Fundación Operación Sonrisa Ecuador

What Fundación Operación Sonrisa Ecuador does

Fundación Operación Sonrisa Ecuador is a nonprofit healthcare foundation founded in 1995 and headquartered in Quito, Ecuador, that provides free reconstructive surgery and comprehensive medical care to children, adolescents, and young adults with cleft lip and palate conditions (FLAP - Fisuras Labio Alveolo Palatinas) from vulnerable socioeconomic backgrounds. It is an autonomous country affiliate of the global Operation Smile network, which has 40+ years of international presence and has treated over 326,000 patients worldwide. Over its 30-year history, the foundation has performed nearly 30,000 surgical procedures, provided over 200,000 specialty medical consultations, and delivered more than $25 million USD in community value.

The foundation's core service portfolio comprises the year-round Centro de Atención Integral FLAP-FOSE in Quito (opened 2016) offering specialty consultations in surgery, anesthesia, pediatrics, nursing, dentistry, orthodontics, speech therapy, and psychology; mobile Surgical Programs (Programas Quirúrgicos) conducted across multiple Ecuadorian cities; Non-Surgical Programs covering nutrition, dental health, psychology, and speech therapy; and Education/Volunteering Programs. In May 2026 it launched the Centro de Simulación Clínico Quirúrgico, a clinical-surgical simulation center with pediatric cleft manikins, and in 2026 it co-developed the Surgical Educator Accelerator LAC with Universidad San Francisco de Quito, extending surgical education to 10 Latin American countries. The revenue model is entirely donation-based: 2021 donations were $421,278 USD, up from $297,354 in 2020, with all medical services provided free to patients. Service delivery is enabled through a 49-person staff supplemented by 100+ active medical and non-medical volunteers, 300+ student volunteers, and partnerships with the IESS government hospital network, private clinics, and 15+ universities and schools.

Name

Fundación Operación Sonrisa Ecuador

Legal name

Fundación Operación Sonrisa Ecuador

Website

https://operacionsonrisa.org.ec

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fundación Operación Sonrisa Ecuador is a Quito-based nonprofit founded in 1995 that provides free reconstructive surgery and integral medical care to children and youth with cleft lip and palate conditions across Ecuador, funded entirely through donations and operated under the global Operation Smile network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Cleft Lip and Palate Surgical Care

NAICS

Offices of Physicians (6211), Offices of Dentists (6212)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-General Medical & Surgical Hospitals, Nec (8062)

akta.pro primary industry

Cleft Lip/Palate & Craniofacial Surgery (HLABAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Comprehensive Orthodontic Clinics (HLABABAA), Mobile/School-Based Pediatric Dental Clinics (HLABAGAK)

Keywords

• Cleft palate surgery
• Reconstructive surgery services
• Pediatric medical care
• Specialty medical consultations
• Nonprofit healthcare services

Headquarters

HQ city

Quito

HQ country

Ecuador

HQ region

Latin America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Fundación operates as a nonprofit organization relying entirely on donations from individuals, corporations, and institutional sponsors to fund surgical programs, facility operations, and volunteer activities. All medical services are provided completely free of charge to patients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Fundación Operación Sonrisa Ecuador provides free reconstructive surgery and comprehensive medical care (pediatrics, nursing, plastic surgery, anesthesiology, dentistry, orthodontics, speech therapy, psychology, and nutrition) for children and young people with cleft lip and palate in vulnerable situations. Services are delivered at the year-round Centro de Atención Integral FLAP-FOSE in Quito and through mobile surgical programs (misiones) conducted at partner public hospitals in cities across Ecuador, with all care provided at no cost to patients.

Product overview

Fundación Operación Sonrisa Ecuador is a nonprofit healthcare organization operating since 1995 that provides integral care to patients with cleft lip and palate (FLAP — Fisuras Labio Alveolo Palatinas). Its portfolio consists of the Centro de Atención Integral FLAP-FOSE as the year-round core service hub offering specialty consultations, complemented by mobile Surgical Programs (Programas Quirúrgicos) conducted nationally and as permanent programs in Quito, Loja, and Guayaquil, as well as Non-Surgical Programs covering nutrition, dental care, psychology, and speech therapy. Supporting these clinical services are Education and Teaching Programs, the new Centro de Simulación Clínico Quirúrgico for hands-on medical training, the Surgical Educator Accelerator LAC regional program, the Smile Games and Club Estudiantil volunteer engagement programs, and the Apoya a nuestra causa donation platform. The organization operates under the Operation Smile global network and partners with Ecuadorian public hospitals (IESS) and universities for clinical and educational delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Centro de Atención Integral FLAP-FOSE Year-round integral specialty care center in Quito (Juan Larrea N14-46 y Checa) offering consultations in pediatrics, nursing, plastic surgery, anesthesiology, dentistry, orthodontics, speech therapy, and psychology for patients with cleft lip and palate, provided completely free of charge.
• Programas Quirúrgicos (Surgical Programs) Mobile reconstructive surgical programs that repair cleft lip and palate conditions, improving patients' ability to eat, breathe, and speak. Programs are conducted as national surgical missions across multiple Ecuadorian cities and as permanent programs in Quito, Loja, and Guayaquil.
• Programas No Quirúrgicos (Non-Surgical Programs)

