$30,000 Awarded to South Dakota Dental Foundation
November 1, 2024 // Grants, South Dakota Fund Grants
The South Dakota Community Foundation (SDCF) recently awarded a $30,000 South Dakota Fund grant to South Dakota Dental Foundation. Funding will aid in the recruiting of more dentist to the Donated Dental Services program.
“The added support from the South Dakota Community Foundation will help us provide more charitable dental care to underserved populations by recruiting new dentists for the Donated Dental Services Program,” Paul Knecht, SD Dental Foundation Executive Director. “It’s really a great investment – once a dentist joins the program, they typically accept one or more patients a year with many of them volunteering for the rest of their career.”
The South Dakota Dental Foundation administers four access-to-care programs; one of which, Donated Dental Services, matches eligible elderly or disabled patients with a dentist for care, at no cost to the patient. This program aligns with the mission of the Foundation to improve the oral health of all South Dakotans by educating dental professionals; by educating the public; by aiding in developing the future dental workforce; and, by serving individuals with dental needs.
“Through this grant and the dedication of the Dental Foundation many more of South Dakota’s most valuable assets - it’s people-will receive much needed dental services across the State,” says Ginger Niemann, SDCF Senior Program Officer.
SDCF is a public non-profit organization established in 1987. SDCF, with offices in Pierre, Rapid City, Sioux Falls and Aberdeen administers 1,200 funds benefiting hundreds of charitable organizations annually. The Foundation distributed nearly $31 million in grants in 2023 which made a tremendous difference in communities statewide. This would not have been possible without the generosity of our donors. If you have a specific cause you would like to support or would prefer to give for the general good of our state, please visit https://sdcommunityfoundation.org/giving to learn more or call 1-800-888-1842.