Applications Being Accepted for Delta Dental's Oral Health Grants

Delta Dental of South Carolina is currently accepting applications for its 2025 oral health grant program to support oral health initiatives throughout the state, and March 14 marks an important deadline in the application process. The grants program is a two-stage process through which eligible organizations first submit a Letter of Inquiry and, if invited, then submit a full application. The letters of inquiry for the next round of grants are due by end of day Friday, March 14.

Delta Dental of South Carolina awards grants annually for general operations, programs, projects and capacity-building efforts promoting the oral health of individuals in South Carolina. Objectives of its grant program include:

• Reducing oral disease through education, prevention and treatment
• Ensuring access to affordable, timely and high-quality dental care
• Enhancing the awareness of good oral health with a focus on children and individuals in need
• Making a measurable difference in the oral health of South Carolinians
• Helping to ensure that South Carolina is among the states with the highest indicators of oral health

During its most recent grant cycle, Delta Dental of South Carolina – a leading dental benefits provider and a non-profit organization – awarded more than $300,000 in grant funding to 11 organizations. The funding is helping to further oral health initiatives, educational programs and charitable causes that are working to meet the oral health needs of children and adults in South Carolina. More than 32% of South Carolina adults have not visited a dentist in the past year,1 and nearly 20% of children in kindergarten through third grade have untreated tooth decay,2 underscoring the vital need for this funding initiative.

To view eligibility information and submit a Letter of Inquiry to be considered for the next round of grant funding, visit https://www.deltadentalsc.com/AboutUs/oral-health-grant-program and follow the directions by the stated deadline. E-mailed or hard copy letters of inquiry will not be accepted. The purpose of the Letter of Inquiry is to enable any organization to present a program or project to Delta Dental staff for an initial review. If invited to submit a full application, the completed application for grants to be awarded in May will be due by March 28, 2025.

1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Explore Oral Health Data by Location/South Carolina, retrieved September 4, 2024

2 https://connectingsmilessc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/sc_oral_health_plan.pdf