SURGICAL VOLUNTEERS INTERNATIONAL

What SURGICAL VOLUNTEERS INTERNATIONAL does

Surgical Volunteers International (SVI) is a 100% volunteer-based nonprofit organization founded in 2007 by Tom Flood and headquartered in Houston, Texas (with the firm's listed location in Tucson, Arizona). SVI recruits highly skilled medical professionals — surgeons, anesthesiologists, CRNAs, nurses, and OR technicians — who donate their time to travel to developing countries and deliver free surgical care to underserved populations, primarily children. Since its founding, SVI has completed 56 surgical missions and treated over 2,500 patients across 12+ countries including Egypt, Vietnam, Guatemala, Colombia, Morocco, India, Haiti, Panama, Nicaragua, Cambodia, Mongolia, and Brazil. The organization has no paid employees or board members, and 100% of donations are stated to flow directly to mission operations.

SVI's core service portfolio spans seven surgical specialties — pediatric craniofacial procedures (including cleft lip and palate repair), pediatric surgery, hand deformities and rehabilitation, urologic procedures, burn reconstruction, gynecology, and dental care — complemented by support programs such as Operation Backpack (educational supplies for orphans), the Casa del Campesino patient lodging facility in Panama, and a dialysis supplies donation program. The organization also trains local medical professionals in host countries to build sustainable surgical capacity. Strategic partnerships with entities including the Lions Club of Penonomé, Prescribing Life Foundation, Sunrise 4 Hope Foundation, Colce Panama, MAP International, and Integra provide on-the-ground logistics, medical supplies, and patient referrals.

SVI operates a donation-based revenue model with no commercial revenue streams. Donations are accepted in tiers ranging from $10 to $500 plus custom amounts, processed primarily via PayPal. The organization's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: it recruits volunteers through an application process reviewed twice monthly and conducts periodic surgical missions that last the full mission duration. Marketing is conducted through the organization website, Facebook, Instagram, and email newsletters. Leadership includes a Chief Executive Officer (Julie Nguyen), Chief Medical Director (Jamal Bullocks MD FACS), Executive Medical Director (Cara Downey MD FACS), and directors overseeing business operations, anesthesiology, and clinical operations.

Name

SURGICAL VOLUNTEERS INTERNATIONAL

Legal name

Surgical Volunteers International

Website

https://surgicalvolunteers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Surgical Volunteers International is a 100% volunteer-based nonprofit founded in 2007 that recruits skilled medical professionals to deliver free surgical care and training to underserved populations, primarily children, across 12+ developing countries through periodic international missions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Surgical Services

NAICS

Offices of Physicians (62111)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Health & Medical Volunteering Programs (EDAIAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Women’s & Children’s Surgical Care Centers (HLAFAJAM)

Keywords

• Volunteer surgical missions
• International medical missions
• Pediatric reconstructive surgery
• Humanitarian healthcare nonprofit
• Burn reconstruction surgery

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: SVI operates entirely on charitable donations. 100% of donations go directly to funding mission trips and patient care. No paid employees or board members ensure maximum efficiency of donated funds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Surgical Volunteers International recruits highly skilled volunteer medical professionals (surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, CRNAs, OR techs) to travel to developing countries and deliver free surgical care to children and adults through short-term mission trips. Its core offerings are surgical service lines covering pediatric craniofacial procedures (cleft lip/palate), general pediatric surgery, hand deformities and rehabilitation, urologic procedures, burn reconstruction, gynecology, and dental care, supplemented by training of local medical professionals, an Operation Backpack program for orphans, and a Casa del Campesino lodging facility in Panama.

Product overview

Surgical Volunteers International is a 100% volunteer-based nonprofit organization founded in 2007 that operates a portfolio of surgical service programs and support initiatives. The core offering consists of surgical mission trips providing free medical procedures to children and adults in developing countries. The service portfolio includes: Pediatric Craniofacial Procedures (cleft lip/palate), Pediatric Surgeries, Hand Deformities and Rehabilitation, Urologic Procedures, Burn Reconstruction, Gynecology Services, and Dental Care. These medical services are delivered through international surgical missions conducted in countries including Egypt, Vietnam, Guatemala, Colombia, Morocco, India, Haiti, Mongolia, Brazil, Nicaragua, Cambodia, and Panama. The organization also supports patients through the Operation Backpack program for orphans, Casa del Campesino accommodation facility in Panama, and dialysis supplies donation program for renal disease patients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pediatric Craniofacial Procedures Surgical procedures addressing congenital or acquired craniofacial conditions in children, including cleft lip and palate repair, delivered through volunteer medical missions to developing countries.
• Pediatric Surgeries General surgical interventions for children addressing various medical conditions to improve health outcomes and quality of life, provided free of charge during international surgical missions.
• Hand Deformities and Rehabilitation Surgical correction and rehabilitation services for hand deformities, helping patients regain function and mobility during volunteer surgical missions.
• Urologic Procedures Surgical treatments for urological conditions affecting children and adults in underserved communities, delivered as part of international surgical missions.
• Burn Reconstruction Surgical reconstruction procedures for burn victims, including skin grafts and rehabilitation support, delivered through volunteer missions to developing countries.
• Gynecology Services Women's health assessments, examinations, surgeries, and education addressing gynecological issues in developing countries since 2007, covering maternal mortality, infections, and corrective procedures.
• Dental Care Dental treatment and oral hygiene education services provided in developing countries since 2007, addressing periodontal disease, tooth loss, and oral disease prevention in Vietnam, Guatemala, Haiti, and Egypt.
• Operation Backpack Program Charitable program providing backpacks and educational supplies to orphans and children in underserved communities served by SVI surgical missions.
• Casa del Campesino Lodging Facility Expanded sanctuary facility in Penonomé, Panama providing safe, dignified lodging for patients and families traveling from remote and indigenous regions to receive surgical care from SVI.
• Dialysis Supplies Donation Program Donation of vital dialysis supplies to aid individuals with limited resources in accessing crucial treatment at Hospital Aquilino Tejeira in Penonome, Panama, in partnership with Prescribing Life Foundation and Sunrise 4 Hope Foundation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 56 surgical missions completed since 2007
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, regional and minor.

