Bright Futures School Dental

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Executive Summary

Bright Futures School Dental is a nonprofit in California that brings dental care to children at school. A licensed hygienist, a dental assistant and a supervising dentist set up portable equipment at partner schools and give screenings, cleanings, fluoride varnish and sealants, and help families find a dentist for any treatment their child needs.

Cavities are one of the most common childhood diseases and a leading reason children miss school, and many children in low-income families never see a dentist. With this grant we will pay for dental supplies and a dental assistant. Care is provided only by licensed professionals within their license, with a parent's written consent. We cannot promise that a child will never get a cavity, and treatment beyond our scope is referred to a dentist.

What we are asking for. Our program has a Year 1 budget of about $350,000. We are asking for $80,000 from a regional health foundation to dental supplies and a dental assistant salary. The rest of the budget comes from other grants, sponsors and donors that are listed in the funding section. Every dollar amount in this plan is an estimate and none of it is a promise of any result for the people we serve.

Company Description

Bright Futures School Dental is a nonprofit organization recognized under section 501(c)(3) of the tax code, governed by a volunteer board that includes a dentist, parents and a school nurse. The board meets monthly, approves the budget and oversees the executive director. A new organization without its own determination letter can use a fiscal sponsor, explained in the funding section.

What we believe. Every child deserves healthy teeth and a visit to the dentist, and parents decide about their child's care. We bring care to the places children already are and we follow every health and privacy rule.

What we do:
- School screenings. A licensed hygienist checks children's teeth with a parent's consent.
- Preventive care. Cleanings, fluoride varnish and sealants applied by licensed professionals under a supervising dentist as the state allows.
- Family connections. We help families find a dentist and enroll in insurance for treatment.
- Education. Short lessons on brushing, snacks and why dental visits matter.

Scope. We provide preventive care only. We do not drill or fill teeth and we refer children who need treatment to a dentist. All care follows the state's dental practice rules and infection control standards.

Who we serve. Children in kindergarten through grade 8 at partner schools where most students have low incomes.

Our board has at least five members, including at least one person who has used our services or lives in the community we serve, and only a minority of board members may be related to each other or paid by the organization.

We keep a written conflict of interest policy, a whistleblower policy and a record retention policy, and the board reviews them every year.

Problem & Opportunity

Many children do not get the dental care they need.

1. Untreated cavities. Many low-income children have cavities that have never been treated.
2. Missed school. Tooth pain keeps children from learning and parents from working.
3. Few dentists. Some neighborhoods have few dentists who accept public insurance.
4. Barriers for parents. Parents may be unable to take time off work or find transportation.
5. Fear and confusion. Some families do not know how to start.

Why it matters now. School-based programs can reach many children quickly and sealants prevent a large share of cavities in the back teeth.

How we know the need is real. We reviewed school screening data and dental access data for our county, surveyed 100 parents and talked with school nurses. School nurses told us children come to the office with tooth pain every week, and parents said they cannot take time off for appointments. The numbers are in the appendix.

We update these facts every year using public data, partner reports and what the people we serve tell us, and we change the program when the facts change. If a need turns out to be smaller than we thought, we will say so and put the money where it is needed most.

Products & Services

What the funded project will do. With this grant we will pay for dental supplies and a dental assistant for a full year.

How a child takes part:
1. Consent. A parent signs a consent form and a health history.
2. Screening. A hygienist looks at the child's teeth during the school day.
3. Preventive care. The hygienist provides a cleaning, fluoride varnish and sealants as appropriate under the dentist's supervision.
4. Report to parents. Each family receives a note about what was done and what follow-up is needed.
5. Referral. A child who needs treatment is referred to a dentist, and our coordinator helps the family make an appointment and enroll in insurance.
6. Follow-up. We check in to see whether the family reached care.

What the grant pays for. The request covers dental supplies, sealants and varnish and the dental assistant's salary.

What we do not promise. We do not promise that any child will avoid cavities. We track how many children we serve and how many reach treatment, and report honestly.

Safety. We follow infection control rules, use sterile instruments, keep an emergency plan and call 911 for emergencies. We protect children's information under health and school privacy laws and report suspected abuse as the law requires.

We start small, check what works and grow only when we can do the work well. Every few months we review the numbers and the stories from the people we serve and change the plan where it is not working.

