Community Grants

In 2006, the Illinois State Dental Society launched its Community Grants initiative. The program provides funding for worthwhile local efforts that offer dental care to underserved persons or elevate the level of oral health education. This year, $40,000 in grant monies will be available to projects in communities around Illinois. As support of the Community Grants initiative continues to grow, so too will funding for the many worthy programs that improve access to oral health care across the state. Grant Guidelines Grant Application

The Foundation is proud to support numerous worthwhile initiatives through the grant program, including:

The Erie Humboldt Park Health Center Oral Health Program - $3,600 – This program aims to prevent oral health disease and disability among low-income primarily Latino children and pregnant women. The grant awarded in 2007 will help the Center to provide direct patient care, including comprehensive preventive services, restorative care, and emergency services as well as oral health guidance at medical visits, and oral health education.

The Mercer County Health Department Toothmobile Dental Clinic - $3,000 – Funding for this program, awarded in 2007, will allow the organization to launch a pilot project to improve dental access to nursing home elderly and developmentally disabled persons in Warren County.

The Section of Community and Preventive Dentistry at Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine - $4,360 – With grant funds received in 2007, this program will obtain a new portable dental unit to be used for the school sealant program at Prather Elementary School and for preventive dental services for children at RiverBend Headstart.

The Outreach Dental Health Program in Peoria - $6,122 - This program, which was awarded funds in 2006, provides ongoing oral health education programs given at schools that serve the economically disadvantaged areas of the community. The programs target kindergarten age children.

The Oral Health Education Program for Children at Kaskaskia College - $3,400 – This 2006 grant recipient held a one day event for children ages 3-10 emphasizing oral hygiene instruction and involved local dental assisting program students, instructors, and other volunteers.