Welcome to The Cleft Group!

Since starting our work in 2002 we have set up more than 50 projects in 13 countries to provide treatment to local people suffering from cleft lip and palate, a common birth defect. We strive for every child, no matter where it is born, to have access to treatment of the same quality as is available in the most advanced medical centers worldwide such as the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taipei / Taiwan. In 2021, our donors funded some 6863 surgeries, performed by our local partner surgeons or, in countries where our projects are still in the buildup phase, German volunteer specialists. We are grateful to everyone who helped make this possible, our teams, our volunteers, and of course our many many donors.

We strive to create strong cleft centres which offer the full variety of cleft treatments from birth up to the age of 20 or even older, including professionals from all medical disciplines involved in comprehensive cleft care. At the moment our projects are mainly funded by German and Indian donors. To extend treatment to even more patients in need we would now like to solicit funding internationally from companies, private individuals, and foundations under our “THE CLEFT GROUP” brand.

Our activities have been granted the German DZI seal of approval for charitable organizations that use donated funds in a transparent and responsible manner, with only a low share of funds allocated to administrative costs and marketing, thus guaranteeing that as much money as possible goes directly towards making a difference for cleft patients.

You can find more information on cleft and on our work to help the people born with it on the other pages.

Thank you for your interest in our work!

Tom Schneider

Head of international funding
Deutsche Cleft Kinderhilfe e.V.