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Smile Train

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This article is about a charity. For a Seibu Railway train with the same nickname, see Seibu 30000 series.
Smile Train
Formation1999; 25 years ago (1999)
Type501(c)(3) nonprofit
HeadquartersNew York City, New York, United States
Susannah Schaefer
Websitewww.smiletrain.org

Smile Train is a nonprofit organization and charity providing corrective surgery for children with cleft lips and palates.[1]

Headquartered in New York City and founded in 1999, Smile Train provides free corrective cleft surgery in 87 countries,[2] training local doctors and providing hospital funding for the procedures.[2]

History

Smile Train was created in 1998 by Brian Mullaney and Charles Wang, who had previously worked with Operation Smile, another charity focused on correcting cleft lips and palates.[3] They felt the most efficient way to provide cleft surgery was to train and support local doctors rather than to fly in Western doctors to provide surgeries in poor, developing countries.[3][4] Local doctors would also be able to provide care year-round rather than the limited engagements of the "mission-based" model.[3][4]

In 1999, Smile Train began providing corrective surgeries in China.[2] The charity worked with the then-American and Chinese presidents, George H. W. Bush and Jiang Zemin, in the planning of Smile Train's first operation in China.[5][citation needed] As of 2013, the charity had provided approximately 300,000 corrective surgeries in partnership with 397 local hospitals within China.[2]

Smile Train began working in India in 2000.[6] In 2011, Aishwarya Rai, a Bollywood actress and former Miss World, became Smile Train's first goodwill ambassador.[7] By 2013, Smile Train was conducting 50,000 corrective surgeries in India annually.[8]

In 2006, Smile Train co-founded the Pan African Congress on Cleft Lip and Palate. The charity also funded the 2008 Pan African Anaesthesia Symposium.[9]

Smile Train and Operation Smile

In early 2011, Smile Train and Operation Smile announced the two charities would merge,[10][11] followed three weeks later by announcements the merger had been aborted,[12] Smile Train having canceled the union.[13] Smile Train's board also named Priscilla Ma the executive director of the organization, while other board members and directors stepped down.[14]

In 2009, Smile Train initiated an advertising campaign[15] in the Richmond Times-Dispatch highlighting Smile Train's attempts between 2006 and 2009 to donate nearly $9 million to Operation Smile,[16] the organization Brian Mullaney had split from in 1998 in what Mullaney described as a "messy divorce".[17] In the ad, Mullaney contended Operation Smile was refusing money that could benefit children, later calling the situation "shameful";[16] Mullaney also noted that he respects that in some countries need overwhelms available doctors and he had "a newfound respect for what Operation Smile does".[17] The Virginian Pilot outlined the history and differences between the two organizations and indicated Mullaney wanted the two organizations to reconcile.[17] At the time, Dr. Magee of Operation Smile declined a newspaper interview, and Operation Smile formally responded to the ad campaign, saying the two organizations "have different operating philosophies and business ethics", and that Operation Smile would continue foregoing donations from an "unproductive relationship".[17]

Technology

In 1999, Smile Train approached Dr. Court B. Cutting of New York University's Virtual Research Laboratory to create training videos, which could be used to train local doctors on how to perform advanced cleft surgery techniques.[18] The 3D models used in the videos were based on the CT scan of two Chinese patients.[19] Smile Train distributes the DVDs to local doctors worldwide.[4][18] The DVDs are available in English, Spanish, and Mandarin.[20]

Smile Train later used the 3D models of the two Chinese patients to build the first 3D open access virtual surgical simulator, which teaches cleft palate and lip surgery to doctors in developing countries.[21] The simulator, which was created in partnership with BioDigital Systems, is web-based, open source and available for free.[21] It does not require any special hardware to use.[22] A mobile application is under development.[22] In September 2014, Smile Train showcased a 3D virtual surgery simulator at TEDMED 2014 in Washington, D.C.[23]

Smile Train maintains Smile Train Express (STX), an internet-based, digital patient record database.[5][20] STX enables Smile Train to have outside medical experts review patient records and quality of care.[4][5] The charity also boasts a large medical research library with more than 1,000 articles related to clefts accessible online for free.[24]

Partnerships and supporters

Smile Train helps the cause of cleft care through its funding of 1,000+ active partners representing nearly 1,200 hospitals and 2,300 partner surgeons in the world's poorest nations; through these local partnerships, the organization is able to provide free surgery for children any day of the year, with more than one million total surgeries performed as of 2016.[25] They are a founding member of the world cleft coalition, which enacted an internationally agreed set of minimum core practice and best practice guidelines, along with overarching principles to promote safe and comprehensive cleft care globally.[26]

In addition to partnerships with cleft care organizations, Smile Train has partnered with other individuals organizations in an effort to improve safety and quality at their partner hospitals, such as Dr. Atul Gawande, World Health Organization, World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists[27] and Lifebox.[28]

Recognition

In a 2008 New York Times article, economist Steven Levitt of Freakonomics fame indicated that the organization's model and its technological innovations "likely make Smile Train one of the most productive charities, dollar for deed, in the world."[29]

In 2009, the documentary Smile Pinki, which was sponsored by Smile Train and directed by Megan Mylan, won the 2008 Oscar for Best Documentary (Short Subject).[30] The film shows the story of a poor girl in rural India whose life is transformed when she receives free surgery to correct her cleft lip. Free copies of the film are available through Smile Train's website.[31]

Criticism

In 2008, Charity Watch criticized then-president Brian Mullaney's $420,209 salary and questioned the 2007 company's tax form, which said Mullaney's salary came from temporary restricted funds designed to go toward overhead.[32]

In 2009, Givewell could not assess the impact of Smile Train's activities based on the charity's 2008 tax form and other publicly accessible information.[33]

