FRESH • PHILANTHROPY
Oral Health
In 2020, Delta Dental of Arizona distributed over $750,000 in grants to support the oral health issues facing high-risk children and families, and pregnant mothers.
Heroes
(Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash)
Delta Dental Foundation fights more than just cavities By Alison Bailin Batz
I
n 1997, “Titanic” ruled the box office. Hanson had everyone singing “MMMBop.” Delta Dental of Arizona launched one of the most impactful nonprofit organizations in the state. “Delta Dental of Arizona started the Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation with the mission to improve oral health across the state, particularly for uninsured and underinsured groups and communities,” says Barb Kozuh, director of community
benefit for Delta Dental of Arizona. “To give perspective, in the past 15 years alone, we’ve provided more than $13 million in community benefit support for oral health promotion and dental disease prevention programs across the state.” According to Kozuh, the foundation provides support through a grant program and extensive community outreach and
education. “In 2020, we’ve distributed more than $750,000 in grants to 34 Arizona community organizations that serve high-risk children and families, and pregnant women,” says Kozuh, noting there are two primary grant programs within foundation—IMPACT and Community grants.
IMPACT Grants
The Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation actively works to provide oral health education to children across Arizona. (Special to North Valley Magazine) 10
DECEMBER 2020 | JANUARY 2021 NORTHVALLEYMAGAZINE.COM
Organizations selected by the Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation to apply for the first IMPACT Grants in 2020 were chosen based on the oral health program’s demonstrated impact in the community, melding of services and education, plus the number of lives that are touched by the program. In addition, the organizations have proven to be faithful stewards of grant funds from Delta Dental of Arizona for at least three years. Among this year’s IMPACT recipients is Neighborhood Outreach Access to Health, which was awarded a grant of $100,000 over two years for its Smiles for Kids school-based oral health program. In the past, NOAH’s Smiles for Kids program provided in-person oral health education, dental