• Lions Club of PenonomécoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrusted local partner in Panama working with SVI on the Casa del Campesino expansion project. This partnership supports the regional 'home away from home' facility providing safe, dignified lodging for patients and families traveling from remote regions for surgical care.
• Prescribing Life FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for dialysis supplies donation to aid individuals with limited resources in accessing treatment at Hospital Aquilino Tejeira in Penonome, Panama. Also partnered on supporting indigenous communities in Guaviare, Colombia.
• Sunrise 4 Hope FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with SVI and Prescribing Life Foundation to support patients battling Stage 5 end stage renal disease in Panama.
• Colce PanamamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional Medical Director and medical team of Colce Panama collaborate with SVI on dialysis and medical equipment initiatives in Panama.
• Let Them Smile AgainmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership focused on supporting indigenous communities, orphans, and less privileged youth in Guaviare, Colombia. Joint initiative with Prescribing Life Foundation and the office of the Governor of Guaviare.
• Governor of Guaviare (Heydeer Palacio)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerOffice of the Governor of Guaviare partners with SVI on community support initiatives in Colombia, focusing on indigenous populations and orphans.
• MAP InternationalmajorOthersMAP International provided medical supplies that enabled SVI to repair Zyad's cleft palate. Supports surgical missions with essential medical materials.
• Integra (donated product)majorOthersIntegra company donated skin regeneration product (Integra) for burn treatment of patient Duc in Vietnam. Critical product that family could not afford.
• Shriners Hospital for Children (Boston)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShriners in Boston Massachusetts initially accepted patient Duc for treatment. Due to visa difficulties, treatment was arranged in Vietnam instead.
• Dr. Thanh-Nga Tran (Harvard University)minorOthersPhysician at Harvard University who connected Thao Vo with Mr. Tom Flood to arrange burn treatment for patient Duc in Vietnam.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mercy Ships: Mercy Ships operates hospital ships delivering free surgical care to underserved populations, overlapping with SVI's surgical-mission model and developing-country patient base, though using a different delivery platform.
• Smile Train: Smile Train funds and supports cleft surgeries globally through a partner-network model with local hospitals; comparable to SVI in patient focus (children with cleft conditions) and developing-country footprint.
• ReSurge International: ReSurge International sends volunteer reconstructive surgeons to developing countries to treat burns, clefts, and hand deformities — directly mirroring SVI's specialty mix and mission-based volunteer deployment.
• Children's Surgery International: Children's Surgery International organizes volunteer pediatric surgical teams to underserved countries — highly comparable to SVI in pediatric surgery focus, volunteer model, and developing-country mission footprint.
• Operation Smile: Operation Smile provides free cleft lip and palate surgeries to children in developing countries through volunteer medical missions — directly overlapping SVI's core pediatric craniofacial mission and volunteer-driven delivery model.
• Interplast (Reconstructive Surgery Foundation): Interplast sends volunteer plastic and reconstructive surgeons to developing countries for cleft, burn, and hand surgeries — directly overlapping SVI's reconstructive surgical specialties and volunteer mission structure.

Others

• MAP International: MAP International is a medical supply donor and humanitarian health partner that supports organizations like SVI with donated medicines and supplies; relevant as an upstream ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• CURE International: CURE International operates specialty pediatric surgical hospitals in developing countries; broader and more capital-intensive than SVI but addresses overlapping conditions (orthopedic, reconstructive surgery for children).
• Project HOPE: Project HOPE delivers health services and trains local health workers in low-resource countries; broader than SVI but comparable in training-the-trainer model and international volunteer deployment for underserved populations.
• Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF): MSF is a much larger medical humanitarian organization deploying volunteer clinicians to conflict and low-resource settings; comparable in volunteer-driven medical mission delivery, though broader in scope (not surgery-only).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SurgicalVolunteersInternational
• Instagraminstagram.com/surgicalvolunteers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/surgical-volunteers-international

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 SURGICAL VOLUNTEERS INTERNATIONAL