Crystal Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
TO PROVIDE MEDICAL HELP TO THOSE OTHERWISE WITHOUT ACCESS, MAINLY CHILDREN.
- Income
- $366,590
- Spending
- $316,679
- Spent on programs
- 98%
- Reserves
- 0.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 44
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 54 out of 100. Higher than 19% of charities in its peer group (health care, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.2 months of spending.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 68% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 14% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 179% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1597% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Weak: 41 out of 100. Higher than 9% of charities in its peer group (health care, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
18 of 254 of 4 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15Reports no written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Independent check of accounts
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
0 of 10Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (2)
- $308,738 spent. CRYSTAL FOUNDATION PROVIDES RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY PRIMARILY FOR CHILDREN SUFFERING FROM VARIOUS CONGENITAL DEFORMITIES IN MEXICO WHO OTHERWISE HAVE NO ACCESS TO THIS TYPE OF MEDICAL CARE. DURING THE PAST 17 YEARS, DR. YARISH AND HIS MEDICAL TEAM HAVE MADE AROUND 36 MISSION TRIPS TO RURAL MEXICO TO PERFORM LIFE-CHANGING SURGERY FOR CHILDREN. THEY TYPICALLY PERFORM OVER 50 SURGERIES EACH TRIP AND WORK UP TO 20 HOURS A DAY. CLEFT LIP AND PALATE ANOMALIES HAVE ROBBED THEIR YOUNG PATIENTS OF THE CHANCE TO SMILE, WHISTLE, OR HAVE THEIR WORDS UNDERSTOOD. THESE CONGENITAL ANOMALIES ARE PARTICULARLY COMMON IN THE MOUNTAINOUS, AND RURAL AREAS OF MEXICO. ....SEE 990 PAGE 14 FOOTNOTE FOR ADDITIONAL INFO.
- -CONTINUED FROM PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOUNDED BY DR YARISH, THE CRYSTAL FOUNDATION IS DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE LIVES OF CHILDREN THROUGH SURGICAL INTERVENTION. THEIR HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS SPOTLIGHT THE FOUNDATION'S COMMITMENT TO UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS, WITH THEIR EFFORTS IS FOCUSED ON THE CLINIC THAT DR. YARISH STARTED IN GUERRERO, MEXICO IN 1989. THE CLINIC PROVIDES STATE-OF-THE-ART RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY FOR CHILDREN SUFFERING FROM CONGENITAL DEFORMITIES SUCH AS CLEFT LIPS, CLEFT PALATES, CONGENITAL HAND ANOMALIES, AS WELL AS BURN INJURIES. WITH MODERN SURGICAL TECHNIQUES, THE CRYSTAL FOUNDATION TEAM REPAIR AND RESTORE THE LIVES OF THESE CHILDREN, THE MIRACLE THEIR PARENTS SEEK AND COULD NEVER FIND, LET ALONE AFFORD. THE DEDICATED TEAM IS RECENTLY ABLE, WITHIN THE LAST FEW YEARS, TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION FOR MOST PATIENTS WHO LIVE IN THE RURAL REGIONS OF THE AREA SURROUNDING THE CLINIC. IN 2024, THE ORGANIZATION RECEIVED A LARGE GRANT FROM THE WEBER FOUNDATION, ALLOWING THEM TO PURCHASE ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT TO SUPPORT THE CLINIC'S OPERATIONS AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF CARE FOR THOSE SERVED. WITH THESE FUNDS, THEY WERE ABLE TO PURCHASE TWO 21-PASSENGER VANS, TWO ANESTHESIA MACHINES, AND THREE ANESTHESIA MONITORS. THE ADDITIONAL VEHICLES ENABLED THEM TO TRAVEL TO FURTHER TOWNS AND EXPAND THEIR AREA OF PEOPLE HELPED. THESE ITEMS WERE DONATED TO A MEXICO CHARITY THEY WORK WITH THAT ALLOWS THEM TO USE THE EQUIPMENT DURING THESE TRIPS AND WHENEVER NEEDED. DURING THE PAST 17 YEARS, DR. YARISH AND HIS MEDICAL TEAM HAVE MADE AROUND 36 MISSION TRIPS TO RURAL MEXICO TO PERFORM LIFE-CHANGING SURGERY FOR CHILDREN. THEY TYPICALLY PERFORM OVER 50 SURGERIES EACH TRIP AND WORK UP TO 20 HOURS A DAY. CLEFT LIP AND PALATE ANOMALIES HAVE ROBBED THEIR YOUNG PATIENTS OF THE CHANCE TO SMILE, WHISTLE, OR HAVE THEIR WORDS UNDERSTOOD. THESE CONGENITAL ANOMALIES ARE PARTICULARLY COMMON IN THE MOUNTAINOUS, AND RURAL AREAS OF MEXICO. THE SURGERY ALLOWS CHILDREN TO BREATHE, SPEAK, HEAR, AND SWALLOW CORRECTLY. THEY'RE SAVED FROM MALNUTRITION AND LIFELONG DISABILITIES. JUST AS PROFOUND, THE OUTWARD RESULTS OF THE SURGERY TRANSLATE INTO SELF-ESTEEM AND PROTECT CHILDREN FROM ISOLATION, EXCLUSION, AND EMBARRASSMENT CAUSED BY THEIR PHYSICAL APPEARANCE. BOTH SURGEONS SAY THEY FEEL LIKE "LIFESAVERS- AND ARE OFTEN OVERWHELMED BY THE OUTPOURING OF EMOTIONS AND TEARS OF JOY FOLLOWING A SUCCESSFUL OPERATION. WHEN THEY STARTED THEIR MISSION TRIPS, CHILDREN WERE OFTEN BROUGHT TO THE CLINIC AND LEFT WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO WAIT WHILE THEIR PARENTS WENT TO WORK. "WE WOULD SOMETIMES FINISH OPERATING LATE AT NIGHT ONLY TO FIND A CHILD WHO HAD BEEN SITTING IN THE WAITING ROOM FOR HOURS," EXPLAINS YARISH. "BUT WE ALWAYS PUT OUR EXHAUSTION ASIDE. IF WE COULD TAKE CARE OF ONE MORE CHILD, WE JUST DID IT."
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since March 1992.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.