Gift of Life International

What Gift of Life International does

Gift of Life International is a 501(c)(3) humanitarian nonprofit organization founded in 1975 and headquartered in Fresh Meadows, New York (EIN 56-2322626). It is the largest humanitarian organization providing pediatric cardiac care to children in the emerging world, operating through a network of 84 affiliated programs — the majority based in Rotary Clubs or Rotary Districts — across 80 countries and 5 continents. Since inception it has helped more than 65,460 children receive treatment, with 6,192 children treated in 2025 (3,534 Rheumatic Heart Disease and 2,658 Congenital Heart Disease cases) and a stated care cadence of one child every 85 minutes through the global network.

Its core service offerings are: (i) Pediatric Cardiac Care Services — open-heart surgery and catheterization procedures for CHD and RHD cases; (ii) Medical Training Visits — 2-3 visits per year per country, pairing visiting volunteer medical teams with local doctors and nurses to transfer clinical capability; (iii) Humanized Care — holistic pre-, during-, and post-hospitalization family support; (iv) Nutritional Program — food support for treated children and families, implemented primarily in El Salvador; and (v) an Internship Program for college students. The strategic model is the "Legacy Program" framework: programs graduate from intensive support to independent operation — El Salvador achieved this in 2018 with sub-5% mortality on 150+ children/year, with Uganda also designated a sustainable center of excellence.

The revenue model is donation- and grant-based: individual/corporate/foundation donations, Rotary Global Grants (the predominant funding mechanism), targeted foundation grants (HeartGift Foundation is the predominant Honduras sponsor), and direct government funding (Government of Guyana MOU signed in 2023 fully funds that country's three annual training visits). Services to patients are provided free of charge. Operating geographies span 22+ countries including El Salvador, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Guyana, Bolivia, Uganda, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Gambia, Philippines, Pakistan, Jordan, Lebanon, Ukraine, Romania, Kosovo, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Haiti, and South Korea, with headquarters in New York.

Name

Gift of Life International

Legal name

Gift of Life International

Website

https://giftoflifeinternational.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gift of Life International is a 501(c)(3) humanitarian nonprofit, founded 1975, that delivers pediatric cardiac surgery and catheterization in 80 countries through 84 Rotary-affiliated programs, funded by donations, Rotary Global Grants, foundation grants, and government partnerships, and organized to graduate countries into self-sustaining Legacy Programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Cardiac Care Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Pediatric Specialty Care Centers (e.g., cardiology, oncology, neurology) (HLAFAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Children’s Hospitals & Pediatric Health Systems (HLAFAJAG)

Keywords

• Pediatric cardiac care
• Humanitarian medical services
• Cardiac surgery training
• Congenital heart disease treatment
• Global health programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Fresh Meadows

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization operates entirely on donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Donors contribute to fund surgeries, medical equipment, training visits, and operational costs.
2. Rotary Global Grants: Rotary clubs and districts worldwide provide funding through Rotary Global Grants, which support medical missions, equipment purchases, and training programs.
3. Foundation Grants: Foundation partners such as HeartGift Foundation provide grants to support specific country programs (e.g., Honduras visits, Zimbabwe programs).
4. Government Partnerships: Some governments (e.g., Government of Guyana) fully fund training visits as part of their commitment to developing sustainable pediatric cardiac programs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gift of Life International provides free lifesaving pediatric cardiac care — including open-heart surgeries and cardiac catheterization procedures — to children with congenital heart defects (CHD) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in developing countries. The organization simultaneously builds local capacity by conducting recurring medical training visits that empower local doctors and nurses to develop self-sustaining pediatric cardiac centers of excellence.

