Funding Requests Now Open for Oral and Overall Health Projects from Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation

Posted on January 13, 2023 in Foundation

The Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation is now accepting 2023 funding requests for oral and overall health projects that help advance their mission to strengthen and transform the health and smiles of all Iowans. As a major funder of oral and overall health projects in Iowa, the Foundation typically invests more than $3 million in Iowa nonprofits annually. Grants from the Foundation range from toothbrush donations to support oral health education projects to large grants more than $50,000.  

“Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation is looking for community partners who share our commitment to healthy smiles, healthy lives and improving their communities,” said Suzanne Heckenlaible, executive director of the Foundation. “We fund a range of projects from smaller grants such as providing toothbrushes to larger grants which support oral and overall health in a community to expand their health care infrastructure and drive systemic change. Our Foundation’s goal is to support opportunities that spark innovation and improve the long-term overall health and wellness of all Iowans.”

As the new year kicks off, the Foundation will host virtual information sessions in January to outline their grant programs and guidelines and answer questions. Funding from the Foundation will be directed through three strategic focus areas: education and advocacy, access and prevention, and policy and research. Programs and projects considered by the Foundation will align with an equity lens in the following categories:

• Oral health – Projects that promote healthy smiles for all Iowans
• Oral and overall health integration – Projects that strengthen connections between dental, physical, and emotional health
• Overall health – Wellness, vision, and related activities that enable Iowans to live healthy and active lives

Since 2002, Delta Dental has invested more than $56 million to improve the oral and overall health of Iowans. For more information about Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation’s grant programs including descriptions and timelines, visit the Foundation website and register for one of the live virtual information sessions to be held during the month of January.