Northeast Delta Dental Foundation funding guidelines

In keeping with the spirit of the mission, vision, business and value statements of the Delta Dental Plans of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, the Foundation aspires to partner with community organizations and programs that share its passion for increasing the access to, and the quality of, oral health care in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Northeast Delta Dental Foundation funding is awarded to organizations that:

• Have projects or activities that are oral health related.
• Have nonprofit 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) status or are governmental or academic institutions.
• Do not discriminate by race, sex, religion, color, creed, age, national origin, or any other protected class.

The Foundation shall evaluate each application on its merits, in keeping with the following guidelines:

• Only applications requesting funds related to oral health will be considered.
• Requests/programs support one of the following types of oral health initiatives:
  • Educational programs that enhance the awareness of good oral health, with a focus on a specific population such as children, the elderly, or other populations with identified oral health needs.
  • Oral health care programs that are preventive in nature and are aimed at decreasing the incidence, prevalence and severity of dental disease.
  • Dental clinics or centers who have nonprofit 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) status, or are a Federally Qualified Health Center working to make oral health care more accessible and affordable to people in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Most typically, this takes the form of helping with the costs of equipment and dental supplies.
  • The continuing education of dental health professionals
  • Research efforts that will lead to improved oral health outcomes, address an oral health disease or issue or that will lay a sound groundwork for new oral health initiatives.
  • Increase the dental health workforce through scholarship and loan repayment programs.

The Foundation has two funding cycles each year. These typically occur in the Spring and Fall and align with the scheduled Board meeting dates. Meeting dates and application deadlines vary year to year, and the current dates are posted on our website. You will be notified of the Board’s funding decision after the meeting date posted for the cycle in which you applied.

Typically, only one grant per organization will be awarded within a 12-month period. A new application must be submitted if additional funding is desired after the 12-month period.

Foundation awards vary widely in size. Please apply for what is needed for your program or project, but do so in a way that, if we are unable to support the request in full, there are clear options available to choose from.

While organizations may apply for either full or partial funding for a particular program or project, we are most likely to support a program that has other funders, indicating a broad base of community support and a higher likelihood of sustainability.

Should your request be for a campaign for a new building or major renovations, or for a multi-year commitment, please reach out us at philanthropy@nedelta.com to discuss the details prior to applying. These requests typically fall outside the Foundation’s giving guidelines, but on occasion are funded if they are in keeping with our mission, overall business strategies, and philanthropic goals. 

• A brief description of your organization’s mission 
• A description of the project or program for which you seek funding, with a particular focus on its objectives (what it will accomplish).
• Contact information for the funding request.
• The geographic area and population that is served.

You will receive an automated response to confirm the successful submission of your application. Occasionally, additional information to support an application is requested after initial review, especially for first-time applicants, and a site visit may be requested.