Grant Opportunities for Oral Health Access, Education, and Research

Grant Opportunities for Oral Health Access, Education, and Research

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Delta Dental Foundation
Last Updated: January 02, 2026

Summary

The Delta Dental Foundation (DDF) aims to enhance oral health access and equity through strategic partnerships and funding initiatives. Established in 1980, the DDF focuses on underserved populations, promoting education, and addressing health disparities. The foundation prioritizes grants that align with its strategic plan, emphasizing oral health equity for people with disabilities. With a commitment to improving overall health, the DDF supports innovative programs and initiatives that ensure everyone has access to quality dental care.

Overview

What We Do At the Delta Dental Foundation (DDF), we know that oral and overall health are intrinsically linked. But for many people, the tools and education that can help keep their mouths healthy are often out of reach. Today, three out of four Americans report experiencing barriers to accessing dental care. That’s why the DDF is dedicated to developing and enhancing partnerships and programs to improve health equity in oral and overall health. Our areas of focus include increasing dental access to underserved and high-risk populations; identifying and reducing health disparities related to oral and overall health; providing educational programming on the importance of oral health and how it relates to overall health; providing scholarships and awards to dental students; and offering continuing education programs for the dental profession. But we don’t just fund great projects—we also take action on our own to ensure the work that’s necessary gets done. After all, everyone deserves a healthy smile. The DDF is a nonprofit, charitable organization established in 1980, which serves as the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and North Carolina. What We Fund The DDF funds the people and programs that promote oral health equity and align with the five core pillars outlined in our strategic plan. We are especially interested in proposals that promote oral health equity for people with disabilities. Our 2024-2028 Strategic Plan For many people, especially communities historically or systemically exposed to inequities, simply having access to a dentist is not enough to achieve good oral health. What they need are fair and just opportunities—and all the resources therein—to live their best, healthiest lives, no matter who they are or where they come from. We envision a world where everyone has access to high-quality dental care that meets their comfort level and abilities across the lifespan. To make that happen, we’re aligning our grantmaking under the five strategic aims below, with oral health equity for people with disabilities as our cornerstone. Our Strategic Aims Access to CareAdvocacyEducationEmerging InitiativesWorkforce Development

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. The DDF evaluates each application on its own merits, and careful consideration is given to each request. We offer grants only to nonprofits, government agencies, schools, colleges and universities that serve Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and North Carolina.

Ineligibility

The DDF does not normally provide grants for the following:Building construction.Normal overhead expenses.Indirect costs. Individuals (with the exception of recipients of the DDF’s scholarships, research grants and community service awards).Organizations that discriminate by race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, veteran status or national origin.Political activities, organizations or campaigns.Loans.Projects developed for commercial or proprietary purposes.