Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation Awards Nearly $800K to Support Oral Health and Nutrition Statewide
Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation is making a major impact across the state, awarding nearly $800,000 in grants to nonprofits dedicated to improving oral health and nutrition for underserved populations.
In total, 39 organizations received funding through Delta Dental’s Community and IMPACT Grant programs. The $799,524 investment supports a wide range of services, including dental care for children, pregnant women, seniors and adults, along with nutritional programs like food banks and meal deliveries for families and older adults.
“Delta Dental of Arizona believes in healthier lives for everyone and is proactively working to remove barriers to care across our state,” said Barb Kozuh, executive director of the foundation. “Through this grant program, Delta Dental of Arizona continues to make critical strides in whole-person health initiatives and equitable access to care.”
Community grants of $5,000 to $30,000, as well as dental supplies, were awarded to 36 Arizona nonprofits, with 11 organizations receiving support for the first time.
The foundation also awarded its signature IMPACT Grants — two-year awards totaling $100,000 — to three nonprofits that deliver oral health education and services to large populations and demonstrate strong program outcomes and fiscal accountability.
Among them is Advance Community’s Arizona Oral Health Education Program, which brings hygiene education and dental supplies to Title 1 schools and day care centers in both English and Spanish. Tooth BUDDS, a mobile dental hygiene team, provides no-cost care directly in schools in Graham and Greenlee counties. And El Rio Health Center’s Pediatric Dental Integration Program embeds dental hygiene teams within pediatric medical visits at five clinics in Tucson.
“This includes a partnership with Arizona PBS to educate children on good oral health, the Delta Dental of Arizona Oral Health Clinic at St. Vincent de Paul, critical work with Phoenix Children’s Hospital, and the Banner Health Foundation Hospital Oral Care and Periodontal Disease Education (HOPE) program protocol,” Kozuh said. “We also provide a free Dental Care Resource Guide on our website, which features a comprehensive directory of low-cost dental clinics across Arizona for individuals and families who are uninsured or underinsured.”
The grant program is part of Delta Dental of Arizona’s efforts to advance whole-person health and ensuring access to care for those who need it most.
For more behind this Frontdoor, visit deltadentalaz.com.
Karen Werner is the editor of Frontdoors Media. She is a writer, editor and media consultant. She has interned at The New Yorker, worked at Parents Magazine, edited five books and founded several local magazines. Her work has appeared in Sunset, Mental Floss and the Saturday Evening Post.
