Bright Smiles School Dental Program

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Executive Summary

Bright Smiles School Dental Program is a nonprofit in Arkansas that brings preventive dental care to children at school. A licensed dental hygienist and a dental assistant set up a portable dental station in the school, check each child's teeth with a parent's permission, apply fluoride varnish and place sealants on back teeth that are healthy enough for them. Children who need more care get a referral and help finding a dentist.

Tooth decay is common in children, and it hurts, causes missed school and is hard to concentrate through. Many families have no dentist, no insurance or no way to take a child to an appointment on a weekday. Bringing simple preventive care into the school day reaches children who might otherwise wait until a tooth hurts.

With this grant we will serve six elementary schools in Year 1. About 1,500 children will be screened with a parent's permission, about 1,200 will receive fluoride varnish and about 900 will have sealants placed. About 300 children will receive a referral for treatment, and our care coordinator will help each family find a dental home. We do not treat cavities, and we do not promise that any child will never have a cavity.

Our Year 1 budget is about $253,000, growing to about $304,000 by Year 5 as we add schools. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. We have 4 paid staff in Year 1 and 5 by Year 3, supported by a supervising dentist.

We are asking the Prairie Oaks Health Fund for $80,000 for our dental hygienist and for dental supplies. Insurance and Medicaid payments, school districts and donors also contribute, so this grant is one part of a shared funding plan.

I am Lauren Whitfield, the Executive Director. The numbers in this proposal are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end, not promises.

Company Description

Bright Smiles School Dental Program is a small, independent nonprofit in Arkansas, organized as a 501(c)(3) public charity. We serve children in public elementary schools in our region, with a focus on schools where many families have limited income.

Our mission. To give every child a healthy start to their smile, in the place where children already are.

What we believe. Prevention is kinder and cheaper than treatment. Every child is screened only with a parent's written permission, treated gently and told what is happening in simple words. We follow infection control rules, keep records private and never push a family to pay for care they do not need.

What we offer:
- Dental screening. A licensed hygienist looks at each child's teeth and tells the family what was found.
- Fluoride varnish and sealants. Quick, painless preventive treatments placed at school when the child is eligible and the family agrees.
- Referral and navigation. A care coordinator helps children who need fillings or other treatment find a dentist, make an appointment and get there.
- Oral health lessons. Short classroom visits on brushing, healthy snacks and what a dental visit is like.

Who we serve. Children in kindergarten through fifth grade at partner schools, especially children without a regular dentist.

What we do not do. We do not treat cavities, pull teeth, take X-rays at school or provide care without a parent's permission. We do not give medical advice outside our scope.

How we are run. A volunteer board of seven governs the organization. I am the Executive Director. The Program Director is a licensed dental hygienist who leads clinical work. A dental assistant and care coordinator supports children and families, and a part-time consent and outreach coordinator handles permission forms. A supervising dentist consults on our protocols.

Where things stand today. We have letters of support from two school districts and six schools, a written agreement in principle with a supervising dentist, quotes for the portable equipment, and a permission form and infection control plan under review by an attorney and the dentist. Before we start, we confirm our state's rules on hygienists working in schools and on billing. (Replace this with where you really are.)

Problem & Opportunity

Dental disease is one of the most common health problems in children, and it is largely preventable. A child with a toothache may sleep poorly, miss school and have trouble paying attention. Untreated decay can lead to infections and emergency visits.

Many families cannot easily get a child to a dentist. Some have no insurance, some do not have a dentist who accepts their coverage, and some cannot take time off from work or find a ride. A parent may not realize a child needs care until the child is in pain.

Sealants are a widely recommended way to protect the chewing surfaces of back teeth, and fluoride varnish helps strengthen teeth. These treatments are quick and can be done at school, but they are often missed because they depend on a family making and keeping an appointment.

For a small nonprofit, the hard parts are the cost of portable equipment and supplies, hiring a licensed hygienist, meeting infection control and consent rules, and making sure children who need more care actually get it.

We want to be clear about what we know and do not know. School-based preventive dental programs are a well-known way to reach children who do not see a dentist, and we will use the most recent local numbers on children's oral health and coverage in our final plan. We do not know exactly how many children will qualify for sealants or how many families will give permission, so our plan uses first-year goals and will report what really happens.

Products & Services

Bright Smiles School Dental Program will bring safe, gentle preventive dental care into the school day and help every child who needs more care find it.

