Illinois State Dental Society Foundation 2026 Community Grant Awards: A Closer Look at the Nonprofits Making a Difference

This year, the Illinois State Dental Society Foundation (ISDSF) awarded $125,000 in community grants to 20 nonprofit organizations dedicated to expanding access to dental care across the state. The 2026 grants support projects ranging from mobile clinics and emergency care vouchers to specialized programs for the elderly, children, refugees, and people with disabilities. Below is a summary of each nonprofit and the impact the ISDSF grant will help them achieve.

205 Direct Dental Services Inc. – Pediatric Dental Clinic
Grant Award: $10,000

205 Direct Dental Services is working to raise nearly $1 million to establish a new dental clinic for public aid students in Rockford Public School District 205. While 12,000 students currently receive preventive dental care, many urgently need restorative treatment. The new clinic will allow every student to receive comprehensive care—including restorative services—effectively giving each child a dental home. School-provided transportation is expected to eliminate missed appointments, ensuring seamless care for all students.

American Academy of Public Health Dentistry – Refugee One Student Dental ClinicGrant Award: $5,000

Since 2022, this student-run clinic has expanded its Saturday volunteer days at Refugee One, serving a community of patients who cannot afford emergency dental care. The grant will help the clinic address more complex dental needs—such as root canals and surgical extractions—offering much-needed relief to patients and providing valuable service experience for student volunteers.

Aurora Christian Healthcare – Aurora Christian Healthcare Dental Clinic
Grant Award: $5,000

As the only free dental clinic in the greater Aurora area, Aurora Christian Healthcare fills a critical gap for uninsured and underinsured residents. With at least 14% of locals lacking any insurance, the grant will help the clinic continue and expand its dental hygiene and treatment services, prioritizing those most in need.

Bethany for Children & Families – Give Kids a Smile: Mobile Dental Clinic and Oral Health Education
Grant Award: $7,500

Bethany for Children & Families will use its grant to support its mobile dental clinic and oral health education initiatives, bringing much-needed preventive and treatment services—and crucial dental education—to children who might otherwise go without.

Chicago Family Health Center – Restorative Readiness: Modernizing Community Dental Care
Grant Award: $5,000

Serving more than 4,400 low-income and uninsured patients, Chicago Family Health Center faces high demand for restorative and urgent dental care. The grant will fund critical equipment upgrades, including new restorative handpieces and matrix systems, directly increasing the center’s capacity to deliver timely, high-quality care and reduce treatment delays.

Clay County Health Department – Clay and Effingham County Oral Health Project
Grant Award: $5,000

With a dentist-to-population ratio of 1:2,170, Clay County Health Department’s mobile clinics serve adults with Medicaid or no insurance who haven’t seen a dentist in over a year. The grant will fund a portable NOMAD X-Ray unit and software, expanding diagnostic and treatment capabilities for underserved adults.

Community Health Care Clinic – Caring for Our Community
Grant Award: $6,735

This free clinic for uninsured adults will use the grant to purchase curing light and rapid sterilization equipment, increasing patient capacity, improving efficiency, and supporting better healing outcomes—while reducing overall operating costs.

Dental Lifeline Network Illinois – Illinois Donated Dental Services (DDS) Program
Grant Award: $7,500

The DDS program provides comprehensive, pro bono dental care to 325 Illinoisans who are elderly, disabled, or have complex medical needs. The grant helps connect these vulnerable residents to essential oral health services, restoring both health and quality of life.

Dewitt-Piatt Bi-County Health Department – Dental Division
Grant Award: $8,000

As the only dental clinic in the area accepting new Medicaid patients, this department has rapidly expanded to meet community demand. The grant will replace a broken patient chair and a worn-out provider chair, ensuring safe and comfortable care for their mostly low-income patients.

Effingham County Health Department – Clay and Effingham County Oral Health Project
Grant Award: $5,000

In partnership with Clay County, Effingham County’s mobile clinics serve uninsured, low-income adults in a region with few dental providers. The grant will be used to purchase a NOMAD X-Ray unit and software, providing advanced diagnostics for those in need.

Hancock County Dental Center – Fiberoptics for Brighter Smiles
Grant Award: $10,000

Serving a rural Dental Health Professional Shortage Area, Hancock County Dental Center will use the grant to purchase new fiberoptic handpieces, replacing worn-out tools to better serve children, Medicaid recipients, and Medicare patients.

Hult Center for Healthy Living – Tooth or Consequences Dental Health Education Pre K - 1st
Grant Award: $2,265

The Hult Center’s grant will support its dental health education program for young children, helping establish healthy habits and improve oral health outcomes for Pre K through first-grade students.

Lake Land College – Beyond the Brush: Managing Co-morbidities through Geriatric Dental Care
Grant Award: $4,500

Located in rural East Central Illinois, Lake Land College will use the grant to provide essential dental cleanings and treatments for 25 elderly, high-risk individuals—most of whom have Medicare but no dental insurance and face significant health challenges.

Marklund Children’s Home – Marklund Dental Program Support
Grant Award: $5,000

Marklund’s two residential facilities serve 181 individuals with profound disabilities and complex medical needs. The grant will help cover dental care premiums, ensuring residents have consistent access to specialized dental services, from basic cleanings to complex procedures.

Mayslake Village – Spread the Health
Grant Award: $4,500

Mayslake Village offers affordable housing and essential health services to low-income seniors. The Spread the Health Program, supported by this grant, helps cover dental, vision, hearing, and mental health needs that Medicare often doesn’t, ensuring residents receive comprehensive care.

Oak Park River Forest Infant Welfare Society – Mobile Dental Care for Low-Income Students
Grant Award: $7,500

Through its Portable Dental Program, the society delivers preventive care and oral health education to over 1,500 children each year, directly in schools. The grant supports this mission, helping eliminate barriers like transportation and scheduling, and expanding access for underserved families.

Sarah Bush Lincoln Dental Services – Emergency Dental Care Vouchers
Grant Award: $5,000

Sarah Bush Lincoln’s Emergency Dental Voucher Project provides urgent dental care vouchers to uninsured or Medicaid adults who present with dental pain in emergency or primary care settings, ensuring timely and affordable access to relief.

University of Illinois Chicago – Addressing Oral Health Disparities in Chicago Shelters
Grant Award: $10,000

This pilot project connects residents of women’s and domestic violence shelters to affordable, prevention-focused dental services, breaks down barriers like transportation, offers culturally sensitive education, and provides service-learning opportunities for dental students.

UIC College of Dentistry Inclusive Care Clinic – Expanding Inclusive Dental Care Through Sensory Adaptation
Grant Award: $5,000

Serving more than 4,000 patients with special health care needs since 2024, the Inclusive Care Clinic will use its grant to implement occupational therapy-informed sensory regulation tools, making dental care more accessible for patients with mobility, cognitive, or sensory challenges—while training the next generation of dentists in inclusive care.

Well Child Center – Community and School-Based Dental Services, Outreach and Awareness
Grant Award: $6,500

Well Child Center will use its grant to support community and school-based dental clinics, fund provider and coordinator time, and provide dental care kits and educational outreach, including special activities for National Children’s Dental Health Month 2027.