What Fistula Foundation does

Fistula Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in San Jose, California, founded in 2000 to fund obstetric fistula treatment for women in low-resource settings, primarily sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Its operational core is the Fistula Foundation Treatment Network (FFTN), a countrywide integrated framework that connects women with surgical care through a vetted network of 150+ partner hospitals and field organizations across 37 countries, supplemented by Community Health Volunteer (CHV) referral systems that generate the majority of patient identification in country programs such as Kenya. Each surgery costs approximately $624, including post-operative care and rehabilitation, with reported outcomes of 90.5% fistula closure at discharge and 96% continence at 12-month follow-up in the Kenya FFTN.

The Foundation generates revenue entirely through philanthropic channels — individual donations (one-time, monthly, and the 'Love a Sister' surgery-sponsorship program), major gifts from high-net-worth donors and foundations (most notably a $15M unrestricted gift from MacKenzie Scott in May 2023), planned giving via FreeWill, and corporate matching programs — with 84%+ of revenue directed to field partners. Go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer digital appeals (website, social, quarterly Transformations newsletter) with high-touch major-donor cultivation, anchored by endorsements from effective altruism organizations (The Life You Can Save since 2014) and sustained top-tier ratings from Charity Navigator, CharityWatch, and GuideStar.

Strategic priorities center on the 'In It to End It' initiative, which targets country-by-country elimination of fistula suffering by replicating the FFTN model in additional geographies. Active countrywide networks operate in Kenya, Zambia, DRC, Tanzania, and Nigeria (launched November 2025), with a broader $110M five-year strategic plan funded by the Scott gift. Leadership transitioned in September 2025 with Pam Lowney succeeding founder/CEO Kate Grant (CEO since 2005) after Lowney's tenure as COO since 2022, while Grant continues as Senior Advisor and CEO Emerita. The Foundation raised a record $28M in 2025 supporting 19,577 surgeries.

Name

Fistula Foundation

Legal name

Fistula Foundation

Website

https://fistulafoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fistula Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds obstetric fistula treatment for women in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia through a network of 150+ partner hospitals across 37 countries, delivering $624-per-surgery repairs via its countrywide FFTN model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Jose

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters. Multiple giving options including online, phone, mail, monthly sustainer program, and 'Love a Sister' direct surgery sponsorship ($624 per surgery or ~$52/month).
2. Foundation & Major Gifts: Large unrestricted gifts from philanthropists and foundations. $15M from MacKenzie Scott (2023), multi-year funding from Michael and Susan Dell Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies. No bureaucratic restrictions on major gifts.
3. Planned Giving: Bequests in wills and trusts, beneficiary designations on IRAs and 401(k)s. Partnership with FreeWill for free online estate planning tools.
4. Tax-Smart Asset Donations: Accepts donations of stocks, securities, mutual funds, cryptocurrency, and Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) from IRAs. Enables donors to avoid capital gains taxes while receiving full fair market value deduction.
5. Corporate Partnerships: Employer matching gift programs. Historical partnerships with Astellas Pharma EMEA and Johnson & Johnson for programmatic work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fistula Foundation funds and coordinates life-transforming surgical treatment for women suffering from obstetric fistula across 37+ countries in Africa and Asia. Its service is delivered through the Fistula Foundation Treatment Network (FFTN), which integrates community health volunteer outreach, partner hospitals, FIGO-certified surgeons, and post-operative reintegration support. Each sponsored surgery costs $624 USD covering surgery, post-operative care, and physical rehabilitation, with 84%+ of every donated dollar directed to field partners.

Product overview

Fistula Foundation is a nonprofit organization providing a unified suite of obstetric fistula treatment services centered on life-transforming surgeries. The core offering is the Fistula Foundation Treatment Network (FFTN), which delivers surgical care through partnerships with local hospitals and surgeons across 35+ countries in Africa and Asia. Supporting programs include the 'Love a Sister' direct surgery funding initiative, community health volunteer outreach for patient identification and referral, surgeon training and mentorship, and the quarterly Transformations newsletter. The organization offers multiple giving mechanisms including online donations, planned giving through FreeWill integration, stock/cryptocurrency gifts, and IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions. The strategic framework 'In It to End It' guides their country-by-country elimination approach, deploying the FFTN model to achieve systemic impact.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Obstetric Fistula Surgical Treatment Free reconstructive surgical repair of obstetric fistulas for women in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Each sponsored surgery costs $624 USD and includes the surgical procedure, post-operative care, and physical rehabilitation, restoring continence and enabling social reintegration.
• Fistula Foundation Treatment Network (FFTN) Countrywide integrated framework linking public and private hospitals, community outreach partners, FIGO-certified surgeons, and community health volunteers to deliver routine obstetric fistula treatment and reintegration services. Active in Kenya, Zambia, DRC, and Tanzania.
• Love a Sister Sponsorship Program Direct-surgery sponsorship program that connects individual donors to a specific woman's life-transforming surgery. Donors give $624 one-time or approximately $52/month to fund one woman's complete surgical care and rehabilitation.
• Community Health Volunteer (CHV) Outreach and Referral Program Training and deployment of community health volunteers to educate communities about fistula, identify affected women, and refer them to partner hospitals. Includes post-operative follow-up and community reintegration support, reaching 1.9+ million community members with awareness messaging.
• FIGO-Certified Surgeon Training and Mentorship Training and mentorship of fistula surgeons to internationally accredited FIGO standards, building sustainable local surgical capacity in partner countries. In Kenya FFTN, trained 11 surgeons and 19 nurses.

