At Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation, we remain committed to our mission of advancing oral health equity for all Coloradans. This work is as important as ever as new data highlights how COVID-19 has significantly reduced access to and utilization of oral health care, damaging the oral health care infrastructure and workforce. This year, we are striving to rethink what is possible and put more resources toward achieving our mission than ever before.
On April 1, Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation opened our 2022 Open Funding Grant Opportunity. We believe everyone deserves a healthy mouth regardless of life circumstances, and we hope to partner with organizations to create a unified and powerful voice for oral health care.
Apply for a Grant
It’s well-documented that health disparities are closely linked to race and ethnicity, income, geography, and age. Oral health outcomes are no different. Through our grantmaking, we are investing in the areas that research tells us are most pressing across the state of Colorado. As a result, the foundation is funding programs that address root causes through the following initiatives:
- Workforce is vital to ensuring Coloradans can access oral health care. The oral health care field is disproportionately represented by white professionals, especially in higher-paying positions like dentists and hygienists, while dental assistant positions are disproportionately represented by people of color. Through our grants, we hope to provide new avenues for communities of color to enter the profession and access opportunities for advancement. According to the Colorado Health Institute, Black and Hispanic patients with providers of the same race are more likely to consistently seek preventive care and are more likely to be satisfied with their health care overall.
- Prevention is key to ensuring Colorado’s children have a foundation for improved oral health and overall health for their lifetimes. Children under the age of six, specifically those facing disparities, are significantly less likely to utilize preventive oral health services. Through our grants, we have a goal to increase the number of children under the age of 6, their mothers, and pregnant people who receive preventive oral health services in easy-to-access settings.
- Access to care is an incredibly important piece of the puzzle when it comes to successful oral health outcomes. This initiative addresses barriers around access and utilization in two Colorado communities that experience high rates of historic poverty and limited access to quality oral health care: the San Luis Valley and East Denver Metro. Our place-based initiative aims to develop long-term relationships, partnerships, resources, and solutions crafted to create better, more innovative systems for access to quality oral health care.
As an organization guided by equity, we understand that every community has unique assets, needs, and priorities. We want to understand what your community needs to be healthy, so together we can address community needs while implementing activities to improve oral health and influence long-term change.
Requests for funding can be up to $100,000 per year, for up to three years. If your organization is interested in applying for a grant this year, click here to watch a recorded webinar and learn more. You can also review our 2022 grant guidelines here. Before submitting an application, we highly encourage you to contact one of our grantmaking staff to talk through your proposal and answer any questions you may have. Applications must be submitted by May 10, 2022.
We look forward to hearing from you!