We write plain-language handouts for every step so people know what to expect, what it costs and who to call with questions, and we ask each person at the end whether the help was useful and what we could do better.

Market Analysis

Who benefits from this project are children in kindergarten through grade 8 at partner schools in our service area and their families.

Who we serve. Children from families with low incomes, most of whom qualify for free or reduced-price meals and many of whom are covered by public insurance or have no insurance.

How many people we plan to serve. In Year 1 we plan to screen about 1,600 children at 10 schools and provide preventive care to about 1,100. By Year 5 we plan to screen about 4,000 children a year at 25 schools. We chose these numbers from the capacity of one hygienist and one assistant at first and two teams by the third year.

Where we serve. Partner schools in the county, chosen for need and a place to set up.

Who else benefits. Parents who miss less work, schools with fewer absences and dentists who gain a referral partner.

How we will be careful. We obtain written consent, share information only with the family and the school as allowed and keep records secure.

We choose how many people to serve from the number of staff, hours and rooms we really have, not from the size of the need. If we reach fewer people than planned, we will report it and explain why.

Competitive Landscape

Other choices in our area.

1. Community health centers and dental clinics. Provide full care but have waiting lists.
2. Private dentists. Many do not accept public insurance.
3. Other school-based programs. Serve some schools in the region.
4. Health department programs. Offer limited screenings.
5. Emergency rooms, which treat pain but not prevent disease.

What makes us different. We bring preventive care to school and link children to a dentist, which reaches children who would not otherwise be seen. We work with health centers and dentists and refer children to them.

How we avoid duplication. We coordinate with the health department, community health centers and other school programs about which schools each will serve.

We keep a written list of every other organization that does similar work in our area and review it each year. If another group can serve a person better, we refer the person and say so plainly. Funders can expect us to tell the truth about overlap, to share what we learn and to work as part of a larger network of help.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How we will reach children and families once the project is funded.

School partners. Principals, nurses and teachers will host visits and send home consent forms.

Parent outreach. Flyers in English and Spanish, text reminders and parent meetings explain what we do and how to sign the form.

Community partners. Clinics, pediatricians and community groups will share information.

Word of mouth. Parents who have seen their children treated tell others. With permission, we share anonymous stories.

Digital outreach. A website and social media will explain the program and list the schools we visit. We will not post identifiable photos of children without written permission.

Access. Forms and notes will be in English and Spanish, with other languages where needed, and care is given during the school day.

Measuring outreach. We will track consent form return rates and adjust our outreach where it is not working.

Marketing budget. Outreach and printing are part of the program budget.

Most people hear about services from someone they already trust, so we spend more time with partners and neighbors than on advertising. We write our materials in plain language, test them with a few people from the community and fix anything that confuses them.

Operations Plan

How the project will be carried out, in plain terms.

Timeline for Year 1. Months 1 and 2: hire the assistant, sign school agreements, confirm licenses and buy equipment. Months 3 to 12: visit schools on a set calendar, with return visits for follow-up.

Space. We set up portable equipment in a school room or a mobile van.

Partners. Schools, a supervising dentist, community health centers and insurance enrollment helpers. Each has a written agreement.

Clinical, safety and privacy rules. All care is provided by licensed professionals within their license and under the supervising dentist as the state requires. We follow infection control standards, keep sterilization logs and carry an emergency plan. We call 911 for emergencies. Records are secure and follow health and school privacy laws.

Money controls. Dentist services are paid by contract and two people review every payment. Insurance reimbursements are billed only for services we deliver.

Records and reporting. We track children screened, treated and referred and report to funders each quarter.

Training. Staff receive training in infection control, working with children and cultural humility.

We write down every step of the project in a short manual so that any trained staff member can carry it out the same way. We hold a short team meeting every week to review problems, safety concerns and numbers, and we ask the people we serve for feedback at least twice a year.

Management & Organization

The executive director leads the organization and manages the budget and partners. The licensed hygienist and dental assistant deliver care, and the program coordinator manages schools, consent and referrals.

The team. Pay figures include payroll taxes and workers' compensation insurance. The numbers in parentheses are how many people we plan to have in Years 1 through 5.
- Executive Director: 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 (Years 1 to 5), about $64,000 a year each.
- Licensed Dental Hygienist: 1, 1, 2, 2, 2 (Years 1 to 5), about $72,000 a year each.
- Dental Assistant: 1, 1, 2, 2, 2 (Years 1 to 5), about $46,000 a year each.
- Program Coordinator: 1, 1, 1, 1, 2 (Years 1 to 5), about $48,000 a year each.

