Delta Dental of Iowa and Foundation announce 2025 total giving of $3.6 million for 230 organizations

Posted on April 14, 2026 in Foundation

Delta Dental of Iowa and its Foundation committed more than $3.6 million to 230 organizations to address oral and overall health needs across Iowa in 2025, including meaningful contributions to grow and support the dental workforce.

“At Delta Dental of Iowa, we’re committed to making Iowans healthier through our investments in community health access and the health care ecosystem,” said April Schmaltz, president and CEO, Delta Dental of Iowa. “We are proud of the strides we’ve made in supporting the dental workforce and expanding access to care across Iowa.”

Investing in healthier communities

The Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation primarily focused its giving on programs that strengthen the connections between oral and overall health, improve access to oral and vision health care, and integrate care across health systems for whole-person well-being.

Highlights of projects and grant programs in 2025 include:

• System and Capacity Building Grants totaling more than $1.7 million to organizations across the state, including funding a new 13,000-square-foot satellite clinic for Community Health Care, Inc. in Muscatine – a facility for dental, medical, behavioral health, and pharmacy services.
• More than $560,000 in Community of Health grants to 22 organizations, including All Care Health Center in Council Bluffs to convert unused space into a fully equipped dental operatory, increasing dental capability by 33%.
• Invested more than $118,000 for the Rethink Your Drink program, which provided four schools, one library, and 16 communities with water bottle filling stations.
• Hosted a free, volunteer-led vision clinic in Fort Dodge in partnership with OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, Prevent Blindness Iowa, and Community Health Center of Fort Dodge. The clinic provided no-cost vision screenings and exams for 386 community members and 348 free pairs of glasses were distributed.

Supporting Iowa’s dental professionals

Strong provider partnerships are essential to improving oral health across Iowa. In 2025, Delta Dental supported dental professionals through strategic programs, workforce investments and advocacy initiatives, such as:

• Awarding two FIND (Fulfilling Iowa’s Need for Dentists) Loan Repayment recipients, located in Des Moines and Dubuque. Recipients can receive up to $200,000 in loan repayment for serving populations facing barriers to care.
• Participating in the launch and fully funding Iowa’s first statewide dental provider mental health program — Iowa Dental Advocacy for Professional & Personal Thriving (IADAPT).
• Investing in Iowa’s dental workforce development with more than $900,000 in commitments to dentistry, dental hygiene and dental assisting programs at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, Des Moines Area Community College, Iowa Central Community College and Northeast Iowa Area Community College.

In addition, Delta Dental recently announced a new Revolving Loan Fund, where dentists can apply for up to $500,000 in low-interest loans for private practice ownership and succession.

Delta Dental of Iowa serves 1.7 million members to provide dental, vision, legal, and life benefits. To view the Delta Dental of Iowa 2025 annual giving report, click here.