Little Baby Face Foundation

What Little Baby Face Foundation does

Little Baby Face Foundation (LBFF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2002 by Dr. Thomas Romo III, a double board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon. The foundation provides free reconstructive surgery to children worldwide who are born with congenital facial, craniofacial, and ear birth defects — including microtia, aural atresia, cleft lip and palate, Goldenhar syndrome, hemifacial microsomia, Treacher Collins syndrome, vascular malformations, and hairy nevi. Since inception, LBFF reports over 700 surgeries performed across 25+ countries, with more than 550 lives changed.

Treatment is delivered at state-of-the-art New York City facilities in partnership with Lenox Hill Hospital and Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital (MEETH), where Dr. Romo serves as Director of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. LBFF's medical offering spans a portfolio of advanced surgical techniques — MEDPOR and SuPor synthetic ear reconstruction, autologous rib cartilage reconstruction, silicone prosthetic ears, BAHA (Bone Anchored Hearing Aid) hearing restoration, and multi-stage reconstructive care — performed by more than 100 volunteer physicians. The foundation covers all treatment costs (anesthesia, operating room fees, travel, and lodging) and supports families through a partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities, providing care continuity through age 21.

The revenue model is entirely donation-based, encompassing individual recurring and one-time gifts (tiers from $25/month to $5,000), corporate partnerships, employer matching programs, and securities transfers. Patients receive care at no cost regardless of case complexity, insurance status, or geography. The foundation maintains a small core staff (11 employees) supplemented by a volunteer medical network and a board of directors drawn from finance, law, public relations, and medicine. Patients are acquired via a confidential online application reviewed by the medical team, with international referrals generated through medical conferences and partner physicians such as Dr. William Rhodes.

Name

Little Baby Face Foundation

Legal name

Little Baby Face Foundation

Website

https://littlebabyface.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Little Baby Face Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2002 that provides free reconstructive surgery to children worldwide born with facial and ear birth defects, delivered by 100+ volunteer surgeons at New York City partner hospitals and funded entirely through charitable donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: Individual donors contribute funds that cover critical expenses including anesthesia, operating room fees, travel, lodging, and other essential services. While volunteer surgeons donate their time, donations fund the hard costs that make treatment possible.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Collaborations with businesses through donations, sponsorships, or shared initiatives to help more children receive care.
3. Stock Gifts: Acceptance of securities transfers as charitable contributions.
4. Matching Gifts: Employer matching gift programs where companies match employee charitable contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Little Baby Face Foundation provides free, comprehensive reconstructive surgical care for children with congenital facial, craniofacial, and ear birth defects. Volunteer surgeons donate their time and expertise to perform life-changing procedures — including microtia reconstruction, cleft lip and palate repair, Goldenhar syndrome treatment, hemifacial microsomia correction, vascular birthmark removal, and hearing restoration — while donor funds cover anesthesia, operating room fees, travel, and lodging so that patients and their families pay nothing. The foundation manages the full care journey from confidential application review through individualized treatment planning, surgery, and follow-up support until patients reach age 21.

