2023 Foundation Grantees
Access to Care and Education
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 2023, we are also supporting programs that address the dental workforce shortage issue through our S.M.I.L.E. grants. Our Foundation also supports dental education and scholarship programs through our S.M.I.L.E. Mini grants.
In 2023, more than $1M was awarded to community programs in New Jersey and Connecticut.
Our 2023 SMILE Grant Recipients are:
Brookdale Community College Foundation, Monmouth, Middlesex, and Ocean
Support student scholarships, dental and radiology supplies, and more for the school’s Dental Assistant and Dental Radiology Program.
Central High School, Newark
Support Dental Studies Academy through funding field trips, membership fees, dental equipment/supplies, student scholarships, and more.
Connecticut Foundation for Dental Outreach
Support the Connecticut Mission of Mercy (CT MOM) event that provides no-cost dental services over a two-day event for more than 1,400 people.
Dental Lifeline Network, NJ and CT
Support Dental Lifeline Network’s Donated Dental Services program, which provides millions of free dental services to those in need.
Foundation for Morristown Medical Center
Hope Christian Services, Bergen and Passaic
Support dental equipment and supplies for IDD populations.
Jersey Shore University Medical Center Foundation, Monmouth and Ocean
Support dental supplies, PPE, and lab costs for underserved seniors through the hospital’s Preventive and Comprehensive Dental Care for Seniors program.
JFK Medical Center Foundation, Middlesex and Union
Fund the dental hygienist, dentures and other dental care for underserved seniors and veterans at the hospital’s dental clinic.
KinderSmile Foundation, Essex and Mercer
Support KinderSmile’s Introduction to Dental Assisting Program in Trenton, as well as KinderSmile’s Oral Health Programs in Bloomfield, Trenton and Newark (via the Boys & Girl Club of Newark) providing dental care to thousands of children/youth in need.
Matheny Medical and Educational Center, Peapack
Fund specialized dental equipment and supplies, as well as dental staff to support the dental care for those with severe developmental disabilities.
Middlesex College, New Jersey
Fund college’s Establish Dental Assisting Program with a three-year grant (2022-2024) to help address the dental workforce issue facing our state.
Office of Dental Services, Paterson
Help increase the hours of the dentist, increasing access to dental care for children in Paterson Public Schools.
Overlook Foundation, Essex and Union
Rutgers University Foundation, Newark
Continue to fund a program that began in 2022 – Rutgers’ Vet Smiles Program, which provides dentures for underserved veterans. Our Foundation also awarded Rutgers with a SMILE Transformation grant, which will pay for the dental care for 2-3 un/underinsured individuals with dire oral health conditions.
UConn Foundation, Connecticut
Support UConn Health’s Special Care Dentistry Program with a three-year grant (2022-2024) to fund program expenses and direct patient care for those with developmental disabilities.
Veterans Smile Day Foundation, Atlantic, Cape May, and Cumberland
Support dental supplies for Veterans Smile Day event, which took place on October 21, 2023. This one-day event serves up to 200 veterans with no-cost dental care at Brickworks Dental, Mays Landing, under the leadership of Dr. Deryk Pham, a Navy veteran.
Virtua Health Foundation, Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester
Fund Virtua’s Oral Health and Nutrition Initiative, which increases health equity and addresses social detriments of health for children ages 0-6 by connecting them with healthy foods and pediatric oral health prevention services. This program will also help educate physicians on the importance of connecting children with a dental home.
Yale New Haven Hospital, Greater New Haven, CT
Fund two mobile dental programs with one supporting access to dental care for Head Start children and the other supporting access to care for underserved veterans.
Zufall Health Center, Morris, Somerset, and Essex
Fund 2024 Smiles for Our Heroes event, providing no-cost dental services for underserved veterans and support Zufall’s Dental Assistant Training Expansion program, which helps address the dental assisting workforce shortage issue in our state.
Our 2023 SMILE Mini Grantees include:
- Bergen Community College, NJ
- Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Coastal & Northern NJ
- Bloomfield Health Careers Foundation, Essex County, NJ
- Connecticut Oral Health Initiative
- Connecticut Science Center
- Central High School Dental Studies Academy, Newark, NJ
- Goodwin University, CT
- Kiddie Keep Well Camp, Middlesex County, NJ
- KinderSmile Foundation Give Kids A Smile Day, Bloomfield, Newark, and Trenton NJ
- Maria Seymour Brooker Memorial, Litchfield County, CT
- Middlesex County College, NJ
- Norwalk Hospital, Greater Fairfield County, CT
- Rowan College at Burlington County, NJ
- SilverSource, Stamford, CT
- Special Olympics Connecticut
Delta Dental of New Jersey is a part of Delta Dental Plans Association. Through our national network of Delta Dental companies, we offer dental coverage in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories.
