Smile for a Lifetime Foundation

What Smile for a Lifetime Foundation does

Smile for a Lifetime Foundation (S4L) is a nationwide 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit founded in 2009 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Its single core product is an Orthodontic Scholarship Program that connects children ages 8-18 from low-income families and foster-care or out-of-home placements with volunteer orthodontists who donate braces or aligner treatment. The organization operates through a national provider network of 400+ volunteer orthodontists across the United States and Canada, supported by in-kind product donations from orthodontic suppliers (Henry Schein Orthodontics, Invisalign/Align Technology, Specialty Appliances, Dolphin Imaging, Retainer for Life, Waterpik, OrthoFi) and channel partnerships with large youth-serving nonprofits (Boys and Girls Clubs of America, CASA's 946 local programs, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America's ~340 agencies) that serve as referral pipelines.

S4L does not develop proprietary technology. Applications are submitted through a HIPAA-compliant Jotform portal hosted at hipaa.jotform.com; the website runs on WordPress; and matching, paperwork, and provider coordination are handled manually by staff and volunteers. There are no AI/ML capabilities, no app, no API, and no software-as-a-service offering. The "product" is the care-coordination program itself.

The revenue model is hybrid-donation: (1) a $20 non-refundable initial application fee plus a $480 final fee per approved applicant — treatment itself is free once matched; (2) tiered individual donations of $500, $1,000, $2,500, and custom amounts via PayPal; and (3) corporate sponsorships, including a flagship commitment from McGill & Hill Group of at least $25,000 annually plus auction product donations. Since inception, S4L reports having served close to 10,000 children, with current average wait times of 6-12 months for matching. Governance is provided by a National Board led by Board President Dr. Don Montano and Executive Director Robin Coen (since 2019), with pro-bono legal counsel from Armstrong Teasdale LLP. The organization has no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed funding rounds or institutional investors.

Name

Smile for a Lifetime Foundation

Legal name

Smile for a Lifetime Foundation

Website

https://smileforalifetime.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Smile for a Lifetime Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2009 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, that connects low-income and foster-care children ages 8-18 with 400+ volunteer orthodontists across the US and Canada who donate braces or aligner treatment, funded by application fees, individual donations, and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Orthodontic Care Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Pediatric Orthodontics (HLABABAB)

Keywords

• Charitable orthodontic care
• Free braces program
• Nonprofit dental services
• Youth orthodontic scholarships
• Orthodontic provider network

Headquarters

HQ city

Colorado Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual and corporate donations from supporters who want to support the mission of providing orthodontic care to underserved children. Donation options include $500, $1000, $2500, and custom amounts via PayPal.
2. Application Fees: Families pay a small application fee of $20 for initial application and $480 final fee upon approval and matching with an orthodontist. These fees help cover administrative costs of the program. Treatment itself is completely free once matched.
3. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors (McGill & Hill Group, Henry Schein Orthodontics, OrthoBanc, Peniche & Associates, Orthodontic Revolution) provide ongoing financial support, product donations, and in-kind services to support operations and the annual SmileEnt Auction fundraiser.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Smile for a Lifetime Foundation is a nationwide charitable nonprofit founded in 2009 that provides free orthodontic treatment (braces or aligners) to children ages 8-18 from low-income families and those in foster care or special circumstances. The organization matches eligible applicants with one of its 400+ volunteer orthodontists in the United States (and limited Canada presence), handling the application, screening, and provider-matching process. Treatment is free for approved families beyond a small $20 initial and $480 final application fee that covers administrative costs.

Product overview

Smile for a Lifetime Foundation operates as a single core charitable program — an Orthodontic Scholarship Program — that connects underserved children and youth with volunteer orthodontic providers who donate treatment services. The program is administered nationally through a network of provider chapters and partner organizations, with a modest application fee (initial $20, final $480) that covers program administration, after which treatment is entirely free. The organization does not offer a software product, platform, or technology-as-a-service; its offering is entirely the charitable care program itself.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Orthodontic Scholarship Program A nationwide charitable scholarship program that provides free orthodontic treatment (braces or aligners) plus one set of retainers to children ages 8-18 from low-income families and those in foster care or special circumstances. The organization processes applications, verifies eligibility (good dental hygiene, C average or above GPA, social impediment or moderate/severe orthodontic need), and matches approved applicants with one of 400+ volunteer orthodontists in the United States (and limited Canada presence).

