Wisconsin Dental Association Foundation Annual Grant Program

The Wisconsin Dental Association Foundation Annual Grant Program provides financial support for Wisconsin based efforts that improve oral health and access to dental care. The Wisconsin Dental Association Foundation was established in 1957 as a charitable subsidiary of the Wisconsin Dental Association and is a qualified tax exempt organization. Through the Annual Grant Program, the Foundation supports community based oral health initiatives serving Wisconsin residents, particularly efforts that provide dental care to underserved populations. The program also seeks to increase oral health education and encourage volunteerism within the dental health community. Funding decisions for the following calendar year are made through the Foundation's annual grant process. Eligible proposals must come from community based, not for profit oral health promotion programs located and operating in Wisconsin. Applicants must have 501(c)(3) status or be a government agency headquartered in Wisconsin, and grant funds must be used within Wisconsin. Individuals are not eligible. Organizations also may not receive both an Annual Grant and a Smile Program Grant during the same calendar year. The Foundation identifies eligible activities such as dental supplies, equipment, repairs to existing equipment, and other eligible operating expenses for low income dental clinics; dental health education delivered through schools, health fairs, social agencies, mobile dental clinics, or outreach programs; preventive oral health education connected with fluoride or dental sealant programs; and other philanthropic endeavors related to dentistry in Wisconsin. Grant awards range from $1,000 to $10,000, and applicants are encouraged to request the full $10,000 when the program or project requires that amount. Submission does not guarantee either full or partial funding. Grant funds may not support individuals, salary or other staff or volunteer compensation, travel, endowments, fundraising campaigns, general operating expenses, lobbying of any type, major capital expenses, organizations located or operating outside Wisconsin, or Federally Qualified Health Centers. No matching or cost sharing requirement is identified in the provided grant materials. A complete proposal must contain all required components in the order specified by the Foundation. These are a completed and hand signed Grant Application Cover Page, an Executive Summary, a Narrative limited to four pages, the Additional Required Documents stated in the application, and a Letter of Endorsement from an officer of the component dental society in the applicant's region. Only one proposal per organization per year will be accepted. Applicants should not submit additional materials such as videos, brochures, or promotional gifts because these materials will not be reviewed or considered. The signed application and all supporting materials must be submitted by email to pyerke@wda.org with the subject line specified by the Foundation for the grant cycle. Paper applications are not accepted. The WDA Foundation Finance and Allocation Committee evaluates proposals, with additional review and final approval by the Foundation's Board of Directors. Decisions are final. Evaluation considers the potential impact on the target audience or community; the potential for, or history of, continuous program operation; community involvement, including volunteer support; the provision of restorative, preventive, dental education, oral health awareness, education, and promotion services or content; and the originality, creativity, and innovation of the proposed program or project. Applicants should therefore provide enough information in their required materials to demonstrate the proposed effort's expected community impact, sustainability, volunteer involvement, oral health services or education, and distinctive approach. Applications for the following calendar year are made available on the WDA Foundation website beginning in July. For the current cycle, completed proposals must be emailed by 11:59 p.m. on September 15, 2026. Applicants will be notified of the decision by letter no later than January 10, 2027. Approved organizations must return the original signed Grant Agreement through the U.S. Postal Service together with a completed W-9 form, postmarked no later than January 31, 2027. Funding is not released until the Foundation receives both documents, and grant checks are scheduled to be mailed by March 31, 2027. A written Mid-Year Report of no more than one page is due by 11:59 p.m. on June 30 of the grant year. Failure to submit that report by the deadline makes the organization ineligible for consideration in the following grant year. Questions and requests for additional information may be directed to Mark Spiegelhoff, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Dental Association Foundation, at 414-755-4198 or mspiegelhoff@wda.org. The Foundation's address is 6737 W. Washington St., Ste. 2360, West Allis, WI 53214. The program operates annually, with applications for the following calendar year becoming available beginning in July. Based on the annual schedule, the current September 15, 2026 deadline is followed by the 2027 funding and reporting cycle, and the next application cycle is expected to begin in July 2027.

Address the proposal's potential impact on the target audience or community; demonstrate potential for or history of continuous program operation; show community involvement and volunteer support; describe restorative, preventive, dental education, oral health awareness, education, and promotion services or content; demonstrate originality, creativity, and innovation; do not submit videos, brochures, promotional gifts, or other extra materials