Operation Kids is a public

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...

nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

organization founded in 1999 in

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

. Operation Kids provides customized philanthropic services at no cost to donors seeking to give money to children's organizations.Operation Kids. ''About Us''. http://www.operationkids.org/about-us. Accessed: 2009-11-30. Because all of Operation Kids’ fund-raising and administrative expenses are fully met through unrestricted

donations A donation is a gift for charity, humanitarian aid, or to benefit a cause. A donation may take various forms, including money, alms, services, or goods such as clothing, toy A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provid ...

and proceeds from a managed investment fund, 100% of every

donor A donor in general is a person, organization or government which donates something voluntarily. The term is usually used to represent a form of pure altruism, but is sometimes used when the payment for a service is recognized by all parties as rep ...

dollar designated for OK-approved charities and programs goes to support those programs.

Guiding philosophy

While all issues affecting

children A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger ...

are important, some affect greater numbers of children in more significant ways. Understanding issues in context is valuable to the donor looking to make the greatest impact with a charitable contribution. Operation Kids assesses donor-recommended organizations for effectiveness, and then creates an individualized giving plan for donors. Their goal is to maximize efforts so

will be used efficiently.

Operation Kids Lifetime Achievement Awards

In 2008, John Walsh was the 2008 recipient for Operation Kids Lifetime Achievement award. Fighting bureaucratic and legislative resistance, John and his wife, Revé's efforts eventually led to the creation of the Missing Children Act of 1982 and the Missing Children's Assistance Act of 1984. Subsequently, they founded the Adam Walsh Child Resource Center in honor of their son. They later merged with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, where John serves on the board of directors. In 2006,

Ann Romney Ann Lois Romney ( Davies; born April 16, 1949) is an American author and philanthropist. She is the wife of businessman and politician, Senator Mitt Romney of Utah. From 2003 to 2007, Romney was First Lady of Massachusetts, while her husband se ...

was the 2006 Operation Kids Lifetime Achievement award recipient for her many years of community service on behalf of children. She has raised awareness of children's issues, created funding programs and initiatives, and served on multiple boards and committees.

Steve Young Jon Steven Young (born October 11, 1961) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. He also played for the Tampa Bay Buccane ...

also was a 2006 recipient for Operation Kids Lifetime Achievement award. Young was recognized for both his exceptional playing career and his dedicated service to children. His Forever Young Foundation serves children who face significant physical, emotional, and financial challenges by providing academic, athletic, and therapeutic opportunities. In 2005, Dr. Bill and Kathy Magee were both 2005 recipients for Operation Kids Lifetime Achievement awards for founding Operation Smile. Dr. Bill and Kathy Magee started

Operation Smile Operation Smile is a nonprofit medical service organization founded in 1982 by Dr. William P. Magee Jr. and his wife Kathleen (Kathy) S. Magee. It is headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia. In addition to providing cleft lip and palate repair ...

to repair cleft lip and palate repair surgeries to children all across the globe. In 2004, Senator

Orrin Hatch Orrin Grant Hatch (March 22, 1934 – April 23, 2022) was an American attorney and politician who served as a United States senator from Utah from 1977 to 2019. Hatch's 42-year Senate tenure made him the longest-serving Republican U.S. senator ...

accepted the first Operation Kids Lifetime Achievement Awards for his efforts to help kids at a legislative level, including founding efforts and funding support for The National Crime Prevention Council, Best Buddies International, and numerous funding initiatives assisting children with critical needs from health insurance to education.

References

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External links

Operation Kids
Charities based in Utah Children's charities based in the United States Organizations established in 1999 1999 establishments in Utah