From the 2026 Fall Journal of the Colorado Dental Association
By Julie Collett, Colorado Dental Association Foundation Manager
The Colorado Dental Association Foundation’s (CDAF) mission is to advance oral healthcare through charitable giving, support the future of the profession through dental school scholarships, and promote dental professional wellbeing.
Since 2015, CDAF has provided grant funding to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving access to oral healthcare throughout Colorado. The needs identified by these organizations are diverse — from oral health education materials and supplies to handpieces, x-ray machines, delivery systems, and other essential dental equipment.
CDAF prioritizes organizations and project applications that demonstrate:
- A documented need for the proposed project
- A focus on an underserved Colorado population
- A proven track record of serving the population being targeted
- A project whose impact extends beyond the grant period
Since the foundation’s grant program began in 2015, CDAF has awarded more than $300,000 to nonprofit organizations across 13 Colorado counties, helping communities access the dental care, education, equipment and resources they need. The counties include Mesa, Garfield, Larimer, Boulder, Routt, Summit, El Paso, Moffat, Arapahoe, Adams, Denver, Pitkin and San Miguel.
A grant is more than a dollar amount on a check. It is an investment in people and communities.
Recently, CDA Director of Communications Becky O’Guin and I had the opportunity to visit four organizations that have received funding from CDAF. Seeing these organizations firsthand gave us a deeper understanding of the people they serve, the challenges they face and, most importantly, the difference CDAF grants are making.
Carol Rykiel, R.D.H., Manager of Integrated Dental Services, Stuart Steers, Grant Writer, Carol Niforatos, D.D.S., Director of Dental Services
Colorado Coalition for the Homeless
Dr. Carol Niforatos, Director of Dental Services
Our first stop was the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. Visiting their facility and meeting with their team gave us the opportunity to see how their dental program is helping address a critical need for individuals experiencing homelessness and housing instability. For many of the people they serve, access to dental care can be difficult to obtain. Yet oral health is an important part of overall health, dignity and quality of life.
Last year alone, the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless recorded 9,571 dental encounters involving 3,355 patients.
CDAF has proudly funded the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless for several years. Their grant funding has helped them purchase new dental delivery systems for all of their operatories, providing the equipment needed to continue caring for the people who rely on their services.
It was a powerful reminder that providing funding for dental equipment, supplies and services can help remove barriers to care for people who might otherwise go without.
Thriving Families
Galena Rhoades, Ph.D., Executive Director
Our next stop was Thriving Families. Their programs focus on parenting, infant and child wellbeing, family relationships and health services.
With funding from CDAF, Thriving Families has been able to integrate oral health education and oral health kits into its programs, reaching families at an important stage in child development. Through this effort, they have been able to provide oral health education and resources to approximately 800 individuals.
It was also wonderful to hear that Thriving Families partners with several other organizations that CDAF has funded through its grant program. They hope in the future to be able to provide dental care directly at their new facility.
Their work is a great example of how organizations can collaborate to create a stronger network of care for Colorado families.
T
epeyac Community Health Center
Jim Garcia, CEO
Our tour then took us to Tepeyac Community Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center providing integrated health services to residents throughout the Denver metro area.
CDAF funding has supported their school-based dental program, allowing them to purchase portable x-ray machines. This equipment will help their dental team see more students and provide more comprehensive care in a school setting. To date, more than 1,500 children have been able to receive dental care through their school-based efforts.
Being able to see the equipment and learn how it will expand their ability to care for children was another great reminder of how a relatively small investment can have a lasting impact.
Deserving Dental
Jennifer Geiselhofer, R.D.H., Executive Director
Our final stop — and what a treat it was — was Deserving Dental. We got a tour of their brand-new dental clinic on wheels.
Deserving Dental provides preventive and therapeutic dental care through its mobile dental clinic, bringing services directly to some of Colorado’s most vulnerable populations. They serve unhoused individuals and families, runaway youth, victims of domestic violence, residential addiction recovery programs and community centers. Last year, Deserving Dental provided dental care and education to 865 patients.
As we toured the mobile dental clinic, we even saw a drawer specifically designated for CDAF.
Inside were Cavitron tips and dental instruments purchased with CDAF grant funding.
Seeing those supplies in the very place where care is being delivered brought the impact of CDAF’s grant program to life. The grant wasn’t simply equipment sitting on a shelf. It was equipment being used to care for people.
Seeing the Impact of Giving
What a day it was to visit these four organizations and see firsthand the incredible things happening because of CDAF funding. We saw oral health education reaching young families. We saw technology helping dental teams reach more children. We saw partnerships connecting patients to needed dental care. And we saw a mobile dental clinic bringing preventive and therapeutic services directly into communities that might otherwise struggle to access care.
Most importantly, we were reminded that CDAF funding is about so much more than a grant.
It is about giving an organization the resources to:
- Reach one more child.
- Educate one more family.
- Provide care to one more patient.
- Remove one more barrier to oral healthcare.
That is what happens when people give.
We are incredibly grateful to the organizations doing this important work — and to the donors who make it possible for CDAF to continue supporting them. When you invest in oral health, you are investing in people, families and communities. This is the impact of giving.
This is the difference the Colorado Dental Association Foundation is making across Colorado.
