Comments on: Smile Train http://blog.givewell.org/2009/11/30/smile-train/ Exploring how to get real change for your dollar. Thu, 17 May 2012 07:32:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.7 by: Ridiculous http://blog.givewell.org/2009/11/30/smile-train/#comment-232098 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 04:03:34 +0000 http://blog.givewell.org/2009/11/30/smile-train/#comment-232098 What the hell is the point here ? Jesus , learn how to construct an argument before attacking a charity. This math wouldnt withstand the curiosity of a 5th grader. What the hell is the point here ? Jesus , learn how to construct an argument before attacking a charity. This math wouldnt withstand the curiosity of a 5th grader.

]]> by: Thomas Flood http://blog.givewell.org/2009/11/30/smile-train/#comment-226363 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:38:35 +0000 http://blog.givewell.org/2009/11/30/smile-train/#comment-226363 As the founder and executive Director of of Surgical Volunteers International I found you article on Smile Train misleading concerning my groups use of Smile Train funds. the first part of the article lumps us with the mission groups that spend over $1,000 per patient. Nothing could be further from the truth. We have no paid employees, no office bills, no phone, fax or internet. All that is done from my house and not charged to the charity. We did received a grant of $70,000 from ST. With that grant we did 280 cleft patients and all are documented on Smile Train Express with data and photos. tflood1431@gmail.com As the founder and executive Director of of Surgical Volunteers International I found you article on Smile Train misleading concerning my groups use of Smile Train funds. the first part of the article lumps us with the mission groups that spend over $1,000 per patient. Nothing could be further from the truth.
We have no paid employees, no office bills, no phone, fax or internet. All that is done from my house and not charged to the charity. We did received a grant of $70,000 from ST. With that grant we did 280 cleft patients and all are documented on Smile Train Express with data and photos. tflood1431@gmail.com

]]> by: Elie http://blog.givewell.org/2009/11/30/smile-train/#comment-180979 Tue, 07 Dec 2010 14:15:23 +0000 http://blog.givewell.org/2009/11/30/smile-train/#comment-180979 This post has generated a large number of short comments both from people who support Smile Train (and disagree with our post) and those who don't and comment on use our post as a platform for voicing their disapproval of Smile Train. In general, we are liberal with the comments we let through, only moderating those comments that are obviously spam. We are particularly sensitive to this issue when the topic under discussion is the effectiveness of a particular organization. Because of the number of comments coming through on this old post, we now plan to start moderating comments on this post that don't add new information to the discussion. We're planning to moderate positive comments along the lines of: <blockquote> Check out this blog http://www.loveandwaterinternational.com/2010/01/smile-train.html </blockquote> or <blockquote> i think that smile train is doing an amazing job of letting kids smile again http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2010/09/christie_brinkley_onboard_the_smile_train.php </blockquote> and negative comments along the lines of <blockquote> I'm sorry... but just the appearance of the mailer I received from this MADISON AVE. address, hawking this "charity", completely turned me off.... I have no idea where these people got my address but from experience I assume the cost of just the 1 "mailer" x 200 would pay for their claimed $250.00 per surgery. God only knows the number sent out. The heart breaking pictures & celebrity endorsements pulled at my heart strings... BUT I say BS. </blockquote> This post has generated a large number of short comments both from people who support Smile Train (and disagree with our post) and those who don’t and comment on use our post as a platform for voicing their disapproval of Smile Train.

In general, we are liberal with the comments we let through, only moderating those comments that are obviously spam. We are particularly sensitive to this issue when the topic under discussion is the effectiveness of a particular organization. Because of the number of comments coming through on this old post, we now plan to start moderating comments on this post that don’t add new information to the discussion.

We’re planning to moderate positive comments along the lines of:

Check out this blog http://www.loveandwaterinternational.com/2010/01/smile-train.html

or

i think that smile train is doing an amazing job of letting kids smile again

http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2010/09/christie_brinkley_onboard_the_smile_train.php

and negative comments along the lines of

I’m sorry… but just the appearance of the mailer I received from this MADISON AVE. address, hawking this “charity”, completely turned me off…. I have no idea where these people got my address but from experience I assume the cost of just the 1 “mailer” x 200 would pay for their claimed $250.00 per surgery. God only knows the number sent out. The heart breaking pictures & celebrity endorsements pulled at my heart strings… BUT I say BS.

]]> by: Holden http://blog.givewell.org/2009/11/30/smile-train/#comment-177089 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 13:55:34 +0000 http://blog.givewell.org/2009/11/30/smile-train/#comment-177089 Rebecca, our top recommendation in this cause is currently Interplast - see our <a href="http://www.givewell.org/international/health/surgery" rel="nofollow">surgery page</a> - though if you're just looking to help people as much as possible we recommend our <a href="http://www.givewell.org/charities/top-charities" rel="nofollow">top charities</a>. Rebecca, our top recommendation in this cause is currently Interplast - see our surgery page - though if you’re just looking to help people as much as possible we recommend our top charities.

]]> by: Rebecca http://blog.givewell.org/2009/11/30/smile-train/#comment-176478 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 07:34:19 +0000 http://blog.givewell.org/2009/11/30/smile-train/#comment-176478 So, if you wanna help these kids and smile train might be shady/ineffectual-in a sense-what do you do? So, if you wanna help these kids and smile train might be shady/ineffectual-in a sense-what do you do?

