Mending Kids International
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Providing critical surgical care to children around the world while advancing education and training towards medical sufficiency in their communities.
- Income
- $1.7 million
- Spending
- $1.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 84%
- Reserves
- 8.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 80%
- Employees
- 7
- Volunteers
- 250
- Highest pay
- $125,318, executive dir.
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
Good: 72 out of 100.
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 8.7 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 5% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 5% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 22% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1584% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 14 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
Strong: 100 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 2514 of 14 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a 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.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or 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 (3)
- $1.4 million spent. Overseas Surgical Missions - Volunteer surgical teams are deployed throughout the world via our Overseas Surgical Missions program to provide quality surgical care, train surgical providers, advance surgical knowledge and information translation, and foster local capacity building and self-sustainment. $1,820,047 worth of in-kind donations including volunteer medical team service hours, surgical equipment rentals, and medical supplies were donated and used on Overseas Surgical Mission trips.
- $133,020 spent. Individual Surgical Care - Our Individual Surgical Care (ISC) program allows children to travel with a family member to trusted partner hospitals in India, Israel, Canada, or the United States to receive complex surgical care they could never receive in their home countries.ISC U.S. targets children with greater surgical needs who require more complex care. The identified children are then flown to the United States for surgery. Throughout their stay, they are nurtured and cared for by a local and loving host family. $56,980 worth of in-kind donations including hospital discounts and airfare for patients and families were donated and used in ISC U.S. and ISC International programs.
- $2,230 spent. U.S. Hometown Missions - Our expanding U.S. Hometown Missions across the nation provide free surgeries to kids from underserved communities and those who have been denied coverage from the government and/or their private insurance companies. In 2019, we initiated our new program Mend U.S., an expansion of our Hometown Mission program that allows qualifying patients across the United States to have year-round access and assistance to outpatient surgeries.
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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since August 1993.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 21, 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.