Delta Dental of Iowa and Foundation Celebrate 20 Years of Giving and $62 Million Committed to Iowans Since 2002

Posted on May 8, 2023 in Foundation

Delta Dental of Iowa and its Foundation provided $3.9 million to 279 organizations to address oral and overall health needs in 2022. The past year marked 20 years of giving for the not-for-profit insurance company and its Foundation, with a total commitment of $62 million toward improving the health and well-being of Iowans.

“For the past 20 years, we have been passionate about improving the health and wellness of the communities we serve,” said Jeff Russell, president and CEO, Delta Dental of Iowa. “We believe everyone deserves to be healthy, but not everyone has access to the resources they need. Reflecting on the progress made over the past two decades is humbling, yet we know there is much further to go. So, we will continue to partner with like-minded organizations and invest in opportunities that strengthen and transform the health and smiles of all Iowans.”

Delta Dental focuses its giving on programs that strengthen the connections between oral and overall health, support healthy activities and healthy communities, and improve the social and emotional well-being of Iowans.

Highlights of projects and grant programs in 2022 include:

• Awarding one FIND (Fulfilling Iowa’s Need for Dentists) Loan Repayment recipient in Clinton, Iowa.
• System and Capacity Building Grants totaling $1.9 million, which included $1.35 million for the expansion of Crescent Community Health Center in Dubuque and $150,000 to support the creation of a behavioral health urgent care clinic by Center Associates in Marshalltown.
• More than $675,000 in Community of Health grants to 26 organizations working to encourage new learnings, strengthen nonprofit operations, or initiate larger oral or overall health projects.
• Invested $185,500 for the Rethink Your Drink program, which provided 19 Iowa schools and 11 communities with water bottle filling stations. Since 2017, Delta Dental and partners have provided $1.9 million for the Rethink Your Drink program, installing 393 filling stations in Iowa schools for 193,000 students and staff.
• Hosted a free, volunteer-led vision clinic at Oakridge Neighborhood in Des Moines’ urban core in partnership with OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, Prevent Blindness Iowa, and Oakridge Neighborhood, and provided vision screenings, exams and free glasses for 400 community members.
• Donated 340,500 toothbrushes and educational materials to Iowa schools, clinics, hospitals, I-Smile™ coordinators, and Head Starts throughout all 99 counties.

Delta Dental of Iowa serves 1.6 million members and more than 4,500 Iowa employers to provide dental, vision, and legal insurance benefits for their employees. To view the Delta Dental of Iowa 2022 annual giving report, click here.