Strategic Initiative Grants
Transforming the state's oral health through collaboration, innovation, education and service.
We support initiatives that prioritize oral health issues and are committed to health equity.
Grant-Making Focus
The Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation (DDARF) Strategic Initiative grants help organizations discover, test, and share creative ideas that will improve oral health for everyone and inspire, empower, and connect leaders to better lead equitable change.
It is the intention that funded programs will align with DDARF’s strategic goals to deliver:
Empowerment & Knowledge
Opportunities that strengthen the connection of oral health to overall health and wellness for individuals, families, and communities.
Equitable Access
Opportunities that support oral health initiatives that meet individuals where they live, work, and play; prioritizing health equity and social determinants of health.
Systemic Change & Advancement
Opportunities to test innovative ideas that challenge existing oral health processes and can be successfully replicated.
Grant Overview
Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation’s Strategic Initiative Grant program provides statewide support to nonprofit organizations focusing on efforts that involve a range of activities, from advocacy to changing socio-cultural perceptions and actions that seek to improve oral health through positive social and behavior change. We’re seeking ideas that have the most potential to improve the oral health for those most in need. This could refer to large-scale programs or small-scale ideas with the potential to expand and replicate.
We prefer proposals that improve oral health systems in order to make the state more equitable in terms of opportunities and outcomes, specifically for uninsured and underinsured Arkansans. We welcome initiatives
that complement or amplify other programs we’ve already funded, particularly those aligned with our strategic roadmap.
Eligibility
Applicants must be an Arkansas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, government agency, school, or charitable dental treatment facility - we do not provide grants to individuals.
- Eligible organizations are encouraged to submit only one Strategic Initiative Grant proposal annually.
- Oral health programs must target underserved, unsured, and/or underinsured Arkansans.
- Funding may be used for single or multi-year projects.
- Applications are accepted year-round, and we ask that interested organizations start by submitting a Letter of Interest to share details about the project idea.
What We Typically Fund
- Program specific administrative costs,
- Capacity building (board and staff training, strategic planning, software to track and evaluate outcomes),
- Technical assistance (contract work, consultants),
- Innovative processes or products,
- Research and collaboration efforts,
- Educational opportunities and oral health education curriculum implementation, and/or
- Data collection and analysis
We welcome grant requests that have a clear oral health focus and incorporate one or more of the following:
- Demonstrated operational and financial stability,
- A project plan detailing how and when the program will be carried out and who will be responsible for each task,
- Ability to monitor, assess, and document the impact of the change(s) being sought, strategies being used, and the progress being made,
- Active collaboration among organizations, schools, and dental and/or healthcare providers,
- Inclusion of diverse groups,
- Wrap-around support that links participants to other social services,
- Initiation of oral health programs in counties where none or few exist, and/or
- Previously funded organizations that
have submitted complete interim and/or final reports
Click below to view a list of previously funded Strategic Initiative Grant programs.
Program Evaluation
Grantees will have specific reporting requirements and will be expected to maintain consistent communication with the Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation. Reporting requirements may include but are not limited to:
- Submission of receipts and invoices to validate expensed funds
- Quarterly milestones that provide updates on outcomes and tracked qualitative and quantitative measurement data or project deliverables
- If applicable, programs should collect data from participants (i.e., pre/post-project surveys, in-take forms, patient progress tracking records, etc.)
What We Typically Fund
- Program specific administrative costs,
- Capacity building (board and staff training, strategic planning, software to track and evaluate outcomes),
- Technical assistance (contract work, consultants),
- Innovative processes or products,
- Research and collaboration efforts,
- Educational opportunities and oral health education curriculum implementation, and/or
- Data collection and analysis
We welcome grant requests that have a clear oral health focus and incorporate one or more of the following:
- Demonstrated operational and financial stability,
- A project plan detailing how and when the program will be carried out and who will be responsible for each task,
- Ability to monitor, assess, and document the impact of the change(s) being sought, strategies being used, and the progress being made,
- Active collaboration among organizations, schools, and dental and/or healthcare providers,
- Inclusion of diverse groups,
- Wrap-around support that links participants to other social services,
- Initiation of oral health programs in counties where none or few exist, and/or
- Previously funded organizations that have submitted complete interim and/or final reports