Communities Foundation of Texas awards $436,000 to 23 local health nonprofits

July 12, 2023

Grants will support North Texas nonprofits focused on improving health across dental, vision, and hearing care

Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) has awarded $436,000 in grant funding to 23 local nonprofits focused on improving health across North Texas.

CFT's mission is to improve the lives of all people in our community by investing in their health, wealth, living and learning. Texas has the highest number and highest percentage of uninsured residents in the nation. According to U.S. Census data, the number of Texans without health insurance rose in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic caused economic turmoil and job loss. A lack of health insurance keeps many from seeking health care services and preventive care. CFT believes that access to high-quality, affordable preventative and therapeutic services is necessary for a thriving community.

“Even with top-rated health facilities located across our region, for many individuals and families, investing in non-emergent care is determined by finances rather than by health needs,” said Dimple Sureka, CFT’s Community Philanthropy Officer. “Hearing, vision and dental needs are often overlooked in health conversations, but the implications of missed screenings and early treatments can have profound impacts on daily life including the ability to gain and maintain employment.”

Programs funded include those that support access to affordable and attainable hearing, vision, dental care, and financial assistance. Funding for this grant cycle was provided from CFT's discretionary funds including: Phoebe & Russell H. Perry Fund at CFT, the Basil Georges Fund at CFT, as well as CFT’s Fund for the Elderly, Collin County Impact Fund.

The 23 nonprofit grantees operate programs that provide access to preventative and therapeutic services in one or more of the following areas:

Dental care: Includes preventative and therapeutic dental care, orthodontics and/or oral surgery.
Vision care: Includes vision screenings, comprehensive exams, glasses and contacts fittings and/or surgical procedures for visual impairment.
Audiology care: Includes hearing screenings, diagnostic exams, hearing aid fittings and/or surgical procedures for hearing impairment.
Financial Assistance: Includes programs where funds will be used for hearing, vision and/or dental services, with payments typically made directly from the nonprofit to the clinical service providers.

The 23 nonprofits that received funding are: AIDS Outreach Center, Better Vision Better Hope, Callier Center for Communication Disorders, Cornerstone Assistance Network, Cure Glaucoma Foundation, Center for Vision Health, Dental Health for Arlington, Envision Dallas Lighthouse Foundation, Fannin Health Clinic, First Baptist Denton Ministry Center / First Refuge Dental, Foundation for Education and Research in Vision, Gill Children’s Services, HHM Health, JPS Health Network, LBU Community Clinic, North Texas Area Community Health Centers, One Mission Foundation, Our Daily Bread, Prism Health North Texas, Texas A&M School of Dentistry, Texas Native Health, The Samaritan Inn, and the University of North Texas.

Over 50% of the nonprofits were a first-time grant recipient of a Communities Foundation of Texas grant funding cycle, and over 30% of the nonprofits are led by a person of color.

Learn more about each of the nonprofits that received funding and what the grants will support below:

