What is the Alabama Dental Foundation?

The Alabama Dental Foundation promotes philanthropy, encourages charitable giving, educates the public about various methods of giving and provides a flexible, simple and cost-effective vehicle for charitable giving. Donors do not give to the Alabama Dental Foundation, they give through the Alabama Dental Foundation, and the Foundation facilitates that giving.

In the simplest sense, to many individuals, the ADF is an alternative to a private foundation. To nonprofit organizations, the ADF is a source of grants and vehicles for endowment giving.

The Alabama Dental Foundation (ADF) is:

1. A vehicle for donors to leave a legacy in the form of a charitable fund
2. A vehicle for component and affiliate organizations to build endowments
3. A grant-maker from unrestricted funds to provide for unmet dental health needs in Alabama

Therefore, the ADF primarily helps three groups:

1. Donors (individuals, families and businesses)
   • As a cost-efficient and simple alternative to a private foundation.
2. Non-profit organizations serving the dental health needs of Alabamians
   • As a source of grants As a vehicle for endowment building
3. The Alabama Dental Association (ALDA)
   • By providing a cost-efficient and simple vehicle for building endowments that promote the dental health of all Alabamians
   • By making grants to individuals (scholarships), educational and nonprofit organizations to advance dental health in Alabama
   • By acting as a neutral resource in helping resolve dental health issues identified by ALDA

Why use the Alabama Dental Foundation?

The Alabama Dental Foundation serves the charitable interests of individuals, corporations and organizations. Those who give through the Alabama Dental Foundation want the impact of their contributions to be felt not only today, but for generations to come. Because each donor's fund is one of a number of funds invested and administered as a group, investment management and administrative fees are considerably lower than those required to maintain a private foundation.

Individuals, corporations and businesses serving the dental health community can show their support for dental health initiatives by making direct gifts to the ADF. A non-profit organization may establish an agency account as an alternative to creating and managing its own endowment.