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Charity Math
The 990 read · EIN 54-1460147 · VA · Fiscal year FY ending Jun 2025

Operation Smile

Operation Smile Inc: CEO salary, finances and where donations go

In its own words

“Operation Smile's purpose includes providing life-changing surgery for people born with cleft lip and cleft palate and other surgical conditions. Operation Smile, inc.”

Data only Figures straight from the filing, screened by our rules. Not yet reviewed in depth by a CPA.

Methodology by Amir Arani, CPA, CA · Updated

Top pay
$324K Kristie Porcaro, 0.3% of spending
Revenue
$100.2M 96.1% from donations and grants
Spent
$108.1M 63.5% on programs, as reported
Net assets
$110.0M end of FY ending Jun 2025
Savings
12.2 months of spending, net assets ÷ spending
People
212 employees, 9,133 volunteers
Form 990 (FY ending Jun 2025), Parts I, VII, IX, X
01 · Red flags

2 things to look at.

We screen every filing against twelve rules. A flag is a prompt for a closer look, not a finding of wrongdoing.

high

Professional fundraisers kept most of what they raised

Professional fundraisers raised $43,799,173 and kept $31,422,210 (71.7%). The charity received $12,376,963.

Schedule G Part I, line 2b
low

Business transactions with insiders or their companies

Part IV line 28b answered yes.

Form 990 Part IV, lines 28a–28c; Schedule L Part IV
02 · Where $1 goes · FY ending Jun 2025

Of each dollar it spent, 63.5¢ went to programs, as reported.

The split the charity filed.
63.5¢
Programs, $68.6M
25.3¢
Fundraising, $27.3M
11.3¢
Admin, $12.2M
Form 990 (FY ending Jun 2025), Part IX, line 25
Cost to raise $1
28¢
as reported
36¢
counting the shared mail

For each dollar donated, Operation Smile spent 28¢ on fundraising, or about 36¢ counting joint costs.

Fundraising ÷ $96.3M contributions · Form 990 Parts VIII, IX
03 · What it does

What it told the IRS it spent on.

The charity's own description of its largest programs, with what each cost.

Program 1 · 32.1% of program spending · $9.2M in grants $22.0M

In coordination with international governments and ministries of health, the organization addresses systemic barriers within health systems that can prevent surgical care from being delivered or received. Operation smile provided surgical care to 16,548 patients via its short-term surgical programs and hospital partnerships in 36 countries across a footprint of over 200 hospitals. The organization conducted 203 short-term surgical programs, all of which were conducted by a majority of local medical volunteers. Dental care was provided to 26,976 patients through short-term programs. Operation…

Form 990 (FY ending Jun 2025), Part III
04 · The savings

Net assets: $30.9M to $110.0M in 11 years.

Net assets at each fiscal year end, 2013 to 2025.

Net assets at year end, $ millions
31
23
32
27
28
38
50
68
88
101
109
110
Form 990 history via ProPublicaForm 990 (FY ending Jun 2025)
05 · Who gets paid

The 8 highest-paid people.

Reportable pay in FY ending Jun 2025, from the charity and related organizations.

Kristie Porcaro
Chief Strategy Officer
$324,260
James Siti
Chief Financial Officer
$324,008
Ruben Ayala
Chief Policy & Advocacy Officer
$249,517
Patricia Baumann
Svp, Global Finance
$242,265
William P Magee Jr
CEO Emeritus
$237,191
Kathleen S Magee Msw Ed
Ceo, President, Secretary & Director
$237,098
Esther Kantner
Senior Vp, Global Hr
$235,069
Elizabeth Cote
Vp, Global Medical Education
$231,051
Form 990 (FY ending Jun 2025), Part VII, Section A
Largest outside contractors
ContractorServicePaid
We Are Changemakers Inc Dba Full HeartsFundraising council$18,640,750
Moore a Series LLCFundraising council$9,674,970
Mds Communications CorporationTelefundraising$2,341,090
72andsunny Partners LLCFundraising council$2,198,970
Givebridge IncDonor acquisition$765,400
Form 990 (FY ending Jun 2025), Part VII, Section B
06 · Questions

The questions people ask about the Operation Smile.

Short, sourced answers. Each one stands on its own.

How much does the Operation Smile CEO make?

Kristie Porcaro, Chief Strategy Officer, received $324,260 in reportable compensation in FY ending Jun 2025, 0.3% of Operation Smile's $108.1M in spending.

Form 990 (FY ending Jun 2025), Part VII

What percentage of Operation Smile donations go to programs?

Operation Smile reported 63.5% of FY ending Jun 2025 spending as programs, 25.3% as fundraising and 11.3% as management. That includes $7.2M of joint mail and ad costs counted as programs; without them, programs were 56.8%.

Form 990 (FY ending Jun 2025), Part IX

How much money does Operation Smile have?

Net assets were $110.0M at the end of FY ending Jun 2025, about 12.2 months of spending.

Form 990 (FY ending Jun 2025), Part X

Does Operation Smile have any red flags in its filing?

Its latest Form 990 triggered 2 of our twelve screening rules: professional fundraisers kept most of what they raised; business transactions with insiders or their companies. A flag is a prompt for a closer look, not a finding of wrongdoing.

Form 990 (FY ending Jun 2025)
07 · Sources and citing

Every number, traced.

  1. Operation Smile Form 990, FY ending Jun 2025 (IRS e-file)
  2. Operation Smile Form 990 history (ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer)
Cite this page

Amir Arani, “Operation Smile: CEO salary, finances and where your dollar goes,” Charity Math, updated 2026-11-07. https://charitymath.com/charities/operation-smile/