Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation Awards Over $295,000 to Nine Nonprofits for Oral and Overall Health Projects
Posted on July 6, 2023 in Foundation
The Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation awarded over $295,000 to nine organizations to strengthen and transform the oral and overall health of all Iowans. The grants are part of the Foundation’s Community of Health Grant programs that are intended to infuse a spark, encourage new learnings, strengthen nonprofit organizations and coalitions operations, or initiate a larger oral or overall health initiative.
“These investments will support growing awareness and access to oral and overall health resources and services for Iowans,” said Suzanne Heckenlaible, Executive Director of the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation. “Delta Dental and our Foundation is committed to partnering with organizations that share our goal to create healthier communities by strengthening the health and smiles of all Iowans.”
Oral Health Grants
A total of $165,873 was awarded to six organizations with projects focused on advancing oral health and the integration of oral and overall health such as workforce education, care coordination, teledentistry, and statewide oral health initiatives.
“A $50,000 Community of Health grant from the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation will allow Dental Connections to pilot the Iowa Smiles project to improve access to oral healthcare for newly arriving refugees through on-site screenings, preventative oral health education, coordinated referrals with key providers, and designated refugee scheduling,” said Carly Ross, executive director at Dental Connections. “The overall goal of Iowa Smiles is to engage key stakeholders so that arriving refugees can access high-quality dental services in a timely, coordinated manner. We want to ensure that we are addressing dental pain and identifying critical dental care needs to improve health outcomes related to both oral and overall health.”
Overall Health Grants
A total of $130,000 in Overall Health Grants was awarded to three organizations to fund efforts focused on advancing access to statewide mental health education and resources, mental health access for children, and rural health initiatives.
“The Iowa Rural Health Association is excited to receive a $30,000 Community of Health Grant from the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation,” said Audrey Tran Lam, board president, Iowa Rural Health Association. “These funds will support strategic planning amongst our board and larger membership, provision of training webinars for engaged partners, and planning and convening a statewide conference for the association. With this support, the organization will be able to strengthen our capacity to support rural health initiatives throughout Iowa and will facilitate growth among those engaged in rural communities, including health care providers and leaders, non-profit organizations, and students.”
Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation Community of Health Grant applications from Iowa agencies are reviewed twice a year and applications are due on March 1 and September 1. 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 in July. Since 2002, Delta Dental has invested more than $62 million to improve the oral and overall health of Iowans. Learn more about the Foundation’s grants at deltadentalia.com/foundation.