The Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation is pleased to announce the window is now open for 2024 grant applications. Non-profit organizations that work with underserved populations of all ages through oral health and nutritional programs are invited to apply. Applications will be accepted for both dental and non-dental programs alike, including food banks, after-school and weekend food programs for children, and senior delivery programs.

“Oral health is a key indicator and critical component of overall health. Delta Dental of Arizona supports organizations that are proactively working to increase access to preventive care and to provide proactive health education across our state,” said Michael Jones, president and CEO of Delta Dental of Arizona and chair of the Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation.

Grants ranging from $5,000 to $30,000 are available. Applications are due on Thursday, October 12 by 5 p.m. Grant recipients will be notified in early 2024, with funding made available soon after.

“Since 2010 alone, the Foundation has given more than $16 million to support oral health education and disease prevention programs for underserved and uninsured communities statewide, and we look forward to supporting organizations making truly meaningful impacts in 2024,” said Barb Kozuh, executive director of the Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation.

To give perspective, according to Kozuh, the Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation selected 33 non-profit organizations across the state as recipients of its 2023 grant cycle. These funds, totaling $743,536, were awarded to support projects and services providing or promoting nutrition and/or good oral health practices, increasing access to dental care, and addressing food insecurity among underserved children, pregnant women, seniors and adults.

Guidelines and application materials are available at http://www.deltadentalaz.com/foundation.

This is one of many investments Delta Dental of Arizona has made to support access to health and wellness statewide. According to the Delta Dental Institute’s 2022 Community Impact Report highlighting the philanthropic investments that Delta Dental made last year to support the oral and overall health of communities across the country, Delta Dental of Arizona contributed $1,495,967, positively impacting more than 295,125 people in 2022 alone. The report, issued annually, shared several of Delta Dental of Arizona’s key programs and initiatives such as its partnership with Neighborhood Outreach Access to Health (NOAH) on Dental Connect, its partnership with Arizona PBS to educate children on good oral health, the Delta Dental of Arizona Oral Health Clinic at St. Vincent de Paul, and its critical work with Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Beyond these investments and partnerships, earlier this summer, Delta Dental of Arizona and the Banner Health Foundation announced the expansion its Hospital Oral Care and Periodontal Disease Education (HOPE) program protocol to 28 Acute-Care Facilities Across Western U.S. after piloting the program in Phoenix for nearly a year. The expansion will enable all Banner medical centers in Arizona and beyond to implement the oral health protocol, potentially serving up to 300,000 patients each year.