Delta Dental of Washington & Arcora Foundation Community Giving

March 20
Delta Dental Informs Network Dentists it’s Committing $13 Million in Total Grants – and Advance Payments for Care – to Help Dental Practices During COVID-19-related Closures
The day after Gov. Jay Inslee ordered the halt of all non-emergency dental procedures for two months in order to reserve critical equipment for COVID-19 healthcare workers, we informed our network of nearly 5,000 dentists that we’d be making online applications available for independent dental practices to request grants totaling $13 million (an increase from the previously announced $10 million as a result of a greater than anticipated need) – and advance payments for care – to ensure these critical healthcare providers can hit the ground running once statewide practice restrictions are lifted, which is critical to Delta Dental’s mission.

March 31
Classroom Dental Education Materials Made Available for Home Use
To help educators – and parents – deliver interesting educational content for kids K-2 while schools are closed, we’re making our free classroom “Caring for your Smile” curriculum available for home use. The materials developed by Delta Dental in partnership with the School Nurse Organization of Washington include a 10-minute video featuring the Tooth Fairy, lesson plans, worksheets and coloring pages – all available for free download.

April 2
Arcora Foundation Expands DentistLink Provider Network to Provide Urgent Dental Services During COVID-19-related Clinic Closures
The two-month COVID-19-related closure of dental clinics for all non-emergency procedures has created a demand for people in need of urgent dental care. In response to this growing need, we’ve expanded our DentistLink referral service (normally focused on those who are uninsured or on Apple Health/Medicaid) so that anyone experiencing dental pain who is unable to connect with their dental provider and not sure where to turn for help, can be connected with a dentist near them. Those in need can contact a referral specialist by phone or text at 844-888-5465 – or visit DentistLink.org – to search for a dental provider in their community who is open for urgent care.

April 4
Delta Dental’s Tooth Fairy Introduces a Free Storytime Video for Kids & Parents
We recently partnered with the Tooth Fairy to produce a homemade video of her reading her favorite book, The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist. The short video serves as a tool for parents to share with their young kids while schools are closed. It’s available for free viewing, with more story-time videos planned for the coming weeks.

April 6
Delta Dental Donates $55,000 to Innovia Foundation’s Eastern Washington Community Response and Recovery Fund
As COVID-19 escalates statewide, we’re donating $55,000 to the Innovia Foundation’s Eastern Washington Community Response and Recovery Fund to support organizations with deep roots in the community and strong experience serving the elderly, homeless and others who are highly vulnerable and have immediate needs during this crisis.

April 7
Delta Dental Donates $110,000 to Seattle Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund
We made a $110,000 grant to Seattle Foundation to help nonprofits provide emergency assistance including financial support, healthcare and childcare to our region’s most vulnerable communities.

April 8
Arcora Foundation Donates $50,000 to Food Lifeline
As the coronavirus continues to leave many in a state of uncertainty, it’s also having a big impact on food insecurity statewide. To help, we’re supporting Food Lifeline with $50,000 to benefit more than 300 food banks in western Washington.

April 8
Arcora Foundation Donates $50,000 to Northwest Harvest
The number of people experiencing food insecurity has nearly doubled statewide as a result of the health and economic effects of COVID-19. We are donating $50,000 to Northwest Harvest to help meet this growing need.

April 9
Arcora Foundation Awards $6,250 to Walla Walla Senior Center
We’ve donated $6,250 to the Walla Walla Senior Center’s Senior Round Table – a congregate lunch program serving home-cooked meals – to help ensure that no senior will go hungry for lack of funds.

April 9
Arcora Foundation’s $6,250 Donation Provides Support to Island Senior Resources
We’ve donated $6,250 to support the essential services provided by Island Senior Resources – including food, essential medical transportation and more.

April 13
Delta Dental Donates 25,000 Meals to Feeding America and Food Lifeline
We joined forces with the Tooth Fairy to donate 25,000 meals to Feeding America and Food Lifeline in the name of Jimmy Fallon’s daughter Winnie, who lost her tooth on the air during The Tonight Show last week while Fallon was interviewing the Tooth Fairy’s friends Russell Wilson and Ciara discussing their support of the hunger relief organizations through their Why Not You Foundation.

April 14
Delta Dental & Arcora Foundation Announce $16,250 in Donations to Rural Resources Community Action
We’ve made two donations totaling more than $16,000 to support Rural Resources Community Action, which provides resources and support to children, seniors and families throughout Eastern Washington.

April 14
Arcora Foundation Supports Olympic Community Action Programs with $6,250 Donation
We’ve donated $6,250 to support the OlyCAP COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund. The fund addresses immediate needs of households across Clallam and Jefferson Counties as a result of the public health crisis and its economic impacts.

April 14
Okanogan Transportation & Nutrition Receives $6,250 from Arcora Foundation
We’ve donated $6,250 to support the Okanogan Transportation & Nutrition senior meals program.

April 14
Operation Toothbrush Launches with a Donation of 2,500 Oral Health Kits to the Kent School District
We’ve invested $5,000 in creating 2,500 oral health kits (including a youth-sized toothbrush, fluoride toothpaste and dental floss) for the Kent School District to distribute to students participating in the district’s meal program.

April 15
Arcora Foundation Awards Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe $6,250
We’ve donated $6,250 to support the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe’s basic food assistance program.

April 15
Coastal Community Action Program Receives $6,250 Arcora Foundation Donation
We’ve donated $6,250 to the Coastal Community Action Program to support the delivery of essential needs including grocery and meal delivery, medication and food bank pick-up and delivery in Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties.

April 15
Arcora Foundation Donates $6,250 to Confederated Tribes of Colville
We’ve donated $6,250 to support the senior services – including food and nutrition programs – of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.

April 16
Yakima Valley Community Foundation Receives $6,250 Arcora Foundation Donation
We made a $6,250 grant to the Yakima Valley Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Community Response Fund to help nonprofits provide emergency assistance – including food banks, shelters and transportation services – to the Yakima Valley’s most vulnerable populations.

April 20
Arcora Foundation Contributes $25,000 to WA Food Fund
We’ve contributed $25,000 to the Washington Food Fund to provide food and supplies for those in need during the COVID-19 crisis, including the elderly, people who struggle with health issues or have lost their jobs, and children who would normally rely on schools for meals.

April 22
Arcora Foundation Invests nearly $23,000 to Expand Operation Toothbrush Statewide
We’ve invested nearly $23,000 to provide oral health kits (including a toothbrush, fluoride toothpaste, dental floss and resource information for urgent dental needs) to 20 organizations statewide providing for those in immediate need – including native tribes, food banks/meal programs, school districts and community service organizations.

April 24
Delta Dental’s Financial Assistance to Independent Network Dental Practices Grows to $23.1 MillionDelta Dental is awarding $23 million in financial assistance to more than 2,200 independent in-network dental practices which were required to halt all non-emergency dental procedures for two months. The financial assistance includes 1,432 grants totaling more than $13 million ($3 million more than initially announced due to the significant need) and nearly $10 million in advance claims payments to 808 dentists to assist during the statewide closure.