Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation Awards Almost $400k in Grants

LITTLE ROCK, AR—A fully functional dental clinic for public school students, oral health educational resources in Spanish, and emergency tooth extraction services are among the projects that will be awarded a total of nearly $400,000 through 2022 grants from the Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation.

Eighteen Arkansas non-profit and community organizations will receive individual grants ranging from $5,000 to $30,000 for community-focused oral health initiatives. Awarded through the Foundation’s annual Community Grants Program, the funding will benefit tens of thousands of Arkansans, mainly low-income, uninsured and underserved residents.

“Oral health is vital to overall health and quality of life,” said Chrissy Chatham, the Foundation’s executive director. “But many Arkansas lack equitable access to dental care and oral health education and suffer from painful tooth decay or gum disease as a result. These grants will help restore healthy smiles. The difference can change lives.”

The 2022 Community Grants will support projects that offer educational programs, preventive measures or treatment services related to oral health. The funds, a total of $392,277, will be distributed in January 2022.

Organizations receiving a total of $113,920 for programs with a primary focus on oral health education include:

1. Arkansas Foodbank, Central Arkansas
2. Baptist Health Foundation, Central Arkansas
3. Carter’s Crew, Central Arkansas
4. Hispanic Community Services, Inc., Northeast Arkansas
5. Pulaski County Youth Services, Central Arkansas
6. Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas, Central Arkansas

    

Organizations receiving a total of $55,000 for projects with a primary focus on preventative measures include:

1. Little Rock School District, Central Arkansas
2. Neighbor to Neighbor Inc., Southeast Arkansas
3. Special Olympics Arkansas, Central Arkansas

    

Organizations receiving a total of $223,357 for projects with a primary focus on dental treatment services include:

1. CARTI Foundation, Central Arkansas
2. Community Dental Clinic, Northwest Arkansas
3. Mainline Health Systems, Inc., Southeast Arkansas
4. River City Ministry of Pulaski County, Central Arkansas
5. Samaritan Community Center, Northwest Arkansas
6. Shared Beginnings, Northwest Arkansas
7. UA Little Rock Children International, Central Arkansas
8. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Foundation, Central Arkansas
9. WelcomeHealth, Northwest Arkansas

Each year, the Community Grant program seeks to improve the oral health of Arkansans through community partnerships by funding oral health education, preventative services and/or treatment for underserved individuals of all ages, ethnicities, genders, and socio-economic statuses in Arkansas. Grants of up to $30,000 are available for eligible organizations and are awarded based on the applicants’ ability to meet any of the four funding goals of the Foundation: support low-cost clinics; provide oral health educational opportunities; service connecting organizations, and incorporate oral health into broader social determinants of health.

Applications are typically accepted in mid-summer, with selections made in November and grant funds issued in January.

About the Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation

The Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation is committed to fulfilling Delta Dental of Arkansas’s mission to improve the oral health of all Arkansans. Since 2015, the Foundation has contributed an average of $1 million per year to local communities to support oral health education, prevention and treatment programs. More information is available at https://www.deltadentalar.com/giving-back/delta-dental-of-arkansas-foundation/about.

Media Contact:
Chrissy Chatham
Executive Director
(o) 501-992-1698
(c) 501-912-6311
cchatham@deltadentalar.com