Access to Care and Targeted Grants
The MDS Foundation offers two grant options for grantee partners. Access to Care Grants are designed to help larger facilities directly address access needs in the Commonwealth. Targeted Grants are designed to help smaller organizations increase access directly in their community.
Access to Care Grants
The MDS Foundation distributes funds in various amounts to applicants located in Massachusetts for projects benefiting the residents of the Commonwealth. Priority is given to proposals that have measurable improvement goals, show strong community support for the project, and are innovative in nature.
The deadline to apply for an Access to Care grant is November 1 each calendar year. A properly completed grant application, including all required documents, must be submitted on or before the deadline date.
Funding decisions will be announced in the following January, and funding is for one year only. Multi-year projects must reapply each year.
The MDS Foundation Grant Review Committee evaluates all proposals and makes recommendations for funding to the MDS Foundation Board of Directors. Considerations for grant approvals include:
- Originality, creativity, and innovation
- History of, or potential for, continuous program operations
- Community involvement and collaboration, including volunteer support
- Potential impact on the target community or audience
- Established matching funds and/or long-term funding relationships
The MDS Foundation may change these guidelines or make grants that do not fall within the range of these guidelines at its discretion.
In addition to the grant application, the following documents must be included in your grant request:
- IRS documentation of non-profit, tax-exempt status
- Letters of support from collaborators, co-sponsors, or local District Dental Societies
- Detailed project budget and amount requested, including other financial co-sponsors and the amount of their contributions
- Bio-sketches of key project personnel (do not send resumes or CVs)
To fully evaluate some applications, additional information may be requested by the MDS Foundation Grant Committee. The Foundation may share information from any submitted proposal with outside reviewers or other external sources of information about the applicant, the affected community, or the proposed work. By submitting the application, you give permission for the sharing of this information. Do not send videos, recordings, PowerPoint presentations, or binders/folders.
Successful grantees will be required to submit a Final Project Report on the status of the project to the MDS Foundation by December 31 of the grant cycle year.
Completed applications (proposal and attachments) should be mailed or emailed by November 1.
Mr. Kevin Monteiro
MDS Foundation, Inc.
Two Willow Street, Suite 200
Southborough, MA 01745-1027
foundation@massdental.org
If you require notification that the MDS Foundation received your grant request, please request delivery notification from your mailing service.
Targeted Grants
The MDS Foundation’s Targeted Grants provide funding to organizations or programs that want to increase access to dental care on a smaller scale than the larger Access to Care Grants. Targeted Grants are limited to $2,000 and are open to public organizations.
Organizations or programs that wish to request funding for an activity aligned with the MDS Foundation’s mission, which is to direct its charitable resources toward improving the oral health of Massachusetts residents, may submit a funding request of up to $2,000.
There is no formal application process for requesting a Targeted Grant; however, a letter on organization letterhead describing the proposed project is required. The letter should include:
- Requested grant amount (up to $2,000) and itemization of how the grant funds will be spent
- Purpose and duration of the project
- Objectives and planned activities
- How progress or success will be measured
Organizations/programs that accept the grant must agree to provide the MDS Foundation with a written report on the use of the funds within one year of receiving the grant.
All grant requests may be submitted via email to foundation@massdental.org or submitted via mail to:
The MDS Foundation
Two Willow Street
Southborough, MA 01745
Examples of oral health projects supported by the MDS Foundation include, but are not limited to:
- Other programs not listed above that clearly demonstrate methods for increasing access to oral health care for vulnerable populations
- Increasing access to oral care for low-income families and children
- Increasing access to oral care for infirm or elderly residents of Massachusetts
- Increasing access to oral care for children and adults with developmental disabilities or special needs
- Supporting community outreach programs, community health centers, and public health settings seeking to increase access to oral care for local community residents