Product overview

Little Baby Face Foundation operates as a single unified charitable medical service rather than a platform with modular products. The foundation provides comprehensive reconstructive surgery and medical care for children with congenital facial, craniofacial, and ear birth defects. Services include treatment for conditions such as microtia, cleft lip/palate, Goldenhar syndrome, hemifacial microsomia, Treacher Collins syndrome, vascular birthmarks, hairy nevi, and various other facial deformities. The organization covers the full care journey—from application review and consultation through surgery and post-operative support—with volunteer surgeons donating their time while donor funds cover operating room fees, anesthesia, travel, and lodging. The foundation serves children from initial consultation through age 21 with individualized treatment plans.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Microtia and Atresia Treatment Surgical treatment for underdeveloped or missing ears, including ear reconstruction and hearing restoration for children born with microtia (congenital ear deformities) and aural atresia (absence of ear canals). Services are provided at no cost to accepted patient families through volunteer surgeons and donor funding.
• Hearing Restoration Program Hearing rehabilitation services for children with ear deformities, particularly those affected in both ears with auricular atresia, to prevent developmental challenges associated with early deafness. Includes BAHA Bone Anchored Hearing Aid programming and delivery.
• Cleft Lip and Palate Repair Surgical repair of cleft lip, cleft palate, and facial clefts when parts of the lip, mouth, or face do not fully join during fetal development, addressing feeding, speech, breathing, and appearance for affected children.
• Goldenhar Syndrome Treatment Surgical intervention for this rare congenital condition affecting the development of the face, including underdeveloped ears, jaw, and eye areas, improving appearance, breathing, and hearing.
• Hemifacial Microsomia Treatment Treatment for the condition affecting bone, muscle, fat, and nerves of the face, addressing asymmetry from mild presentation to severe absence of facial structures, the second most common facial deformity.
• Vascular Birthmarks and Hemangioma Treatment Early intervention through corrective surgery for vascular birthmarks classified as hemangiomas or vascular malformations that can lead to severe complications if left untreated.
• Hairy Nevus Treatment Surgical removal and treatment of dark pigmented, hairy patches of skin present at birth, with options ranging from simple excision to multi-stage reconstructive procedures for larger nevi.
• Treacher Collins Syndrome Treatment Comprehensive treatment for this genetic condition affecting facial bone and tissue development, including care for underdeveloped cheekbones, jaw abnormalities, and ear deformities.
• Arteriovenous Malformation Treatment Surgical treatment for tangles of abnormal blood vessels that disrupt normal blood flow and oxygen circulation, often appearing on the face or scalp.
• Nasal Atresia Treatment Treatment for congenital blockage of nasal passages causing breathing difficulties in infants and children.
• Facial Atrophy Treatment Treatment for conditions where facial tissues progressively shrink, leading to asymmetry and functional challenges.
• Nasal Clefts Treatment Surgical repair for congenital separations in the structure of the nose, affecting appearance and sometimes breathing functionality.
• Facial Tumors Treatment Surgical removal of abnormal growths on the face that can be benign or malignant, addressing both health and aesthetic concerns.
• Comprehensive Patient Care Program End-to-end medical care from initial consultation through post-surgical support, including application review, personalized treatment planning, and ongoing follow-up care until patients reach 21 years of age. Includes travel and lodging coordination for families traveling to New York City for treatment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 700+ surgeries performed and 550+ lives changed since 2002
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and key.

• Ronald McDonald House CharitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily lodging support partnership that helps reduce the burden of travel when a child needs specialized medical care away from home. Through this partnership, families whose children are accepted for care may receive lodging for a parent/caregiver at Ronald McDonald House, allowing families to stay close during treatment and recovery without the added stress of finding or affording accommodations.
• Lenox Hill HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor New York City hospital where Dr. Thomas Romo serves as Director of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. State-of-the-art surgical facilities where children receive life-changing reconstructive procedures.
• Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital (MEETH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialty hospital in New York City where Dr. Thomas Romo serves as Director of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, providing additional surgical facility partnership for pediatric reconstructive care.
• Dr. William RhodeskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerSurgeon who received the ACS/Pfizer Surgical Volunteerism Award at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress. Has spent decades providing surgical care in communities where access to specialized treatment is limited. Connected with LBFF through medical conferences and reached out regarding a child at a refugee camp who urgently needed hearing support, leading to the BAHA Mission partnership.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Smile Train: Largest cleft-focused charity globally; provides free cleft lip and palate surgery in low- and middle-income countries. Directly comparable to LBFF as a nonprofit funding pediatric facial reconstructive surgery for underserved children, with a much larger global footprint.
• Global Smile Foundation: Nonprofit providing free cleft and craniofacial surgical care to underserved patients, with missions in Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. Comparable volunteer-surgeon model and pediatric facial reconstruction focus.
• ReSurge International: Formerly Interplast, this nonprofit provides reconstructive surgery in low-income countries and trains local surgeons. Comparable volunteer-driven, surgical-care-for-the-underserved model with broader reconstructive scope.
• Operation Smile: Volunteer medical nonprofit providing free cleft lip and palate surgeries worldwide. Comparable mission, volunteer-surgeon model, and treatment of congenital facial conditions in children.
• myFace: National nonprofit supporting individuals with facial differences, including craniofacial conditions. Comparable patient base, New York origins, and comprehensive care model (medical, psychosocial, financial support).
• Children's Craniofacial Association: Nonprofit serving children with craniofacial conditions and their families through support, resources, and connections to medical care. Comparable population and family-centered service model.

Broad incumbents

• Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders: Large-scale medical humanitarian organization with volunteer clinicians delivering care in underserved regions. Comparable volunteer-doctor, donation-funded model but with much broader medical scope.

Emerging players

• Face the Future: Smaller nonprofit supporting children with facial differences through surgical and psychosocial care. Comparable niche mission but with narrower funding base and footprint than LBFF.

Regional players

• AboutFace International: Canadian-based charity supporting people with facial differences, with similar patient advocacy and information resources. Comparable patient population but primarily serves Canada rather than the US/global mix that LBFF addresses.

Others

• Surgical Volunteers International: Volunteer-surgery nonprofit ecosystem support organization. Comparable reliance on volunteer surgeons and donation-funded care, though broader in surgical specialty than LBFF's facial reconstruction focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/little-baby-face-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Little Baby Face Foundation