Here's to Your Health!

Posted on February 23, 2021 in Giving Back

Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation is on a mission to strengthen and transform the health and smiles of all Iowans. To accomplish this goal, we work with a diverse group of nonprofit organizations and community partners across Iowa to shift conditions to improve oral and overall health. The Foundation envisions a world where health equity is a reality and when every person has the opportunity to attain their full health potential.  To achieve this goal, the Foundation focuses on building and supporting systemic solutions to address health inequities to create fair and just opportunities to improve the health for all Iowans. We look at opportunities to invest in education and advocacy, access and prevention, and policy and research programs all through an equity lens.

What does all of that mean?

Do you have a program/project idea that strengthens the connection between oral and overall health or supports system change efforts focused in wellness and vision activities? We offer a variety of ways to partner with your organization during the year.

• Ignite & Innovation Grants  – These grant requests are up to $25,000 to support projects focused on oral and overall health integration, or overall health that strengthen and transform the health and smiles of all Iowans through an equity lens. This grant program has two cycles. The deadline for the spring cycle is May 3 and the deadline for the fall cycle is September 1.
• System and Capacity Building Grants - Oral health project requests over $25,000. Letters of interest for this grant program are due June 1. A good example of this type of grant is the $250,000 provided to Primary Health Care in Ames to add a dental clinic to their current building that will serve Story County and surrounding communities.
• Rethink Your Drink – The Rethink Your Drink program aims to get more kids drinking water throughout the day to support their oral and overall health. Selected schools receive a new water fountain/bottle filling station for their school. Since we began this program in 2017, the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation has donated more than $1.3 million to 285 schools throughout Iowa. The 2021 application cycle closed February 5, but watch our website for Rethink Your Drink news and updates.
• Smile Grants – Grant requests of $5,000 or less to support one-time, short-term oral health projects that are primarily educational in nature such as providing educational kits and oral health supplies. A great example of a Smile Grant implemented in 2020 was a $1,000 grant awarded to the Scouts BSA – Hawkeye Area Council in Cedar Rapids, to develop and implement a virtual curriculum for Scouts to receive a Dentistry Merit Badge. These at home modules were delivered over Zoom with workshop supplies and online resources. Requests for Smile Grants are reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the year.
• Toothbrush Donations - This program is designed for oral health projects requesting toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss needed to support oral health programs. In 2020, 326,000 Iowans received free toothbrushes in all 99 counties from Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation. Since 2013, more than 2.6 million toothbrushes have been donated. These requests are reviewed on a rolling basis and must include an oral health education component.  

Need more information, click here to learn more: https://www.deltadentalia.com/foundation/grants/ or email us at [email protected].

We look forward to hearing about the good work being done and how we can help your organization improve the health and smiles of all Iowans!