Quantifiable outcome

• 200,000+ specialty consultations provided since 1995
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Universidad San Francisco de QuitocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 March 2026Alliance for Surgical Educator Accelerator LAC program, combining academic excellence with clinical practice. The university hosted the regional program bringing together surgical educators from 10 Latin American countries.
• Operation Smile InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 March 2026Parent international organization with 40+ years of experience and presence in 36 countries. Provides global standards, training programs, research initiatives, and support for national foundations. Committed to transforming 1 million lives over 10 years.
• Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 May 2025Strategic partner for Chapter Austro region, providing academic support and hosting training programs for nursing students and healthcare professionals in southern Ecuador.
• Universidad Nacional de Loja (UNL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 May 2025Partner university in southern Ecuador collaborating on healthcare education and patient care initiatives.
• Clínica San José (Loja)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 May 2025Private clinic providing medical resources and facilities for patient care in the southern region of Ecuador.
• Clínica Medilab (Loja)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 May 2025Medical laboratory partner providing diagnostic services for patients in the Loja region.
• Laboratorio CEDIMEDIC (Loja)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 May 2025Laboratory partner providing medical testing services for surgical program patients.
• Humanity S.A.S. (Loja)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 May 2025Corporate partner contributing to healthcare initiatives in southern Ecuador.
• Fundación Fabián PonceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Foundation providing specialized psychological training for volunteers and staff.
• Universidad Católica del EcuadormajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025University providing specialized training sessions for psychology volunteers in cleft care.
• CONAGOPAREmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025National council of provincial governments contributing to surgical program coordination.
• Hospital General Docente de CalderóncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Host hospital for 30th anniversary surgical mission and ongoing surgical programs.
• Hospital Velasco Ibarra (Tena)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Rural hospital where patients are born and initially receive care before referral to foundation programs.
• Instituto Ecuatoriano de Seguridad Social (IESS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Government social security institute providing hospital facilities and staff for surgical missions across Ecuador including hospitals in Quito Sur, Manta, Los Ceibos (Guayaquil), and Babahoyo.
• Colegio AmericanomajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Educational institution with active student volunteer club supporting foundation activities and fundraising.
• Colegio Liceo InternacionalmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Host school for Smile Games events with active student volunteer club.
• Colegio Tomás MoromajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Educational institution with student volunteer club and host of Smile Games 2026.
• Colegio MenormajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Educational institution with active student volunteer club.
• Universidad San Francisco de QuitomajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022University with student volunteer club supporting foundation programs.
• Universidad Internacional del EcuadormajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022University with student volunteer club supporting foundation programs.
• Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022University with student volunteer club and hosting regional training events including anesthesia training.
• Colegio José EnglingminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Educational institution with student volunteer club.
• Colegio APCHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Educational institution with student volunteer club.
• Colegio CervantesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Educational institution with student volunteer club.
• Colegio Unidad Educativa El PradominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Educational institution with student volunteer club.
• Secretaría Técnica Ecuador Crece Sin Desnutrición InfantilminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Government program supporting nutritional care for children with cleft conditions.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Children's Surgery International: Nonprofit providing free pediatric surgery, including cleft repair, in underserved regions through volunteer missions. Comparable to FOSE in reliance on volunteer medical teams, mission-based delivery model, and focus on training local providers.
• Global Smile Foundation: US-based nonprofit dedicated to cleft care in underserved regions of Latin America and the Middle East. Direct peer given overlapping geographic focus (Latin America) and identical mission of free comprehensive cleft care including surgery, dental, and speech therapy.
• Operation Smile Colombia: Sister Operation Smile foundation in neighboring Colombia providing free cleft lip/palate surgery via mobile missions and specialty centers. Closest geographic analog, sharing the parent network's protocols, training infrastructure, and program design — making it a natural reference for FOSE's operating model and regional expansion strategy.
• ReSurge International: US-based nonprofit providing reconstructive surgical care in low- and middle-income countries, with strong overlap in cleft and craniofacial surgery. Comparable in mission (volunteer-driven surgical missions, training local providers) and donor-funding model, though broader in reconstructive scope than FOSE.
• Medical Mission Network (MMN) / Esperanza International: Faith-based nonprofit network providing free surgical and medical care to children in Latin America including cleft repair. Comparable to FOSE in operating model (volunteer-driven missions, hospital partnerships, pediatric focus), donor structure, and Latin American geographic footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Smile Train: World's largest cleft-focused nonprofit, operating in 90+ countries with a model centered on local-surgeon training and partnerships. Directly comparable to FOSE in mission (free cleft lip/palate surgery for under-served populations) and significantly larger in scale, making it the principal global peer for benchmarking donor positioning, surgical throughput, and partnership models.
• Partners in Health: Large global health nonprofit delivering comprehensive healthcare including surgical services in resource-limited settings. Comparable in nonprofit healthcare delivery model, donor-funding structure, and government-hospital partnerships, though much broader in scope than FOSE.

Others

• Operation Smile International: Parent global organization of the Operation Smile network covering 36 countries with 40+ years of experience and 326,000+ patients treated. Functions as both an affiliate relationship and a peer operating in the same cleft-care space globally, sharing governance, training standards, and research initiatives with FOSE.

Regional players

• Changing Faces Foundation (Fundación Cambiando Caras): Latin American nonprofit focused on cleft lip and palate care for under-served children in the region. Comparable to FOSE in target population, mission, and service delivery model, providing a regional peer for benchmarking outreach and outcomes.
• Operation Smile Peru: Peruvian Operation Smile foundation serving as a regional peer in cleft care delivery across Andean Latin America. Comparable in size, mission, and donor-base profiles, providing a useful benchmark for cross-country program scaling and government-hospital partnership structuring.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/OperacionSonrisaEc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/operacionsonrisaec
• Instagraminstagram.com/operacionsonrisaec

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Fundación Operación Sonrisa Ecuador