2024 Foundation Grantees
Each year our Foundation provides financial support to organizations throughout New Jersey and Connecticut that focus on access to dental care for underserved populations. Our Foundation’s funding priorities are to support dental programs that provide access to care for children, developmentally disabled persons, seniors, and veterans through our S.M.I.L.E. grants. In 2024/25, we are also supporting programs that address the dental workforce shortage issue through our S.M.I.L.E. Workforce Initiative grants. Our Foundation also supports dental education and scholarship programs through our S.M.I.L.E. Mini grants.
In 2024, more than $2.23M was awarded to 57 community programs in New Jersey and Connecticut saving more than 40,000 people in need.
Our 2024 SMILE Grant Recipients are:
Connecticut Foundation for Dental Outreach
Support the CT Mission of Mercy (CT MOM) event that provides no-cost dental services over a two-day event for more than 1,400 people. This year’s event took place November 9-10 in Waterbury at Wilby High School.
Dental Lifeline Network
Support donated dental services for those in need across New Jersey and Connecticut.
Foundation for Morristown Medical
Support dental care for uninsured/underinsured seniors, children, and those with developmental disabilities..
Hunterdon County Dep. of Health
Support Dental Access Program that will connect clients who are low-income and in need of dental services with local dentists.
Jersey Shore University Medical Center Foundation, Monmouth and Ocean
JFK Medical Center Foundation, Middlesex
Support patient care for uninsured/underinsured seniors and veterans.
KinderSmile Foundation, Middlesex
Support Oral Health Program, linking children and families to dental homes in Bloomfield, Newark, and Trenton.
Maria Seymour Brooker Memorial, Torrington and Canaan, CT
Support the/their school-based mobile dental program.
Matheny Medical & Educational Center, Somerset and Warren
Support sterilization costs, staffing, dental equipment and supplies for the dental care of people with complex developmental disabilities.
Office of Dental Services, Paterson
Support the/their dental care program for children.
Overlook Foundation, Union and Essex
Support oral health patient navigators (RDHs) that integrate care with pediatricians and family practice physicians to increase access to dental care.
Rutgers University Foundation, Essex
Support patient care for un/underinsured veterans, specifically covering dentures
The University of Connecticut Foundation
The University of Connecticut Foundation
Support UConn Health’s Special Care Dentistry Program with a three-year grant to fund program expenses and direct patient care for those with developmental disabilities.
University of Bridgeport, Connecticut
Support dental care for un/underinsured seniors, including lab fees, dental supplies, PPE, and dental hygiene services.
Virtua Health Foundation, Camden
Support the/their mobile dental program for children, including Virtua’s lead-level initiative to learn the effects of lead on oral health.
Yale New Haven Hospital, Greater New Haven, CT
Fund a new mobile dental program supporting access to care for underserved veterans.
Zufall Health Center, Morris
Support the 2025 Smiles for Our Heroes event, providing no-cost dental care to our nation’s heroes.
Our 2024 SMILE Mini Grantees include:
- Bergen Community College, NJ
- Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Coastal & Northern NJ
- Cape May County Division of Aging and Disability Services, NJ
- Cornerstone Family Programs, Morris County, NJ
- Connecticut Science Center
- Goodwin University, CT
- Kiddie Keep Well Camp, Middlesex County, NJ
- KinderSmile Foundation Give Kids A Smile Day, Bloomfield, Newark, and Trenton, NJ
- Mary Eliza Mahoney Health Center, Newark, NJ
- Middlesex County College, NJ
- Rowan College at Burlington County, NJ
- SilverSource, Stamford, CT
- Smiles of Solidarity, NJ and CT
- Somerset Health Care Foundation, NJ
- Special Olympics Connecticut
- Special Olympics New Jersey
- University of New Haven, CT
- Yale New Haven Hospital, CT
