Operation Smile Canada is a 3-star charity with average demonstrated impact. It has a B+ results reporting grade, which is above average. Its funding reserves are within Ci’s reasonable range and can cover seven months of annual program costs. For every dollar donated to Operation Smile Canada, 54 cents are available to go to the cause, which is outside Ci’s reasonable range.

Operation Smile Canada (OSC) raises funds to support cleft care and safe surgery in low- and middle-income countries. It supports the work of Operation Smile, an international nonprofit that operates in 37 countries. OSC was founded in 2011, while Operation Smile was founded in 1982. The charity reports that a child is born with a cleft condition every three minutes, or in about one of every 500 to 750 births. Children born with cleft conditions in low-income countries often have limited access to trained surgeons, hospitals, and follow-up care. Families may also face long travel distances and treatment costs. Without treatment, they can have difficulty eating, speaking, hearing, and attending school. The charity provides surgery and follow-up care, including speech therapy, nutrition, dentistry, and psychological services.

OSC’s programs include Comprehensive Care, Surgical Programs, and Training and Education/Research. Operation Smile Canada spent $12.1m on programs in F2025. This includes $10.7m in international program costs and $1.3m in program expenses related to operations.

Comprehensive Care represented 48% ($5.2m) of international program spending in F2025. The program funds care centres that provide treatment before and after surgery. Services include speech therapy, nutrition, oral health, psychology, social work, audiology, and ear, nose and throat care. In F2025, 59,254 patients received Comprehensive Care at 13 Canadian-funded care centres. These centres also conducted 202,266 consultations to support ongoing patient treatment and follow-up care. Ci calculated that, based on Comprehensive Care program costs and overhead allocated on a pro rata basis, OSC spent $164 per patient served and $48 per consultation provided in F2025.

Surgical Programs accounted for 43% ($4.6m) of F2025 international program spending. It funds surgical care for people born with cleft conditions. Operation Smile Canada supported 124 surgical programs in F2025. The charity also funded consultations before and after surgery, including 9,895 pediatric consultations, 5,453 anesthesiology consultations, and 3,660 post-operative care consultations. Ci calcualted that, based on Surgical program costs and overhead allocated on a pro rata basis, OSC spent $2,332 per surgery in F2025.

Training and Education/Research represented $966k or 9% of international program spending in F2025. The program trains healthcare workers to provide cleft care and safe surgery in their communities through the 84 education programs it funds. In F2025, OSC supported 31,218 medical trainees, and hosted workshops attended by 9,490 people.

OSC’s audited financial statements follow activity-based costing which is a best practice. This means its expenses are clearly defined between program, administrative, and fundraising categories.

Operation Smile Canada had total revenues of $22.4m in F2025. It received $20.3m in Canadian donations, equal to 91% of its revenue and $1.8m in international donations, or 8% of its revenue.

The charity spent $10.7m on its international programs, accounting for 48% of its revenue, and $1.3m (6% of revenue) on program expenses, included in Canadian program costs. OSC recorded a surplus of $835k in F2025.

Administrative costs were $1.9m, representing 9% of revenue. OSC reported $7.6m in fundraising costs in F2025, representing 37% of donations. Total overhead spending was 46%. For every dollar donated to Operation Smile Canada, 54 cents are available to go to the cause. This is outside Ci’s reasonable range, as the charity has been for the past thirteen years.

OSC held $7.1m in reserve funds (cash and investments) in F2025. These reserves can cover seven months of annual program costs. This is within Ci’s reasonable range.

Operation Smile Canada uses external fundraisers, as reported on its T3010 filing with the CRA. In F2025, OSC paid the fundraisers $1.3m to collect $2.1m in donations. This equates to a cost of 61 cents to raise one dollar using external fundraisers. It is likely more cost efficient to donate to the charity directly.

This is a charity update that has been sent to Operation Smile Canada by Neela Jalilian on June 16, 2026. 

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