• Program Enhancement
• Fundraising
• Symposium

With a highly successful, five-year track record, the ADA decided in 2006 to look for ways to expand Give Kids A Smile to “More Than Just A Day”. A National Advisory Board was constituted to guide expansion efforts, focusing on three primary areas: program enhancement, fundraising and staging an annual symposium to highlight Give Kids A Smile program promising practices.

Program Enhancement

The Program Enhancement committee identifies other access-to-care programs that would like to come under the Give Kids A Smile umbrella. Negotiations with several national and local access programs are under way. The committee identifies access-to-care programs with a history of significant achievement, or corporations that support Give Kids A Smile with significant resources.

Programs will have access to the Give Kids A Smile grants and national publicity venues through ADA publications, media relations and marketing.

In January 2008, the GKAS National Advisory Board invited four programs to champion the cause and join us in building one central voice advocating for oral health care for underserved children. The programs selected share our same vision and goals. Learn more about the GKAS Program Champions.

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Fundraising

An organized fundraising initiative continues to build the Give Kids A Smile fund within the ADA Foundation. CareCredit, an ADA affinity partner in the patient care financing field, is the founding donor to the fund with a contribution of $100,000. To facilitate the process for the inaugural grant year, state and local dental societies, along with members of the GKAS National Advisory Board, were  invited to nominate programs to apply for competitive grants.  A list of the first year grant recipients can be seen below.  The grant process will be re-evaluated each year by the GKAS National Advisory Board and the ADA Foundation to continue to meet the needs of the GKAS communities of interest.  Continue to visit the GKAS site to learn about new grant opportunities.

Congratulations to all of the grant recipients:

• Arizona Dental Foundation
  Scottsdale, Arizona
• Brownsville Multi-Service Family Health Center
  Brooklyn, New York
• Give Kids A Smile-Dental Society of Chester County & Delaware County
  Paoli, Pennsylvania
• Toledo Dental Society
  Toledo, Ohio
• Kids Smiles
  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Give Kids A Smile-St. Louis
  St. Peters, Missouri

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Symposium

The Dental Trade Alliance Foundation sponsors the Give Kids A Smile “Promising Practices” symposium. The symposium is an opportunity for program coordinators to come together and share ideas on how to enhance and improve local programs. Symposium proceedings are available free to all interested parties.  Mark your calendar for the next Promising Practices symposium June 26-27, 2009.

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