]]> by: john http://blog.givewell.org/2009/11/30/smile-train/#comment-171650 Wed, 03 Nov 2010 18:37:31 +0000 http://blog.givewell.org/2009/11/30/smile-train/#comment-171650 i think that smile train is doing an amazing job of letting kids smile again http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2010/09/christie_brinkley_onboard_the_smile_train.php i think that smile train is doing an amazing job of letting kids smile again

http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2010/09/christie_brinkley_onboard_the_smile_train.php

]]> by: Gabby Smith http://blog.givewell.org/2009/11/30/smile-train/#comment-169545 Tue, 26 Oct 2010 00:59:58 +0000 http://blog.givewell.org/2009/11/30/smile-train/#comment-169545 Check out this blog http://www.loveandwaterinternational.com/2010/01/smile-train.html Check out this blog http://www.loveandwaterinternational.com/2010/01/smile-train.html

]]> by: Natalie http://blog.givewell.org/2009/11/30/smile-train/#comment-164665 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 07:11:49 +0000 http://blog.givewell.org/2009/11/30/smile-train/#comment-164665 Goatero, according to Smile Train's website, it <a href="http://medpro.smiletrain.org/medpro/partners/worldwide.htm" rel="nofollow">works in 78 countries</a>, many of which are located outside of Africa. Together these countries are home to about 5.5 billion people with about 111 million births per year (data from the World Bank for 2008; details in <a href="http://www.givewell.org/files/DWDA 2009/SmileTrain/Smile Train countries and World Bank population data.xls" rel="nofollow">this spreadsheet</a>). The <a href="http://www.who.int/genomics/anomalies/en/" rel="nofollow">World Health Organization estimates</a> that "cleft lip and/or palate…occurs in approximately 1 per 500-700 births," while noting that "the ratio vary[s] considerably across geographic areas or ethnic groupings." Thus a crude estimate of the number of children Smile Train could theoretically provide operations to would be 158,000-222,000 per year. Accounting for the fact that many children with clefts require multiple surgeries, the total number of surgeries needed in the countries in which Smile Train works is likely at least an order of magnitude higher than you suggest. We would guess that the bottleneck to providing more low-cost surgeries is not lack of patients, but rather a lack of surgeons (or lack of surgeons with free time) who are within reach of these patients. Natalie Stone, GiveWell Research Analyst Goatero, according to Smile Train’s website, it works in 78 countries, many of which are located outside of Africa. Together these countries are home to about 5.5 billion people with about 111 million births per year (data from the World Bank for 2008; details in this spreadsheet). The World Health Organization estimates that “cleft lip and/or palate…occurs in approximately 1 per 500-700 births,” while noting that “the ratio vary[s] considerably across geographic areas or ethnic groupings.” Thus a crude estimate of the number of children Smile Train could theoretically provide operations to would be 158,000-222,000 per year. Accounting for the fact that many children with clefts require multiple surgeries, the total number of surgeries needed in the countries in which Smile Train works is likely at least an order of magnitude higher than you suggest.

We would guess that the bottleneck to providing more low-cost surgeries is not lack of patients, but rather a lack of surgeons (or lack of surgeons with free time) who are within reach of these patients.

Natalie Stone, GiveWell Research Analyst

]]> by: goatero http://blog.givewell.org/2009/11/30/smile-train/#comment-163376 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 20:25:14 +0000 http://blog.givewell.org/2009/11/30/smile-train/#comment-163376 To me the numbers look odd. Smile Train's website says that 5000 children are born with a CP in the USA each year. I am sure they are right. The USA has a population of 307million. Although ethnic incidences vary, and so do birth rates, you could assume that with a population of 1Billion in Africa around 15,000 to 30000 children are born with a CP in Africa each year. If Smile Train single-handedly did nothing else but fix every newborn in Africa without any state medical intervention at all, Smile Trains $87m annual spend would result in a cost of between $3,000 to $6,000 per case. But Smile Train maintain they do 95,000 procedures each year so they must be doing much much more than the equivalent of fixing every newborn in Africa by themselves. To me the numbers look odd. Smile Train’s website says that 5000 children are born with a CP in the USA each year. I am sure they are right. The USA has a population of 307million. Although ethnic incidences vary, and so do birth rates, you could assume that with a population of 1Billion in Africa around 15,000 to 30000 children are born with a CP in Africa each year.

If Smile Train single-handedly did nothing else but fix every newborn in Africa without any state medical intervention at all, Smile Trains $87m annual spend would result in a cost of between $3,000 to $6,000 per case.

But Smile Train maintain they do 95,000 procedures each year so they must be doing much much more than the equivalent of fixing every newborn in Africa by themselves.

]]> by: Holden http://blog.givewell.org/2009/11/30/smile-train/#comment-155801 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 12:15:50 +0000 http://blog.givewell.org/2009/11/30/smile-train/#comment-155801 Liz, we do give organizations a chance to respond. In addition to the open comments section of this blog, we also offer a prominent "Charity response" to any interested group - see http://www.givewell.org/united-states/charities/Year-Up for an example. Liz, we do give organizations a chance to respond. In addition to the open comments section of this blog, we also offer a prominent “Charity response” to any interested group - see http://www.givewell.org/united-states/charities/Year-Up for an example.

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