Product overview

Gift of Life International is a humanitarian organization (not a technology company) providing pediatric cardiac care services to children in developing countries. The organization operates through a network-based model comprising five interconnected service offerings: Pediatric Cardiac Care Services (lifesaving surgical and catheterization procedures for children with congenital and rheumatic heart disease), Medical Training Visits Program (empowering local healthcare professionals through collaborative visits), Humanized Care Program (holistic emotional and medical support for families), Nutritional Program (food support for treated children and families), and an Internship Program (educational opportunities for students in global health). The core strategy focuses on developing sustainable pediatric cardiac centers of excellence in partner countries, transitioning programs from intensive support to Legacy Program status as local teams become independently capable.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pediatric Cardiac Care Services
• Medical Training Visits Program
• Humanized Care Program
• Nutritional Program
• Internship Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 65,460+ children treated since 1975
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Chain of Hope UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-based humanitarian organization partnering with Gift of Life International on medical missions. Collaborated on Dominican Republic visits to CEDIMAT hospital alongside other partners.
• Latiendo por TicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization collaborating on Dominican Republic medical missions. Works alongside Chain of Hope UK and Rotary Club of Santo Domingo.
• Rotary Club of Santo DomingocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal Rotary club providing logistical support and coordination for medical training visits to Dominican Republic.
• Rotary Club of Makati WestcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal Rotary club leading the Gift of Life Program in Manila, Philippines. Forms partnerships with local hospitals, NGOs, and government agencies to maximize care delivery.
• Fundación Latidos de EsperanzacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal NGO and Gift of Life International affiliate in El Salvador. Executive Director Ivonne Lopez leads the organization supporting Hospital Benjamin Bloom program.
• Hospital Benjamin BloomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary pediatric hospital in El Salvador where the Legacy Program operates. Now one of the most prolific pediatric cardiac programs in Central America, independently operating on 200+ children annually.
• Latidos de EsperanzacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Benjamin Bloom Hospital for Angelica's electrophysiology operation. Also leads Honduras program support.
• CEDIMAT HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDominican Republic hospital hosting Gift of Life training visits since 2020. 18th visit completed in June 2026.
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Ukraine pediatric cardiology support through UGOL training program at CHOP.
• Ukrainian Gift of Life (UGOL)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliate organization providing support for advancement of pediatric cardiology in Ukraine since 1995. Has helped nearly 1,000 children receive life-saving surgeries.
• St. Nicholas Hospital (Ukraine)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary focus hospital for pediatric cardiac surgery in Ukraine under UGOL and GOLI support.
• Ohmatdet Hospital (Ukraine)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPediatric hospital with neonatal unit in Ukraine, chosen for support based on mortality rates and success factors.
• Georgetown Public Hospital CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnly hospital in Guyana with pediatric heart care, where GOLI conducts training visits. Program aims to develop independent pediatric cardiac surgical team.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Children's Heart Foundation: Memphis-based organization sending volunteer medical teams to perform pediatric cardiac surgery and train local staff in developing countries; directly comparable mission and operating model.
• Children's HeartLink: Minneapolis-based nonprofit partnering with hospitals in underserved countries to train pediatric cardiac teams; shares the train-the-trainer, capacity-building model central to GOLI's strategy.
• HeartGift Foundation: US-based nonprofit providing pediatric cardiac surgery to children from countries without access; a major GOLI funding partner and one of the closest mission-aligned direct peers.
• Save a Child's Heart: Israel-based humanitarian organization providing lifesaving pediatric cardiac surgery and training in developing countries; one of the most direct comparables to GOLI in mission, model, and target patient population.
• Chain of Hope: UK-based charity treating children with heart disease in developing countries and training local medical teams; already a GOLI partner on Dominican Republic missions, making it a closest direct peer in geography and model.
• CardioStart International: Humanitarian organization providing pediatric and adult cardiac surgical care and training in low- and middle-income countries; closely comparable in volunteer-driven delivery and capacity-building focus.

Broad incumbents

• Project HOPE: Large global health and humanitarian organization with health-system-strengthening programs in developing countries; overlaps in mission and training capacity but covers far more than pediatric cardiac care.
• Samaritan's Purse / World Medical Mission: Large humanitarian organization placing volunteer medical professionals in mission hospitals worldwide; broader medical scope but overlapping volunteer-deployment and training-visit delivery model.

Emerging players

• Mending Kids International: Nonprofit providing surgical care to children worldwide, including cardiac procedures; broader pediatric scope but partial overlap in delivering specialty care to children in low-resource settings.
• World Children's Initiative: Nonprofit focused on providing pediatric cardiac and other specialty surgeries to children in underserved regions; smaller scale but overlapping pediatric cardiac humanitarian niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCigVjOpZVbFDlYQ4woAYuRgdVtblentnW
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gift-of-life-international

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Gift of Life International