Quantifiable outcome

• 130,000+ life-transforming surgeries provided since 2009
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and historical.

• UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Co-founded Global Fistula Map with Fistula Foundation and Direct Relief in 2012. Joint initiative to map global availability of fistula treatment.
• Astellas Pharma EMEAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPharmaceutical company partnership for programmatic work in women's health.
• Johnson & JohnsonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare company partnership supporting fistula treatment and maternal health programs.
• Direct ReliefcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitarian organization partnership. Co-founded Global Fistula Map with Fistula Foundation and UNFPA in 2012. Direct Relief provides medical supplies and logistics support for fistula treatment programs.
• EngenderHealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational reproductive health organization partnership. Worked on Fistula Care and Fistula Care Plus projects with Fistula Foundation's medical advisors.
• The Life You Can SavecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEffective altruism organization founded by Princeton ethicist Peter Singer. Has recommended Fistula Foundation as a Top Charity since 2014. Provides fundraising platform access for donors in Australia and UK.
• International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFFTN surgeons receive expert-level certification through FIGO's Fistula Surgery Training Initiative. FIGO Trainers provide ongoing training and mentorship to fistula surgeons.
• Hamlin Fistula Hospitals (Ethiopia)historicalStrategic or Co-development PartnerFistula Foundation began as a fundraising organization for Hamlin Hospitals and provided over $10 million USD in support. Historical partner; Hamlin now runs its own US fundraising (Hamlin Fistula USA).
• Panzi Hospital / Dr. Denis MukwegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Denis Mukwege (2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner) founded Panzi Hospital in DRC. Fistula Foundation supports the hospital's work treating women injured by violence and childbirth. Provided emergency funding when major donor pulled out.
• Edna Adan Hospital (Somaliland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMidwife Edna Adan built hospital with her own life savings. Fistula Foundation supports this beacon of hope in Somaliland, one of the hardest places to be a woman.
• Cure Hospital (Afghanistan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll-female team of fistula surgeons run by Be Team International in Afghanistan. Addresses cultural constraints on maternal health services where women may have no choice but to go without treatment if a female doctor is not available.
• Partner Hospitals (150+)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor102 carefully vetted hospital partners and outreach organizations in 36 countries. Includes Heal Africa (DRC), Nyambene Sub-County Hospital (Kenya), Sustainable Family Healthcare Foundation (Nigeria), Maternity Africa (Tanzania), Mansa General Hospital (Zambia), and ARENA (Burkina Faso).

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• White Ribbon Alliance: Direct peer in maternal and reproductive health advocacy and grantmaking. Global coalition focused on safe pregnancy and childbirth, overlapping with fistula in addressing root causes (lack of emergency obstetric care) in low-resource countries.
• Panzi Foundation: Direct peer supporting Panzi Hospital and beyond, founded by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege. Treats women with childbirth injuries and conflict-related sexual violence in DRC; Fistula Foundation is a major financial partner and previously provided emergency bridge funding.
• Every Mother Counts: Direct peer in global maternal health grantmaking. Founded by Christy Turlington Burns, focuses on pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care in low-resource settings. Targets overlapping population (women suffering from childbirth-related morbidity) with complementary rather than duplicative intervention mix.
• Hamlin Fistula USA: Direct peer and historical partner. Originally the beneficiary of Fistula Foundation's fundraising (over $10M to Hamlin Fistula Hospitals in Ethiopia), Hamlin now runs independent US fundraising to support the same obstetric fistula surgery mission in Ethiopia. Operates the flagship Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital.
• Barbara May Foundation: Direct peer co-founded by Dr. Andrew Browning, who is also a Fistula Foundation Medical Advisor. Funds obstetric fistula surgery and maternal health in Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, South Sudan, and Nepal—fully overlapping Fistula Foundation geographies and beneficiary population.

Broad incumbents

• UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund): Strategic co-development partner (Global Fistula Map, 2012) and the lead UN agency running the global Campaign to End Fistula. Operates at much larger scale with government/multi-donor funding; complements Fistula Foundation's private-philanthropy delivery model.
• Smile Train: Larger incumbent in condition-specific global health delivery, focused on cleft lip/palate surgery in 70+ countries. Fistula Foundation's Chief Program Officer Dr. Esther Njoroge-Muriithi previously served as SVP of Global Medical Programs at Smile Train. Comparable model of training local surgeons and partnering with regional hospitals.
• Direct Relief: Core partner (co-founded Global Fistula Map with Fistula Foundation and UNFPA in 2012). A larger humanitarian medical-aid organization providing supplies and logistics support to fistula treatment programs; broadly comparable as a high-efficiency nonprofit with strong watchdog ratings.
• Partners In Health: Larger incumbent in global health delivery serving poor populations in multiple countries. Operates a comparable model of training local clinicians, partnering with public health systems, and using donor funds to deliver high-quality care; less focused specifically on fistula but analogous in structure and impact narrative.
• EngenderHealth: Direct strategic partner that worked with Fistula Foundation's medical advisors on the Fistula Care and Fistula Care Plus projects. International reproductive-health organization with overlapping mission in fistula treatment plus broader sexual and reproductive health services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FistulaFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/fistulafoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fistula-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/fistula_foundation
• TikToktiktok.com/@fistulafoundation
• Xx.com/Fistula_Fdtn

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fistula Foundation