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Equity Principles

The mission of Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation is to elevate the well-being of all Coloradans by advancing oral health equity.

To achieve our mission, the foundation is dedicated to instilling equity principles into our work and decision-making. The foundation’s commitment to equity is embedded in our culture, in how we show up in communities, and in how we approach our work.

Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation actively invests in organizations, partners, and programs that are addressing root causes of health inequities or disparities. Health disparities are differences in health outcomes between groups stemming from inequities in social determinants of health and are rooted in poverty, injustice, and discrimination. We recognize the lasting negative impact on generations of communities of color due to racism and discrimination. The foundation’s overall strategic approach includes specific tactics to address poverty and racial inequities as addressed in our theory of change.

View Theory of Change

Our Commitment

Dismantling systems requires many champions, and we will be among them by taking a stand to create and advocate for change. While we recognize that we will not always get it right, in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we believe that “the arc of the moral universe is long, and it bends toward justice.” To achieve our goals, we are committed to:
Learning about, responding to, and addressing racial inequities and their impact on the communities we serve.
Understanding historical injustices that have created systems of oppression based on race, gender, religion, disability, socioeconomic status, and other systemic barriers to accessible care.
Trusting communities and grassroots partners that are addressing social determinants of health by affirming the critical role they play in identifying and developing solutions to achieving health equity.
Understanding the compounding effects of poverty and developing solutions for all Coloradans to access quality oral health care.
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How we do it

As a foundation, we live our commitment to these strategies through:
Grantmaking
Equity-guided investments dedicated to long-term oral health outcomes in Colorado.
Policymaking

Advocating, promoting, and supporting health policies that advance oral health equity.

Learning and evaluation
Framing our learning in an expansive way and focusing on long-term impact, decision-making, and accountability to our partners.
Storytelling
Using our platform to share stories and voices of those who are impacted by health disparities.
Culture
Committing to quarterly staff retreats focused on understanding health disparities, health equity and discrimination in our state and applying what we learn to our work.

Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation
Theory of Change