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 10,000 children served since 2009
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• McGill & Hill GroupflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Elite Corporate Partner since 2014. Provides business consulting services for dental professionals including tax planning, practice transitions, and investment advisory. Donates a portion of The McGill Advisory subscription income from orthodontists to S4L with a goal of at least $25,000 annually, plus product donations to the annual Smilent Auction fundraiser.
• Henry Schein OrthodonticscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate Sponsor since 2020. Shares passion for supporting socially responsible causes. Partnership helps bring confidence and empowerment to children from vulnerable communities through quality orthodontic products.
• Peniche & AssociatescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate Sponsor since 2011. Leading orthodontic consulting firm that trains doctors and staff on team building, case acceptance, and practice excellence. LeeAnn Peniche has served on the S4L Board for 11 years providing invaluable guidance.
• Orthodontic RevolutionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate Sponsor since 2010. Creates custom websites for orthodontists with over 50 years of combined experience. Beth Leach and Jeff Behan serve on the National Board of Directors.
• OrthoBancminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate Sponsor since 2015. Risk assessment and payment management provider specializing in electronic payments for orthodontists with over 100 years of management experience. Supports the national fundraiser and provides services to the national office.
• Retainer for LifecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWaives all setup fees for S4L applicants and provides one free retainer. Subsequent replacements available for $43. Key in-kind partner supporting the free treatment model.
• Invisalign (Align Technology)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerDonates a select number of aligners to help ensure S4L applicants receive highest quality orthodontic care. Key product partner in the treatment program.
• NCOHF: America's ToothFairycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Children's Oral Health Foundation formed in 2006 to provide resources for children's oral health. NCOHF distributes educational materials and resources, having distributed over $18 million in resources since inception. S4L is listed as a partner on their page.
• Boys and Girls Clubs of AmericacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational BGCA provides internal referrals for S4L chapters across North America, assisting in recruitment of young people in need of orthodontic services. BGCA's mission is to enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.
• Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorS4L partnered with National CASA Association to help chapters throughout North America find applicants for local orthodontic scholarship programs. CASA has 946 community-based programs that recruit volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of AmericacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides children facing adversity with mentoring relationships. With nearly 340 agencies across the country, BBBS serves approximately 200,000 children and their families. S4L serves BBBS Littles through the orthodontic scholarship program.
• Specialty AppliancesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOrthodontic appliance manufacturer and partner supporting S4L through product donations.
• Dolphin ImagingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerImaging software company and partner supporting S4L through donations and partnership.
• WaterpikminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOral health product company and partner supporting S4L.
• OrthoFiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOrthodontic software and financial technology partner supporting S4L.
• Vision TrustminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVisionTrust Communications provides staff training and communications tools to orthodontic practices. Jeff Behan serves on the National Board of Directors.
• Casa GalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization supporting S4L mission.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Operation Smile: International medical nonprofit providing free cleft palate and lip surgeries to children, using a volunteer clinician model similar to S4L's volunteer orthodontist network but at global scale and with a broader surgical mission.
• Smile Train: Large international nonprofit that funds free cleft lip and palate surgery for children in developing countries, sharing S4L's charity-medical-services-for-children model but operating at much greater global scale and scope.

Others

• Direct Relief: Major international humanitarian medical aid organization that channels donations and in-kind medical supplies to vulnerable populations; comparable as a donation-funded healthcare charity but operating on a far larger scale and broader medical mission.

Direct peers

• Smiles Change Lives: National nonprofit orthodontic scholarship program that provides reduced-cost or free braces to children from low-income families, operating a near-identical model to Smile for a Lifetime with a national volunteer provider network and application-based screening.
• Dental Lifeline Network: National charitable network (Donated Dental Services program) that coordinates free dental care for vulnerable populations including the elderly, disabled, and medically fragile through volunteer dentists, closely comparable to S4L's volunteer-provider referral model.
• Give Back a Smile (American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry Foundation): Charitable program that provides free cosmetic dental care to survivors of domestic violence and other traumatic dental injuries through a network of volunteer dentists, using a comparable model of donated professional services and referral-based applicant screening.
• America's ToothFairy / National Children's Oral Health Foundation: National nonprofit focused on children's oral health that distributes resources and supports programs serving at-risk youth; S4L is itself listed as a partner of NCOHF, making it a directly adjacent and operationally comparable nonprofit.

Emerging players

• Volunteers in Medicine: National nonprofit network of free clinics staffed by volunteer clinicians serving uninsured and underinsured patients, comparable in its volunteer-healthcare-services model to S4L though focused on primary rather than dental care.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/smile4alifetime
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/smile4alifetime
• Facebookfacebook.com/smileforalifetime
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smile-for-a-lifetime

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Smile for a Lifetime Foundation