About Delta Dental Fund D/B/A Delta Dental Foundation
The Delta Dental Foundation is dedicated to developing and enhancing partnerships and programs to improve oral and overall health and health equity.
Focus Areas
oral health accessoral health educationworkforce development (scholarships & loan repayment)advocacyprograms for people with disabilitiesteledentistry and dental equipment supportin-kind oral hygiene materials
Who They Fund
people with disabilities / special needsrefugees and recently arrived immigrantslow-income or underserved community memberspatients served by community health clinics
About Delta Dental Fund D/B/A Delta Dental Foundation
Delta Dental Fund D/b/a Delta Dental Foundation uses grantmaking, scholarships, loan repayment, and program-related investments to support oral health and health equity across Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana. Its recent awards show a strong emphasis on public health dentistry and access to care, with large commitments to state and university partners alongside smaller clinic and community grants. One of the clearest signals is a $2,000,000 grant to Indiana University Foundation Inc for a special needs clinic, paired with a $1,800,000 grant to the State of Michigan for an oral health program. The foundation also funds workforce pathways for dentists and dental hygienists, including support for training, equipment, and loan repayment in public health or nonprofit settings. Recent grants also reach community-based providers serving patients with complex needs, such as Health Emergency Lifeline Programs in Detroit and Cristo Rey Comm Center in Lansing. Across its portfolio, the foundation links oral health access with education, advocacy, teledentistry, and services for people with disabilities, refugees, and low-income communities.
What Delta Dental Fund D/B/A Delta Dental Foundation Funds
Workforce development is a major thread in the foundation’s giving. It supported Indiana University School of Dentistry in Indianapolis with $162,237, and it also funds loan repayment and scholarship programs for dentists and dental hygienists serving in public health and nonprofit clinic settings in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana. Community clinic support is another consistent area: Neighborhood Health in Fort Wayne received $354,324, while Neighborhood Family Practice in Cleveland received $152,575. The foundation also backs inclusive dentistry and disability-related care, including $177,760 to the Regents of University of Michigan for a Center for Inclusive Dentistry. Oral health programming for public systems appears as well, such as the State of Michigan grant for an oral health program.
How Delta Dental Fund D/B/A Delta Dental Foundation Gives
Typical awards cluster around mid-sized grants: the p25 is $10,000, the median is $25,000, and the p75 is $76,250. That spread sits alongside much larger awards to public agencies, universities, and clinic systems. The grant list shows repeat support to several recipients across multiple years, including the State of Michigan, The Ohio State University, and Mcmillen Center for Health Education. The funder is a public charity and also makes program-related investments. Its active programs accept unsolicited requests, including general grant requests and mini-grants, as well as loan repayment and scholarship programs.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$4.6M
Total Assets
$139.2M
Total Revenue
$10.7M
Total Expenses
$7.7M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $76K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$76K
Geographic Reach
Regional13 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Deep Analysis
Unlock Deep Analysis
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
direct service/program supportgeneral operating/unrestricted supporttargeted program grantsclinic-based service funding
Topics
inclusive dentistry / accessible oral healthdental care for individuals with special needsrefugee and immigrant health servicescommunity health clinic servicesoral health program development and expansion
Where Delta Dental Fund D/B/A Delta Dental Foundation Makes Grants
Grantmaking is regional and concentrated in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana, with 41% of grants going to recipients in Michigan. Indiana and Ohio also appear frequently, especially in Fort Wayne, Bloomington, Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Indianapolis. Named recipients in Michigan include Lansing, Detroit, Traverse City, Grand Rapids, Saginaw, and Ann Arbor. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 211 grants in the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions About Delta Dental Fund D/B/A Delta Dental Foundation
What kinds of oral health work does the foundation support?
It supports oral health access, education, workforce development, advocacy, programs for people with disabilities, teledentistry, dental equipment support, and in-kind oral hygiene materials. The recent grant list also shows support for inclusive dentistry and community clinic services.
Does the foundation fund workforce training or loan repayment?
