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2024 Foundation Grantees

Delta Dental Foundation Logo

Each year our Foundation provides financial support to organizations throughout New Jersey and Connecticut that focus on access to dental care for underserved populations. Currently, 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, 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 takes 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 un/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.  

 

Foundation for Morristown Medical Center

Jersey Shore University Medical Center Foundation, Monmouth and Ocean 

Support dental care for un/underinsured seniors, including dental supplies and lab costs.   

JFK Medical Center Foundation, Middlesex

Support patient care for un/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 school-based mobile dental program. 

KinderSmile Foundation logo

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.
 

Matheny Medical and Educational Center logo

Office of Dental Services, Paterson

Support 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.
 

Office of Dental Services logo

Rutgers University Foundation, Essex

Support patient care for un/underinsured veterans, specifically covering dentures 

 

The University of Connecticut Foundation 

Expand the University’s Open Wide for Veterans program, supporting the costs associated with fabricating and delivering complete dentures for edentulous vets. 

The University of Connecticut

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.   

UConn Foundation, Connecticut

Support dental care for un/underinsured seniors, including lab fees, dental supplies, PPE, and dental hygiene services. 

 

 

Virtua Health Foundation, Camden

Support 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 logo

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 
  • Norwalk Hospital, Greater Fairfield County, CT 
  • 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