One World Surgery

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
475128573
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Birmingham, AL, USA
Phone
8472673539
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
International Relief

Reported finances

Revenue
$11,067,569
Expenses
$10,404,096
Assets
$19,504,969
Liabilities
$917,395

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

14 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CLAIRE CUNNINGHAM (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)

Highest reported compensation

  • CLAIRE CUNNINGHAM (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $256,914 total reported compensation
  • KATHERINE ROVANI (CHIEF FINANCIAL AND ADMINI): $198,348 total reported compensation
  • TIFFANY HEALEY (DIRECTOR OF CLINICAL OPERA): $160,534 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

One world surgery's mission is to ignite the spirit of service and transform lives by providing access to high-quality surgical care globally.

What it reported doing in 2024

Ows's approach emphasizes local partnerships, with our staff in honduras and the dominican republic leading the surgery centers while volunteers contribute essential capacity, education, and specialty services. This model ensures continuity of care for our patients, which is crucial for achieving successful long-term health outcomes and fostering resilience in the communities we serve. In 2024, we hosted 1,425 volunteers (902 new and 523 returning) across 52 medical missions (34 in honduras and 18 in the dominican republic). Volunteers contributed 57,000 hours of service, enabling us to provide surgeries, consultations, and vital education that strengthen local health systems.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 91% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 74
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 57
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 76.8%; rating input score 77
  • Program expense ratio: 81.2%; rating input score 81
  • Fundraising efficiency: $10.09 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 6%; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.87; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.6%; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 24.6% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 20.1% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 23.8% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 76.8% of revenue deployed · 81.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 8 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $8.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $257K · 14 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 36 of 36 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 8 filing years from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 6 filed money-flow records
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 39/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 57/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 59/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 22/100.