How it works, step by step:
1. School agreement. We sign an agreement with each school for space, dates and how results are shared with parents.
2. Permission. Parents sign a permission form in English or Spanish. Only children with a signed form are seen.
3. Set up. The hygienist and assistant set up a clean, portable dental station in a quiet room, following infection control steps and using single-use items where possible.
4. Screen. The hygienist checks each child's teeth and records what is found.
5. Treat. When a child is eligible and the parent has agreed, the hygienist applies fluoride varnish and places sealants on healthy back teeth.
6. Tell the family. Every child goes home with a note that explains what was done, what was found and what the family should do next.
7. Refer and navigate. For children who need more care, the care coordinator helps the family find a dentist, book an appointment and arrange a ride.
8. Follow up. We check that referred children were seen and track results for schools and funders without naming a child.

Why this approach is strong. Prevention works best when it reaches children at school, and referrals work best when a person follows up. The hygienist and coordinator together make sure children are not lost between school and the dentist.

Market Analysis

Who we serve: children in kindergarten through fifth grade at partner public elementary schools, and their families.

Our primary group is children from families with limited income, those without a regular dentist or those enrolled in public coverage. Our secondary group is any child at a partner school whose parent gives permission. We will use the most recent local numbers on enrollment, children's oral health and children enrolled in public coverage in our final plan.

How we sized our plan. We plan to serve six schools in Year 1, with about 1,500 children screened, about 1,200 receiving fluoride varnish, about 900 receiving sealants and about 300 referred for further care. We grow to eight schools and about 2,000 children in Year 2, 10 schools and about 2,600 in Year 3, 12 schools and about 3,000 in Year 4 and about 3,200 children in Year 5. Our Year 1 budget is about $253,000 and our Year 5 budget is about $304,000.

Demand data. Letters of support from two school districts and six schools, and conversations with school nurses, show a clear need and a waiting list. We do not count on any single school.

We do not serve everyone. We refer children who need treatment to a dentist, and we refer families with urgent pain or swelling to the nearest dental clinic or emergency care right away.

Competitive Landscape

Other choices for families, and what makes us different.

- Private dentists. They offer full care, but many families cannot easily get to them. We bring prevention to school and send children on to a dentist.
- Community health centers and dental clinics. They offer treatment on a sliding scale, but have waiting lists. We refer children to them and help with the first appointment.
- Other school-based dental programs. Some exist in our state. We coordinate with them, serve schools that are not reached and share what we learn.
- School nurses. They are essential, but do not provide dental care. We partner with them.
- Doing nothing until a child is in pain. Many families have no other choice. We offer a gentler first step.

What makes us different.
- Care brought into the school day, with a parent's permission.
- A licensed hygienist and a supervising dentist who sets our protocols.
- A care coordinator who follows up until a child sees a dentist.
- Clear notes home and privacy for every child.

What we do not claim. We are new. Larger programs have more schools and a longer record. We plan to earn trust one school and one child at a time.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How we will reach the people we serve.

Schools and school nurses. We will meet principals, school nurses and teachers, explain how a school dental day works and sign agreements before the school year starts. Teachers help by reminding families and giving us a quiet room.

Parents. A permission form goes home in English and Spanish with a short explanation and a phone number to call with questions. We attend back-to-school nights and parent meetings, and we text reminders to families who have signed up for texts.

Dentists and clinics. We will visit local dentists and community health centers, explain our referral process and ask them to hold appointments for children we refer.

Insurance and Medicaid. We will learn which services can be billed under our state's rules and enroll only where it is allowed, and we will not bill anyone for care a family was told was free.

Donors. We will invite businesses, service clubs and individuals to sponsor a school or a screening day.

Teachers and families. We will give teachers a short guide on how to talk about the visit with children so it feels ordinary and friendly, and we will invite parents to ask questions by phone or at school events before and after our visit.

Cost to the family. Free. Insurance payments, where allowed, never come out of the family's pocket.

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 and 2 (summer): Sign agreements with six schools and the supervising dentist, confirm state rules on school-based care and billing, buy equipment, recruit staff and finish the permission form and infection control plan.
- Month 3 (late summer): Send permission forms home, schedule school visits and train staff on protocols.
- Months 4 to 9 (fall to spring): Visit each school on scheduled days to screen children and place fluoride varnish and sealants. The care coordinator sends notes home and makes referral calls.
- Months 9 and 10: Make-up days for absent children and follow-up visits for referrals.
- Months 11 and 12: Survey families and teachers, report to funders and partners and plan Year 2.

Space. Care is given in a quiet room at each school, provided by the school at no cost. Our small office is shared space in a community building.

Equipment. We buy about $38,000 of equipment once at the start: two portable dental chairs with lights ($14,000), a portable compressor, suction and delivery units ($12,500), handpieces, curing lights and instrument sets ($8,200) and a sterilization station and transport cases ($3,300). Later years replace or add a few items.

Staffing. In Year 1, I serve as Executive Director. The Program Director and Dental Hygienist, paid $62,000 a year, leads clinical work. A dental assistant and care coordinator, paid $38,000 a year, joins from Year 1, and a second in Year 3. A part-time consent and outreach coordinator is paid $24,000 a year.

Safety and infection control. We follow infection control rules for sterilization and single-use items, check for latex or other allergies on the permission form, never treat a child who is ill or in pain and keep a written plan for emergencies that includes calling 911. Every staff member passes a background check, and no adult is alone with a child.

Privacy. Records are kept in a secure system and shared only with the parent and the school contact the parent agrees to. Reports to funders never name a child.

Costs. Dental supplies are about $18,000 in Year 1, sterilization and equipment upkeep about $5,000, travel between schools about $6,000, supervising dentist consulting about $12,000 and administration and insurance about $14,000.

Management & Organization

The people who will carry out the project.

Lauren Whitfield, Executive Director. Twelve years of nonprofit work, including seven years in a community health center. She oversees the program, partnerships, fundraising and finances. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Program Director and Dental Hygienist (from Year 1). A licensed hygienist who leads clinical work, trains staff and manages protocols. The license is required to work in our state.

Dental assistant and care coordinator (from Year 1). Supports treatment and helps families find dentists and rides. A second joins in Year 3.

Consent and outreach coordinator (part-time, from Year 1). Collects permission forms and talks with families.

Supervising dentist. A local dentist who reviews protocols, is available for questions and supports referrals.

Board and advisors. Seven volunteer board members, including a school nurse and a parent. An attorney reviews our consent, privacy and billing approach.

Staff pay in this plan is a full year per person: Executive Director $56,000, Program Director and Dental Hygienist $62,000, dental assistant and care coordinator $38,000 and part-time consent and outreach coordinator $24,000. Replace them with the pay you can offer where you live.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals for each year and how we will measure them.

- Year 1: Serve six schools, screen about 1,500 children, apply fluoride varnish for about 1,200 and place sealants for about 900. A balanced budget of about $253,000, with a small surplus of about $10,400. About 4 paid staff.
- Year 2: Add two schools and serve about 2,000 children, with Medicaid and insurance billing where our state allows it. A balanced budget of about $255,500, with a small surplus of about $9,600. About 4 paid staff.
- Year 3: Add two schools and a second dental assistant and care coordinator, serving about 2,600 children. A balanced budget of about $297,500, with a small surplus of about $10,200. About 5 paid staff.
- Year 4: Serve 12 schools and about 3,000 children, with a stronger referral system with dental clinics. A balanced budget of about $300,500, with a small surplus of about $9,500. About 5 paid staff.
- Year 5: Serve about 3,200 children a year and share our protocols and permission form with other school programs. A balanced budget of about $304,000, with a small surplus of about $9,300. About 5 paid staff.

What we measure:
- Children screened with a signed permission form.
- Children who received fluoride varnish and sealants.
- Children referred for treatment and the share who saw a dentist.
- Parent permission rate at each school.
- Notes home sent and parent feedback.
- Time from referral to a dental visit.

How we review results. The Program Director reviews numbers every month during the school year. Twice a year, staff, the supervising dentist and the board review all results and share them with funders and partner schools. If a school has low permission rates or low follow-up, we meet with the school contact and change our approach. Every number in this plan is a goal, and we will report what really happens.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $80,000 from the Prairie Oaks Health Fund for a licensed dental hygienist and dental supplies, for August 2027 through July 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Program Director and Dental Hygienist salary, $62,000.
- Supplies: Sealant, fluoride varnish and infection control supplies, $18,000.

Other money in the program. This request is about 40% of our Year 1 grant income. Other grants and the income lines below pay for everything it does not cover.

Year 1 budget: about $253,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $10,400 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: grants $199,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for), dental insurance and Medicaid payments $10,000, school district and foundation partners $30,000, individual and business donations $14,000. Year 1 costs: executive director $56,000; program director and dental hygienist $62,000; dental assistant and care coordinator $38,000; consent and outreach coordinator $24,000; dental supplies (sealant, varnish, gloves, masks) about $18,000; sterilization and equipment maintenance about $5,000; travel between schools about $6,000; supervising dentist consulting about $12,000; administration and insurance about $14,000; about $10,200 a year for the wear on equipment.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $50,000 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $14,000 for two portable dental chairs with lights; $12,500 for portable compressor, suction and delivery units; $8,200 for handpieces, curing lights and instrument sets; $3,300 for sterilization station and transport cases; $4,200 for opening stock of sealant, varnish and infection control supplies; $3,500 for attorney review of school agreements and state rule check; $1,500 for banners, flyers and a simple website; $2,800 for background checks, licenses check and first insurance payment.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($50,000), the cash the program uses before it balances (about $0) and a cash cushion of about $58,800, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. The cash used before it balances and the cushion come to about $58,800. In all, that comes to $109,000. We start with $22,000 of our own savings and $90,000 in startup support from a local health foundation and our board, $112,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $253,000 in Year 1 to about $304,000 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $199,000, $179,500, $199,500, $184,500 and $172,000 in Years 1 to 5. Other income grows: dental insurance and Medicaid payments from $10,000 to $52,000 and school district and foundation partners from $30,000 to $50,000 and individual and business donations from $14,000 to $30,000. We add schools and a second dental assistant and care coordinator in Year 3 as the program grows. Grants fall from about 79% of our income in Year 1 to about 57% in Year 5.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $76,800, at the end of Year 1. Some grant payments and partner payments arrive after we bill, so we plan for about $15,180 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

After the grant. Insurance and Medicaid payments where allowed, school districts, businesses and individual donors grow every year, so grants become a smaller share of our budget. Families and teachers share their stories, and sponsors can adopt a school by name.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- A state rule changes. We confirm the rules each year with the state dental board and our dentist and adjust our approach.
- A low permission rate. We send forms home early, text reminders and hold family nights.
- An infection control problem. We follow a written plan, use single-use items and train every staff member.
- Staff turnover. We cross-train and keep a list of qualified hygienists.
- A grant ends. We keep savings and grow billing, school and donor support each year.

If you are just starting. A new organization can begin before it has its own 501(c)(3) status through a fiscal sponsor: an established nonprofit that receives grants for you and passes them to your program, usually for a fee (commonly around 5% to 10% of the grant, sometimes more; ask before you agree). Another way is to start smaller: one or two schools, one portable station and a volunteer dentist or hygienist, tracked carefully. Strong results from a small start make larger grants easier to win.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach with this proposal:

- Your IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter, or your fiscal sponsor agreement.
- Your most recent financial statements and your current year budget.
- A list of your board members and what each one does.
- Signed letters of support from each partner school and district.
- Your agreement with the supervising dentist.
- Your parent permission form in English and Spanish.
- Your infection control and emergency plan.
- Your written privacy policy and background check policy.
- Quotes for the portable dental equipment.
- Resumes for your Executive Director and key staff.
If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.

The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Grant Revenue: $199,000 in Year 1, then $179,500, $199,500, $184,500 and $172,000.
- Dental Insurance and Medicaid Payments: $10,000 in Year 1, growing to $52,000.
- School District and Foundation Partners: $30,000 in Year 1, growing to $50,000.
- Individual and Business Donations: $14,000 in Year 1, growing to $30,000.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): executive director $56,000, program director and dental hygienist $62,000, dental assistant and care coordinator $38,000, consent and outreach coordinator (part-time) $24,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: dental supplies (sealant, varnish, gloves, masks) $18,000, sterilization and equipment maintenance $5,000, travel between schools $6,000, supervising dentist consulting $12,000, administration and insurance $14,000. These grow between 4% and 6% a year.
- Equipment: $38,000 at the start, then $3,000 to $4,000 a year.
- Startup costs: $50,000, paid once from $112,000 in startup money.
- Children served: about 1,500 in Year 1, growing to about 3,200 in Year 5.
- Insurance and Medicaid payments are planned only after we confirm with the state which services can be billed.
- About 6% of each year's income is still owed to us at year end.
- Tax: none, as a nonprofit.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and real budget.

Startup Costs