Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation Awards Nearly $800,000 in Local Grants; Organization Positively Impacts 39 Nonprofits Statewide

(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – May 2, 2025) – The Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation has awarded grants to 39 non-profit organizations that work with underserved populations of all ages through oral health and nutritional programs. A total of $799,524 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 36 Arizona nonprofits, including 11 first-time recipients.

The recipients are:

• A New Leaf
• AllThrive 365 (formerly Foundation for Senior Living)
• A.T. Still University of Health Sciences
• Adelante Healthcare
• Arizona Food Bank Network*
• Arizona State University-Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation*
• Arizona Dental Association Cares Foundation
• Borderlands Produce Rescue*
• Children’s Clinics for Rehabilitative Services
• Chiricahua Community Health Centers, Inc.
• Creek Valley Health Clinic*
• Northern Arizona Dental Days
• Dental Lifeline Network – Arizona
• Desert Mission Food Bank
• Diana Gregory Outreach Services
• Flagstaff Family Food Center
• Foothills Food Bank & Resource Center
• Gila County Health & Community Services
• Harvest Compassion Centers
• Justa Center*
• Lions Camp Tatiyee*
• Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona*
• National Kidney Foundation of Arizona
• Native Health
• Neighborhood Outreach Access to Health (NOAH)
• Northern Arizona Council of Governments
• Polara Health*
• Southwest Human Development
• Sphinx Educational Fund, Inc.*
• St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance
• Sun Life Family Health Center
• Sunset Community Health Center, Inc.
• UMOM New Day Centers
• West Valley Community Food Pantry*
• 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 IMPACT recipients are:

• Advance Community’s Arizona Oral Health Education Program, which educates children in Title 1 schools and various day care centers across the Valley about the importance of proper daily hygiene practices, proper brushing/flossing techniques and the need for routine dental visits. The program is available in both English and Spanish as needed. Advance provides each participant with a Smile Bag that contains an age-appropriate toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss, as well as referrals to dental providers who offer dental care at reduced/no cost.
• 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 five 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 around 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.”

About Delta Dental of Arizona

Delta Dental of Arizona (Delta Dental) 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.