Smile Train Canada's charity status was revoked on July 4, 2015 after 6 years of operation by Canada's Charities Directorate for failure to allocate donations towards charity purposes, failure to carry out its charity work, failure to file accurate information and other serious deficiencies.[34]

Financials

Smile Train complies with the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability established by the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance.[35] The alliance was developed to "assist donors in making sound giving decisions and to foster public confidence in charitable organizations".[36]

According to Smile Train's 2012 annual report, management and general expenses account for $1.9 million (1.2%) of total expenses.[37] $132.4 million (81.8%) went to program services and $27.6 million (17%) to fundraising.[37] Total support and revenue for 2012 was $175 million.[37]

See also

References

  1. ^ Domenico Nicosia (15 November 2013). "Ironman Arizona athletes raise funds for Smile Train to help kids". AZ Central. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d Liu Zhihua (24 October 2013). "Driven by smiles". China Daily. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  3. ^ a b c Simpson, Elizabeth (17 November 2013). "Two sides of charity: Competing, compassion". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d Dubner, Stephen J.; Levitt, Steven D. (9 March 2008). "Bottom-Line Philanthropy". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  5. ^ a b c Brown, Nell Porter (September–October 2009). "Scaling Up Charity". Harvard Magazine. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  6. ^ Singh, Subodhkumar (2009). "Smile Train: The ascendancy of cleft care in India". Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery. 42 (3): S192–8. doi:10.4103/0970-0358.57186. PMC 2825070. PMID 19884676.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  7. ^ "Aishwarya gets a cleft smile for charity". Hindustan Times. 15 July 2011. Archived from the original on May 20, 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  8. ^ Sinha, Kounteya (17 June 2013). "11-year-old Smile Train patient Pinki Sonkar to flip coin at Wimbledon". The Times of India. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  9. ^ "Pan African Anaesthesia Symposium". AMREF. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  10. ^ "Smile Train and Operation Smile Boards Agree to Merge". PR Newswire. February 14, 2011.
  11. ^ "Operation Smile and Smile Train to merge charities". The Virginian Pilot, Pilotonline.com, February 15, 2011.
  12. ^ "2 Charities Set to End a Merger, Papers Say". The New York Times. March 6, 2011.
  13. ^ Mark Hrywna (March 7, 2011). "Smile Organizations Break Off Engagement". The Non-Profit Times.
  14. ^ "Smile Train Board Votes to Call off Merger". Smile Train. Retrieved 2011-04-07.
  15. ^ Elizabeth Simpson (December 20, 2009). "'Smile' charity leaders in midst of decade-long feud". The Virginian Pilot. The Richmond Times-Dispatch published the ad on Dec. 3, and Mullaney said he is considering running it in other publications.
  16. ^ a b "Smiles to frowns". The Virginian Pilot, Letter to the Editor, Brian Mullaney, Dec 28, 2009.
  17. ^ a b c d "'Smile' charity leaders in midst of decade-long feud". The Virginian Pilot, Elizabeth Simpson, December 20, 2009.
  18. ^ a b Amanda Schaffer (2 August 2005). "Cleft Palate Practice, Pre-Surgery". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  19. ^ Oliker, Aaron; Cutting, Court (2005). "The Role of Computer Graphics in Cleft Lip and Palate Education". Seminars in Plastic Surgery. 19 (4): 286–93. doi:10.1055/s-2005-925901. PMC 2884744.
  20. ^ a b Sheppard, L.M (2005). "Virtual surgery brings back smiles". IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications. 25 (1): 6–11. doi:10.1109/MCG.2005.26. PMID 15691163.
  21. ^ a b Tracy Miller (10 January 2014). "App's map of the human body also charts next generation of surgical training". New York Daily News. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  22. ^ a b "IU surgeon leads innovative app to train remote physicians in cleft palate repair". Indiana University. 2014-03-12. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  23. ^ Alan Cole (28 July 2014). "Charity's 3D surgery simulator". Xperedon. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  24. ^ "Medical Research Library". Smile Train. 2015-12-31.
  25. ^ "Smile Train Report Card". Smile Train. 2015-09-15.
  26. ^ Kassam, Serena N.; Perry, Jamie L.; Ayala, Ruben; Stieber, Erin; Davies, Gareth; Hudson, Nan; Hamdan, Usama S. (2020-10-01). "World Cleft Coalition International Treatment Program Standards". The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal. 57 (10): 1171–1181. doi:10.1177/1055665620928779. hdl:10342/10605. ISSN 1055-6656. PMID 32573279. S2CID 219982686.
  27. ^ Kirby, Tony (2011). "Pulse oximeters breathe life into surgery in poorer nations". The Lancet. 377 (9759): 17–8. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(10)62323-9. PMID 21210524. S2CID 37308365.
  28. ^ "Lifebox and Smile Train". Lifebox.
  29. ^ Dubner, Stephen J.; Levitt, Steven D. (March 9, 2008). "Bottom-Line Philanthropy". The New York Times Magazine.
  30. ^ "Nominees & Winners for the 81st Academy Awards". The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
  31. ^ "Get Smile Pinki". Smile Train.
  32. ^ http://www.charitywatch.org/articles/smiletrain.html[full citation needed]
  33. ^ "Smile Train". GiveWell. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  34. ^ Brownell, Claire (20 July 2016). "CRA revokes charity status of Smile Train Canada after fundraising spending flagged by Financial Post". Financial Post.
  35. ^ "BBB Wise Giving Report forSmile Train". Better Business Bureau.
  36. ^ "Standards for Charity Accountability". Better Business Bureau. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  37. ^ a b c "2012 Annual Report" (PDF). Smile Train. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
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