The Gift of Giving

As the holiday season continues in full effect, a lot of people get in the mood for giving. With Thanksgiving just over, you probably ate so much that you envy cows and their four stomachs. But before you delve into eggnog, cookies, prime rib, and fruitcake (Well, we aren’t sure anyone has eaten fruitcake in the last two decades, but it’s synonymous with the holidays, so…), you should consider donating to a charity. With so many charities to choose from, it can be hard to make a decision on what cause you want to be apart of. Below are a few charities that focus on dental needs.

1. National Children’s Oral Health Foundation (NCOHF) – Through various programs and initiatives, NCOHF aims to helps children of all ages by educating them on preventative oral care, as well as providing oral health products to those in need. Since the NCOHF gets funding from bigger partnerships, all donations made go directly to the programs and not administrative or fundraising efforts.
2. Dental Lifeline Network (DLN) – DLN provides the less fortunate with dental services by organizing the logistics for volunteer dentists and labs. DLN has an agreement with dentists that they will do at least one to two cases per year. While most low-income dental clinics provide only basic or emergency services, DLN is proud to have dentists who perform extensive dentistry for low-income and disabled/elderly people.
3. Global Dental Relief (GDR) – GDR gives children in impoverished areas around the world much-needed oral care, and also educates them on how to properly to take care of their teeth. They organize multiple relief trips a year to Nepal, India, Guatemala, Kenya and Cambodia.

If these charities aren’t tugging on your (golden) heart strings, check out Just Give to find one that may persuade you to donate or volunteer. Just Give allows you to search for local charities — that way you know the money or time you’re donating is going back into your community. Additionally if you don’t know much about a charity, visit Charity Navigator. Charity Navigator rates non-profit organizations on financial efficiency and transparency. Before donating to a charity you like, be sure to check out if the organization is of high quality or not.

As we continue to enjoy our holiday season with family, friends, and loved ones, please take the time to look into a charity that resonates with you. It only takes a little bit of your time and effort to make someone else’s year.