By Ralph Fuccillo, President of the DentaQuest Foundation
I’m excited to announce that we’ve launched the first-ever Venture Fund for Oral Health.
One of the major obstacles to achieving nationwide optimal oral health is the lack of funding to bring effective solutions to scale. Developed by the DentaQuest Foundation, The Venture Fund for Oral Health is a new funding opportunity for oral health programs that have shown positive outcomes and have potential to make a large-scale impact.
The four areas that the Venture’s grants focus on include:
- Public policy that supports improved oral health
- Increased public and private funding for oral health initiatives
- Improvement in the delivery of oral health care and prevention programs
- Expanded community engagement on oral health issues
To qualify for funding, organizations must demonstrate proven past successes in one of the systems that we seek to impact – policy, funding, care, community – and a well-developed plan for expansion.
By replicating programs that have proven to be successful in reducing oral health disparities, we can improve access to oral health care and reduce oral disease for vulnerable children and their families. Knowing that tooth decay is the most prevalent chronic disease among children aged five to 17, it goes without saying that the Venture Fund for Oral Health is both critical and hopeful.
So please, spread the word! If you are part of an organization that promotes oral health or know of an organization that is eligible, encourage them to apply for one of these grants.