Yes. It runs loan repayment opportunities for oral health professionals serving in public health or nonprofit clinic settings, and scholarship and instrument-kit programs for dental hygiene students in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana. Recent grants also include support for dental education and inclusive dentistry.
Can organizations submit unsolicited requests?
Yes. The active programs listed for general grant requests, mini-grants, loan repayment opportunities, and scholarship programs all accept unsolicited applications. The grant range varies by program, from $0–$10,000 for mini-grants to $5,000–$25,000 for loan repayment.
Where does most of the giving go?
Michigan receives the largest share of grants, with 41% of grants going to recipients in the state. The foundation also gives widely in Indiana and Ohio, especially to organizations in cities such as Fort Wayne, Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Indianapolis.
What is the foundation’s typical grant size?
Its typical grant sizes cluster at $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $76,250 at the 75th percentile. The recent grant list also includes larger awards to public institutions and universities, showing a mix of smaller program grants and larger institutional support.
Latest 990 Filing
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Open Grant Opportunities
Current and upcoming funding from Delta Dental Fund D/B/A Delta Dental Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Open nowCloses in 28 days (Oct 25, 2026)Award: Varies
Conference Scholarships for Community Partners
Public health dentistryOral health educationDissemination of DDF-funded work
Who can apply: Applicants must be DDF grantees with a session already accepted at an approved conference. The presentation must focus on programs or projects funded by the DDF, and recipients must collaborate with the DDF on promotion.
Deadline: No deadline stated; applications are accepted through the published application process.
Open nowCloses in 28 days (Oct 25, 2026)Award: $0 – $10K
Conference Scholarships
Public health dentistryCare for people with disabilitiesDental workforce development+1 more
Who can apply: The application must be submitted by the student group’s faculty adviser; students may not apply individually. Attending students must be listed with their year and must belong to the applicable student group. Applicants must provide a detailed, reasonable budget for travel, lodging and registration. Funding covers conference registration and travel fees only. Students must submit photos, videos and written reflections within three months of the conference.
Deadline: No separate application deadline stated; applications relate to listed conferences in 2026.
In-Kind Requests (Oral Hygiene Supplies and Educational Materials)
Oral health educationOral hygiene
Who can apply: Qualifying organizations and programs serving Michigan, Ohio or Indiana may request materials. Requests are subject to available supplies and quantity restrictions.
Deadline: Submission periods recur annually: November 1-February 28, March 1-June 30, and July 1-October 31.
Oral health accessOral health equityAdvocacy+3 more
Who can apply: Applicants must be nonprofits, government agencies, schools, colleges or universities serving Michigan, Ohio or Indiana. Proposals should align with the Delta Dental Foundation strategic plan and demonstrate community need, accountability, measures of success, alternative funding consideration and sustainability. The DDF does not normally fund construction, normal overhead, indirect costs, individuals, political activities, loans or commercial/proprietary projects.
Deadline: Applications are evaluated quarterly and must be submitted by February 10, June 1, August 24 or November 4, 2026.
Oral health accessOral health advocacyOral health education+2 more
Who can apply: Applicants must be nonprofits, government agencies, schools, colleges or universities serving Michigan, Ohio or Indiana. Proposals should align with the DDF strategic plan and demonstrate community need, accountability, measurable success, alternative funding consideration and sustainability. The DDF normally does not fund construction, normal overhead, indirect costs, individuals, political activities, loans or commercial/proprietary projects.
Deadline: Applications are evaluated quarterly. Deadlines: November 4, 2026; February 15, 2027; May 21, 2027; August 27, 2027; November 1, 2027.
Oral health careOral health educationOral health equity+2 more
Who can apply: Applicants must be local nonprofit programs or community organizations promoting or providing oral health in Michigan, Ohio or Indiana and aligned with the DDF strategic aims. Grants generally exclude construction, normal overhead, indirect costs, individuals, discriminatory organizations, political activities, loans and commercial or proprietary projects. Prior recipients must submit required reporting to be considered for the next cycle.
Deadline: Applications are accepted annually from June 1 through July 31; recipients are announced in August.
Deadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.
