Smiles Foundation

What Smiles Foundation does

Smiles Foundation is a charitable nonprofit organization founded in 1987 by Elina Katsman that provides dental care, oral health education, primary health education, food security programs, and vocational training to underserved communities in the Dominican Republic. Operating as a coordinated group of three registered charitable entities in Canada, the United States, and the Dominican Republic, the foundation runs both mobile dental units and permanent clinics with 4-12 chairs each, delivering free dental care to children and affordable care to adults in remote rural and under-serviced urban areas. Over 40 years, the organization reports impacting more than 7.5 million lives, with 6 million+ Dominicans benefiting from dental and educational services; 2024 alone saw 257,123 people impacted, 113,318 patients treated, and 133,549 patients educated.

The foundation's core products include Mobile Dental Operations, Permanent Clinics, Oral Health Education & Supplies, Primary Health Education, the Dental Auxiliary Program (vocational training for dental assistants), and the newer Dental Lab Technician Program. Supporting technology is limited to operational tools: GESDEN Software for patient management and physical clinic infrastructure; no proprietary technology or software platform is disclosed. The business model is entirely donation-driven: services are provided free to children and at affordable rates to adults, with no service revenue. Funding comes from individual donors, corporate partners (Diamond tier: Henry Schein Canada, HSCares Foundation, Tippet, Suddath; Platinum tier: multiple individuals and dental practices), and institutional grants (Ontario Trillium Foundation). Go-to-market is community-led, relying on volunteer engagement from dentists, educators, and support staff across Canada, USA, and globally. The 2024 program portfolio is expanding into food distribution, women empowerment, and elderly support programs, suggesting programmatic diversification beyond core dental services.

Name

Smiles Foundation

Legal name

Smiles Foundation

Website

https://smilesfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Smiles Foundation is a 40-year-old nonprofit operating mobile and permanent dental clinics in the Dominican Republic, providing free dental care to children, affordable care to adults, oral health education, and vocational training, funded entirely through donations across three registered entities in Canada, USA, and the Dominican Republic.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Dental Healthcare Services

NAICS

Offices of Dentists (621210), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Medicaid/Community-Focused DSOs (HLABAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

School/Community-Based Preventive Dental Programs (HLABAHAM), Preventive & Wellness Pediatric Dentistry (Cleanings/Fluoride/Sealants) (HLABAGAA), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Dental care services
• Oral health education
• Community healthcare programs
• Vocational dental training
• Charitable health services

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Smiles Foundation operates as a charitable organization funded entirely through donations from individuals, corporations, and institutional donors. No revenue is generated from services; dental care is provided free to children and at affordable rates to adults in underserved communities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Smiles Foundation is a charitable nonprofit that delivers free pediatric dental care and affordable adult dental care through a network of mobile and permanent clinics in the Dominican Republic. Beyond clinical dental services, the foundation runs oral health and primary health education programs, vocational training (Dental Auxiliary and Dental Lab Technician Programs), and community support initiatives including food distribution and women empowerment programs, all funded entirely by donations.

Product overview

Smiles Foundation operates a comprehensive charitable healthcare ecosystem focused on dental care and community wellness in the Dominican Republic. The organization runs mobile dental operations and permanent clinics (with 4-12 dental chairs each) providing free dental care to children and affordable care to adults. Core programs include Oral Health Education & Supplies, Primary Health Education, Dental Auxiliary Program, and Dental Lab Technician Program. New/upcoming programs include GESDEN Software Patient Management Program, Food & Snacks Distribution (including Ramadan and Udhiya programs), Women Empowerment, Outreach Field Trips, and Snacks for Elderly. The foundation was established by Elina Katsman in 1987.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mobile Dental Operations

Quantifiable outcome

• 257,123 people impacted in 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dental Lifeline Network: U.S.-based nonprofit that coordinates donated dental care for vulnerable populations including the elderly, disabled, and medically fragile. Most directly comparable as a charitable dental-services organization serving underserved patients through a volunteer-provider model.
• Remote Area Medical (RAM): Provides free mobile dental, vision, and medical clinics to underserved and uninsured populations in the U.S. and abroad. Comparable volunteer-driven mobile-clinic model delivering dental care to low-income communities.
• Smile Train: Global nonprofit focused on cleft lip and palate treatment, including dental and orthodontic components. Comparable international nonprofit dental care model, though concentrated in cleft surgery rather than general dentistry.
• Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO): Sends volunteer dental professionals to low-resource countries to provide training and care. Comparable in deploying volunteer dentists internationally and building local capacity through education.
• America's Dentists Care Foundation (ADCF): Operates Mission of Mercy mobile dental clinics delivering free care to underserved communities. Directly comparable operating model using mobile clinics and volunteer dentists to provide free full-spectrum dental treatment.
• Dentistry for All (Dental Aid): Volunteer-driven nonprofit providing free dental care to underserved populations. Comparable charitable dental-services organization relying on volunteer practitioners and donated resources to deliver care.
• International Medical Relief (IMR): Provides mobile dental and medical clinics staffed by volunteers in underserved communities worldwide, including the Caribbean and Latin America. Directly comparable mobile-clinic volunteer model serving low-income populations.

Broad incumbents

• Operation Smile: Large international nonprofit providing free surgeries (including cleft-related dental and oral procedures) across dozens of developing countries. Comparable as a globally scaled volunteer-driven oral-health nonprofit, but broader surgical scope.
• International Medical Corps: Global humanitarian nonprofit delivering health services including oral health in low-resource settings. Comparable as a registered multinational nonprofit delivering health services to underserved populations, though much broader mission.
• Mercy Ships: Operates hospital ships delivering free dental and medical care in developing nations including the Caribbean. Comparable faith-based nonprofit delivering dental care to underserved populations in similar geographies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/smilesfoundationcanada
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smiles-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Smiles Foundation