Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation Awards Nearly $260,000 in Grants to Southern Arizona Nonprofits
(TUCSON, Ariz. – July 28, 2025) – The Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation has awarded grants to 11 non-profit organizations across Southern Arizona that work with underserved populations of all ages through oral health and nutritional programs. A total of $258,203 funds were awarded to support projects and services promoting good oral health practices and increasing access to dental care among underserved children, pregnant women, seniors and adults, as well as nutritional access programs such as food banks, after-school and weekend food programs for children, and senior delivery programs.
“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.”
Grants were awarded in two funding categories: Community Grants and IMPACT Grants.
Community grants ranging from $5,000 to $30,000, as well as dental supplies as needed, were presented to nine Southern Arizona nonprofits, including two first-time recipients:
The recipients are:
- Borderlands Produce Rescue*
- Children’s Clinics for Rehabilitative Services
- Chiricahua Community Health Centers, Inc.
- Gila County Health & Community Services
- Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona*
- Sun Life Family Health Center
- Sunset Community Health Center, Inc.
- Youth On Their Own
- Yuma Community Food Bank*
*denotes first-time recipient
The Delta Dental IMPACT Grant program, which began in 2020, awards organizations two-year grants totaling $100,000 each, with $50,000 awarded each year. Nonprofits invited to apply for these grants provide oral health services and education to more than 1,000 children, pregnant women or seniors and have a proven record of fiscal and reporting responsibility.
The Southern IMPACT recipients are:
- Tooth BUDDS, which is a group of affiliated dental practice hygienists who serve the children of Graham and Greenlee counties by providing dental screenings, dental cleanings, sealants, fluoride varnish, Silver Diamine Fluoride applications at no cost at the school location.
- El Rio Health Center’s Pediatric Dental Integration Program expands direct dental screening, varnish and oral health education during children’s medical well visits by embedding dental hygiene teams in seven El Rio Health clinic locations throughout Tucson.
The grant program is one of many investments Delta Dental of Arizona has made to support access to health and wellness statewide. Delta Dental of Arizona is also focused on several key programs and initiatives to increase education and access to health and wellness across Arizona.
“This includes a partnership 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,” said Kozuh. “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.”
Delta Dental of Arizona is a health and wellness company providing affordable dental and vision benefits to individuals, families and businesses throughout the state. Building on its reputation as the state’s largest and most experienced dental insurance provider, Delta Dental’s mission is to create a path to better health and wellness. Since 2010, Delta Dental of Arizona, through its Foundation, has given over $20 million to support oral health education, disease prevention and food assistance programs for underserved and uninsured communities across the state. For more information about Delta Dental of Arizona, visit www.deltadentalaz.com.
