Delta Dental of Arizona, through its Foundation, selected 34 nonprofit organizations across the state to receive $766,506 in grants and dental supplies to improve the oral health of nearly 93,000 Arizonans. These funds were awarded to address the oral health needs of underserved children, pregnant women and seniors in 2020.
In addition to the annual community grants program, which awarded $566,506 to 30 organizations this year, a new Delta Dental of Arizona IMPACT Grant program distributed an additional $200,000 to four organizations meeting select criteria. Nonprofits invited to apply for these grants must provide oral health services and education to over 650 children, pregnant women or seniors each year and have a proven record of fiscal and reporting responsibility. These grants provide $50,000-$75,000 a year for two years.
The IMPACT Grant awardees for 2020-2021 are:
• Tooth BUDDS: dental hygienists and assistants travel throughout Graham and Greenlee counties to provide oral health services to over 1000 children on school campuses
• Boys and Girls Club of Metro Phoenix Dental Clinic: the clinic assists nearly 900 low-income children and others in the south Phoenix community with oral health services
• Neighborhood Outreach Access to Health (NOAH): provide dental screenings, fluoride varnish treatments and oral health education to 4600 children at local Phoenix-area schools and local community and health fair events
• El Rio Community Health Center: the five El Rio medical clinics in Tucson embed a dental hygienist or dental student in medical well visits to provide dental screenings, fluoride varnish treatments and oral health education to over 16,000 children each year and tie oral health to overall health
“The Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation’s funding of nonprofit oral health programs in Arizona is grounded in our mission to improve lives by promoting optimal oral health,” said Delta Dental of Arizona President and CEO Allan Allford. “We are committed to helping uninsured and underserved communities all across the state have access to oral health services they need for a healthy smile.”
