MIRACLEFEET
Mobilizing children for life
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Clubfoot affects one out of every 800 children worldwide, making it one of the most common birth defects in the world. In low- and middle-income countries, children living with untreated clubfoot face incredible hurdles their whole lives. Along with stigma and discrimination, they are often left alone and hidden away because the family is ashamed. Because walking is so difficult, they are among the least likely to enjoy the benefits of education and healthcare. Even worse, children with clubfoot are subject to higher risks of neglect, poverty, physical, and sexual abuse. There is hope. Given the opportunity, these children can have better odds of living fulfilling lives and contributing to the social, cultural, and economic vitality of their communities. With MiracleFeet’s support, treatment is free or extremely low-cost for the families who receive it. Over 90% of supported clinics are located in public hospitals, ensuring treatment is effective and the model is sustainable.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Clubfoot Treatment
MiracleFeet partners with local providers and organizations in 29 countries to increase access to free clubfoot treatment for children.
Innovation
Thanks to funding from Google.org, MiracleFeet has developed a suite of e-tools in collaboration with the Global Clubfoot Initiative to make data collection and analysis at the clinic level easier, to integrate SMS into the clinic management platform to enable clinics to better communicate with families, and to create e-learning modules to make training more efficient and effective.
Where we work
Awards
Top Nonprofit 2013
Great Nonprofits
Top Nonprofit 2014
Great Nonprofits
Finalist for Innovation in Social Good 2014
Fast Company Magazine and Monitor Group
Top Nonprofit 2015
Great Nonprofits
Top Nonprofit 2018
Great Nonprofits
Innovator 2018
Innovations in Healthcare
Top Nonprofit 2019
Great Nonprofits
Top Nonprofit 2020
Great Nonprofits
Top 100 Organization 2020
MacArthur Foundation 100&Change
Top Nonprofit 2021
Great Nonprofits
Top Nonprofit 2022
Great Nonprofits
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsAverage program cost per child (USD)
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Related Program
Clubfoot Treatment
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
In 2019, MiracleFeet updated this metric to more accurately represent the full cost incurred in treating a child. More details on cost breakdown are available on our website.
Cumulative number of children enrolled in treatment
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Related Program
Clubfoot Treatment
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
MiracleFeet envisions a world in which all children born with clubfoot receive treatment, enabling them to live fully productive, active and healthy lives.
MiracleFeet-supported partners deliver high quality clubfoot treatment within existing public health systems for all children in need. By providing organizational and financial support, we enable our partners to fully treat children born with clubfoot in developing countries for an average of $500 per child, transforming their lives forever. MiracleFeet's long-term goal is to facilitate and empower our partners so that eventually MiracleFeet can leave each country with a well-functioning, comprehensive clubfoot program that has the capacity to treat every child born with clubfoot within the local healthcare system.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
MiracleFeet partners with local healthcare providers and NGOs to establish and support the most impact-driven, efficient, and sustainable programs for the safe treatment of clubfoot. By using the Ponseti method, MiracleFeet seeks to reduce the global burden of disability caused by untreated clubfoot in low-medium income countries.
The Ponseti method is used in almost all clubfoot cases in the U.S. and involves a series of plaster casts that are applied weekly. In 95% of cases, the method results in full correction of the feet within 4 to 6 weeks. Following casting, the child wears a brace for 23 hours per day at first, and then only at night. Treatment should begin within a few weeks of birth, but older children can often achieve success
with the Ponseti Method as well.
MiracleFeet expands access to proper treatment by treating early diagnosis and referral processes, executing clubfoot awareness campaigns, educating healthcare workers about clubfoot, adding more clinics to reduce travel time for families, and conducting refresher and advanced Ponseti training.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
MiracleFeet is led by CEO Daphne de Souza Lima Sorensen. She reports to the Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors meets in person three times a year and includes several seasoned business executives, three of whom are parents of children born with clubfoot and one who was born with clubfoot in India. The board also includes an orthopedic surgeon and the CEO. In addition to the Board of Directors, MiracleFeet has a medical advisory board made up of experienced orthopedic surgeons who provide medical advice on an on-going basis.
The MiracleFeet team, based in Chapel Hill, NC, is made up of three teams: Development, Programs, and Administration.
By raising awareness of our work, diversifying our funding base, and continuing sustainable partnerships with treatment centers around the world, we will continue to build MiracleFeet as the most impact-driven, efficient, and innovative organization addressing the issue of untreated clubfoot in low resource countries.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In the last fiscal year, MiracleFeet enrolled 13,584 new children in treatment, bringing the total number of children treated to date to over 90,000 in 36 countries.
Over 2 million children live with untreated clubfoot and MiracleFeet has developed a plan to eradicate the disability caused by this condition so that every child can run, walk, and play.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
MIRACLEFEET
Board of directorsas of 02/23/2024
Aro Eide
Managing Director, Emilia GmbH
Josh Hyman
Columbia University Medical Center
Chesca Colloredo-Mansfeld
Strategic Advisor, MiracleFeet
Hans Dekker
President, Community Foundation of New Jersey
Michelle Cooper
Clubfoot mom, speech language pathologist
Sue Eitel
Eitel Global
Kris Bahner
Senior Vice President, Global Corporate Affairs, Kellogg Company
Carol Karutu
Vice President, Programs, The End Fund
Daphne Sorensen
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), MiracleFeet
Mark Pavao
Managing Partner, Biotech Value Advisors
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes