Our Vision and Mission
Our Vision
We are guided by the belief that all families should have access to quality dental care. We believe this vision can provide a brighter future for everyone in our communities. It is sustained by the extraordinary contributions of compassionate, knowledgeable, and dedicated volunteers and built upon a strong tradition started in 1864 by the Chicago Dental Society.
Our Mission
Our mission is to improve the oral health care of the communities we serve by providing a source of funding for access to care programs and dental education.
History of Charitable Giving
In 2007, CDS invested $1.5 million to establish the Chicago Dental Society Foundation. Its mission is to support access to care programs and dental education.
Since 2002, CDS and its philanthropic arm, Chicago Dental Society Foundation, have donated more than $1 million dollars to local clinics and programs that help people get the dental care they need.
Below is a list of those clinics and access to care programs that have received grants from CDS or the CDS Foundation. You can also view a list of the foundation's most recent grants
- Access Community Health Network
- ADA Foundation for Hurricane Relief
- Advocate Health Care — Mobile Dental Program
- Alivio Medical Center
- American Red Cross for Hurricane Relief
- Angel Harvey Infant Welfare Society (formerly Infant Welfare Society)
- The Ark Dental Clinic
- Asian Human Services
- Chicago Dental Society Foundation
- Christina's Smile Children's Dental Clinic
- The Clopper Memorial Foundation
- College of DuPage — Dental Hygiene Program
- College of Lake County-Dental Hygiene Program
- Community Health (formerly St. Basil's)
- Community Nurse Health Association
- CURE Network (Remote Dental Clinic)
- Dental Lifeline Network Illinois (formerly IFDH — Donated Dental Service Program and Dental/Handicapped Housecalls Program)
- DuPage Community Clinic
- Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago
- Elgin Junior Service Board
- Erie Family Health Center
- Goldie's Place Dental Clinic
- Health World Children's Museum
- Heartland International Health Center Oral Health
- Heartland Health Outreach/Oral Health Forum
- Howard Area Community Center
- Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN)
- Kids 1st Health Fair
- Little City Foundation
- Lawndale Christian Health Center
- Mayslake Village
- Mobile C.A.R.E. Foundation
- Near North Health Service Corporation
- New Orleans Dental Association for Hurricane Relief
- Northwest Community Healthcare
- Northwest Community Hospital (NCH) Mobile Dental Clinic
- Norwegian American Hospital
- Oak Park River Forest Infant Welfare Society
- Oral Health America - Chicago Smiles Across America
- Pillars Community Health (formerly Community Nurse)
- Prairie State College — Dental Hygiene Program
- Prime Care Community Health
- Racing Industry Charitable Foundation
- The Salvation Army-Harbor Light Center
- Special Olympics/Special Smiles
- St. Basil's Health Service — Free People's Clinic (currently Community Health)
- St. Bernard Hospital and Health Care Center
- Swedish Covenant Hospital
- UCP Seguin
- UIC — McCormick Boys and Girls Club Dental Clinic
- Veterans Upward Bound - Grant A Smile
- Zion Benton Children's Services
CDS and the CDS Foundation have also supported dental education throughout the State of Illinois by making grants to the University of Illinois-Chicago’s College of Dentistry and Southern Illinois University’s School of Dental Medicine. Since 2002, the two organizations have donated more than $2.5 million, including a $500,000, five-year pledge to UIC and a $250,000, three-year pledge to SIU.