Name of Organization Supported	Grant Amount Awarded	What’s Being Funded
AIDS Outreach Center	$15,000	The Geisel-Morris Dental Clinic offers diagnostic and therapeutic dental services for individuals living with HIV in the Fort Worth health service delivery area, with a focus on the highest areas of need in Tarrant County. Funding will support the purchasing of specialized equipment for dental examinations, periodontal evaluations, oral cancer screening, restorations-composites, simple extractions, and partial and complete dentures.
Better Vision Better Hope	$25,000	Better Vision Better Hope provides vision care and education for people throughout Tarrant County. Better Vision Better Hope uses mobile clinics to eliminate the transportation and financial barriers clients may face. Funding will support mobile clinics serving school aged children in Tarrant County.
Callier Center for Communication Disorders	$40,000	The Callier Center’s Early Childhood Listening and Language Program provides audiology and speech-language services to deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Funding will help offset clinical provider costs and support the maintenance of a 3D printer used to make custom ear molds.
Cornerstone Assistance Network	$8,000	Cornerstone Assistance Network (CAN) offers a free Cataract Procedure Center that provides 10+ cataract clinics annually at no cost to patients. Funding will support the operations and supply needs of the Cataract Procedure Center.
Cure Glaucoma Foundation	$5,000	The Cure Glaucoma Foundation offers low-cost glaucoma services to patients in the Center for Vision Health's South Dallas Clinic. Funding will support glaucoma services for seniors 65 and older.
Center for Vision Health	$20,000	The Center for Vision Health strives to increase access to essential vision care for individuals of all ages. The Pediatric Low Vision Clinic services children with significant vision loss and provides comprehensive evaluations to assess vision and identify which assistive devices would best support the patient. Funding will support the operations of the Pediatric Low Vision Clinic.
Dental Health for Arlington	$25,000	Dental Health for Arlington’s MILES OF SMILES program provides free dental services, including education, a limited dental exam, decay-preventing sealants, and fluoride treatments to Arlington ISD elementary students. Funding will support dental services for students facing barriers in accessing high quality dental health.
Envision Dallas Lighthouse Foundation	$20,000	Envision Dallas works to improve the quality of life and provide opportunities for people who are blind or visually impaired through employment, outreach, rehabilitation, education and research. Envision’s Gigi and Carl Allen Family Vision Rehabilitation Center offers occupational therapy, assistive technology services and rehabilitation to adults with vision loss. Funding will support seniors receiving services at the Center.
Fannin Health Clinic	$10,000	The Fannin Health Clinic provides free medical services to uninsured adults living in Fannin County. Its dental clinic provides services such as exams, x-rays, fillings and extractions. Funding will support dental services for Fannin Health Clinic’s uninsured patients.
First Baptist Denton Ministry Center / First Refuge Dental	$5,000	First Refuge Dental provides free dental care for adults in Denton County, with a focus on keeping patients out of emergency rooms and maintaining their physical health. Funding will support the operations of the Dental Clinic, which offers cleanings, screenings, fillings, extractions, x-rays and more.
Foundation for Education and Research in Vision	$10,000	The Foundation for Education and Research in Vision’s North Texas Clinics, the Community Eye Clinic in Fort Worth and the Cedar Springs Eye Clinic in Dallas, provide eye and vision care to indigent populations. Funding will support general pediatric vision care including needed specialty contact lenses for eligible pediatric patients with ocular surface disease.
Gill Children’s Services	$20,000	Gill Children's Services provides last resort funding for Tarrant County children whose medical, dental, physical, social, psychological, or educational needs have not been met by other community resources. Funding will support financial assistance for hearing, dental and vision services for children that are unaddressed by insurance carriers, nonprofits and government programs.
HHM Health	$25,000	HHM Health is expanding its comprehensive oral health services in pediatrics to serve underinsured patients in Dallas. Funding will support pediatric dental care through equipment purchases and the operations of HHM Health’s mobile dental clinic.
JPS Health Network	$20,000	JPS Community Dental Program will provide dental screenings, cleanings, and emergency care to children. Funding will support providing financial assistance to eligible pediatric clients to offset the cost of preventative and preoperative dental care.
LBU Community Clinic	$30,000	LBU serves Hispanic communities in North Texas, providing preventative and restorative dental care for children aged six months to 17 years. Funding will support the revitalization of the pediatric dental clinic and the hiring of a Dental Director.
North Texas Area Community Health Centers	$25,000	North Texas Area Community Health Centers provides primary and preventative healthcare services to patients in Tarrant County. Their Eye Care Center offers full scope primary care optometry, specialized ophthalmic testing, minor in-office surgical procedures, wellness exams, and glasses prescriptions. Funding will support instrumentation costs for the diagnosis and management of myopia, a growing concern in the pediatric population.
One Mission Foundation	$13,000	One Mission Foundation Clinic provides audiological health and wellness services for primarily-Spanish speaking patients. Funding will support the expansion of services and the providing and fitting of hearing aids for seniors 65 years and older.
Our Daily Bread	$5,000	Our Daily Bread will provide Denton clients with financial assistance for preventative and emergency dental services. Its program works with private and institutional dental providers, advocating for reduced-cost services, and provides direct payment to dental providers on behalf of clients. Funding will support Our Daily Bread as it connects its clients to dental care services.
Prism Health North Texas	$40,000	Prism Health North Texas Dental Care provides comprehensive oral healthcare to children, pregnant women and people with HIV and AIDS to improve equity in outcomes and reduce the total cost of care. Funding will support Prism Health North Texas as it provides quality preventive dentistry interventions for children, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.
Texas A&M School of Dentistry	$50,000	The Texas A&M University School of Dentistry Sealant Initiative is a mobile dental program providing preventive dental services on-site at area elementary schools to improve access to dental care. Funding will support the mobile clinic, which also serves as an important training facility for dental students.
Texas Native Health	$20,000	Texas Native Health's Native Vision Care Program provides diagnostic and therapeutic services to low-income Native American individuals and youth in the Dallas and North Texas region who often experience cultural barriers that prevent them from seeking help from other service providers. Funding will support dental health services for pediatric clients.
The Samaritan Inn	$5,000	The Supplemental Healthcare Access Program at the Samaritan Inn, a transitional shelter facility, connects clients to healthcare partners. Funding will support financial assistance for basic and advanced dental care, vision screening/exams, and hearing exams/hearing aids.
University of North Texas	$10,000	The University of North Texas Speech and Hearing Center offers diagnostic and treatment services in speech-language pathology and audiology, with a hearing aid dispensary, preschool language room, therapy and diagnostic rooms and areas for families to observe clinical sessions. Funding will support the providing of financial assistance for families who cannot afford critical pediatric audiology services.

At CFT, we believe that a thriving community is one in which all people feel cared for, invested in, nourished and valued, and have an equitable opportunity to contribute to the well-being and growth of themselves, their families and their communities.

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