity Accountability as set out by the BBB. These standards ensure that there is adequate oversight, methods of measuring effectiveness, use most of the finances toward charitable purposes and engage in proper fund raising.
Operation Smile fails the last standard as they have more than 10% of their board members receiving compensation from the organization, leading to a potential conflict of interests. There are also paid members with parents on the board. The organization has said they are attempting to correct this in order to meet all the standards; in the meantime, be aware of this conflict for 6 members of the 15 member board.
Expenses: As noted by the Better Business Bureau, Operation Smile spends 23% of its budget on fund raising and 4% of its budget on administrative expenses. It brought in $52 million dollars during 2007.
You can donate to Operation Smile here.
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