Grant Guidelines

INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT
Guidelines and Conditions of Funding

INCREASING ACCESS to oral health care is a key Foundation goal. One strategy to reach this goal is to integrate, improve, and expand the oral health components of the health care safety net in Massachusetts.  Grants in this round of funding will support improvements and expansion of the oral health infrastructure to increase access to treatment and prevention services for the underserved. Funding in this category may support equipment, supplies, small facility improvements, and other necessary start up costs. Funding will not include support for personnel for delivery of care. There is a strong preference for programs that provide regular and ongoing services for preventative and restorative care versus more episodic access to care.

Conditions of Funding

• Funding support is provided to non-profit organizations and clinics in the public sector. Federally qualified health centers (FQHC), organizations in health professional shortage areas and dental professional shortage areas are of particular interest.
• Funding is for a one year period and will support the purchase of new equipment, the cost of renovation for expansion, and/or rehabilitation of existing clinic space.
• The Oral Health Foundation requires narrative and financial reporting from all projects, generally done on an annual basis. Evaluation components will be part of the reporting process.
• All applications must include metrics that project how the proposed infrastructure changes will increase access.
• The Oral Health Foundation only funds projects to benefit the oral health of the residents of Massachusetts. This round of funding from the Oral Health Foundation does not include projects in other US States or foreign nations.

Application Review
Applications will be evaluated at three levels of review to establish the worthiness of the proposal for funding: due diligence of the Foundation staff, thorough examination by a volunteer advisory committee, and final review by the Grant Review Committee of the Foundation Board. The Grand Review Committee makes funding recommendations to the full Foundation Board.

Foundation staff may conduct site visits and/or request additional information or documentation including but not limited to financial projections and a business model of sustainability of oral health services beyond the terms of the grant.

After Funding Approval
When a project receives final funding approval, a contract referred to as the “Terms and Conditions Document” is drawn up by Foundation staff. This is the legal document defining the grant, including any special conditions or evaluation requirements. The Terms and Conditions Document will be sent to the executive director or primary responsible party to be signed and returned within ten days. Once the Oral Health Foundation has received the signed Terms and Conditions Document and any additional required documents, funding will proceed according to the schedule outlined in that document.

For more information on eligibility requirements.