Monday, Dec. 20, 2010
Operation Smile
Cleft lip and cleft palate birth defects, which hurt children's health as well as their educational opportunities, can often be corrected with surgery that takes as little as 45 minutes. Operation Smile provides the surgeries for free in more than 50 countries, and it relies on donations that fund everything from hospital gowns ($30) to a surgery ($240) to an operating table for a day, which enables five surgeries ($600). All gifts come with a holiday card, and larger ones come with a handmade beaded necklace from Africa, a hand-painted bracelet from India or a fleece blanket. Operation Smile spends about 73% of its funds on programs.