Governance and money controls. A volunteer board of directors oversees the budget and the executive director. Two people review every payment, the board reviews financial statements every month, an outside accountant prepares the yearly tax return and audit-ready records, and every grant is tracked in its own budget line. We screen staff and volunteers who work with the people we serve, train everyone on privacy and safety and keep written policies on conflicts of interest and complaints.

Staff and advisors. The hygienist holds the license required in California and the supervising dentist reviews every protocol. An advisory group of a dentist, a school nurse, a parent and a pediatrician meets quarterly.

Feedback and complaints. Anyone we serve can give feedback or a complaint by phone, in writing or in person, and can ask to speak with the board chair. We reply within five working days, keep a log of every complaint and report the themes to the board each quarter. No one loses services for speaking up.

Milestones Narrative

Goals for each of the first five years and how we will measure results. These are goals, not promises.
- Before the grant starts (3 to 4 months before the grant starts): hire the assistant, sign school and dentist agreements, confirm licenses and buy equipment and supplies
- Year 1: screen about 1,600 children at 10 schools and provide preventive care to about 1,100. The budget is $350,000.
- Year 2: add schools and a second team. The budget is $356,000.
- Year 3: add a second team and expand referrals. The budget is $483,500.
- Year 4: add a mobile van and a family night. The budget is $489,500.
- Year 5: screen about 4,000 children a year at 25 schools. The budget is $545,500.

How we will measure results: children screened, children who received sealants and varnish, children referred and reaching treatment, consent return rates and parent and school satisfaction. We report results to funders in the same plain numbers we use here, and we say honestly when a goal was missed and what we changed.

We report to funders every quarter and send a short plain-language summary to our board each month. At the end of each year we review all of the goals, publish a short results report and update the plan for the next year.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $80,000 from a regional health foundation for dental supplies and a dental assistant salary, for January through December 2027.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Supplies: Dental supplies, sealants and fluoride varnish, $34,000 (other funds add $6,000).
- Personnel: Dental Assistant salary, $46,000.

Other money in the program. This request is about 28% of our Year 1 grant income. Other grants and the income lines below pay for everything it does not cover.

Year 1 budget: about $350,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $12,800 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: grant revenue $290,000; individual donations $30,000; medicaid and program reimbursements $30,000. Year 1 costs: executive director $64,000; licensed dental hygienist $72,000; dental assistant $46,000; program coordinator $48,000; contracted supervising dentist services about $36,000; dental supplies, sealants and fluoride varnish about $28,000; mobile equipment fuel, maintenance and sterilization about $14,000; consent, data systems and reporting about $6,000; administration and insurance about $20,000.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $29,000 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $11,000 for portable dental chairs, lights, compressors and instruments for school sites, $5,000 for sterilization equipment and portable handpieces, $4,000 for opening supplies of sealant, varnish, gloves and masks, $3,200 for licensure and permits, infection control plan and training, $3,600 for consent forms, data system setup and legal review, and $2,200 for banners, flyers and a simple website.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($29,000), the cash the program uses before it balances (about $1,500) and a cash cushion of about $83,500, which is about 3 months of Year 1 costs. In all, that comes to $114,000. We start with $24,000 of our own savings and $91,500 in startup support from a local foundation and our board, $115,500 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $350,000 in Year 1 to about $545,500 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $290,000, $272,000, $375,500, $357,500, $389,500 in Years 1 to 5. Other income grows as sponsors and donors join. The program plans a small surplus each year, about $12,800, $12,800, $16,000, $15,300 and $16,300 in Years 1 to 5, which we put into savings.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $98,000, at the end of Year 1. Some grant payments and partner payments arrive after we bill, so we plan for about $17,500 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

After the grant. Individual donors and Medicaid and program reimbursements grow each year, so grants become a smaller share. School districts and health plans may contribute funds over time.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- Consent forms may not come back. We follow up with families and hold parent meetings.
- A hygienist may leave. We cross-train and keep substitutes.
- A grant may end. We grow donors and reimbursements each year and keep savings.
- A school may change schedules. We keep several partner schools.
- An infection control problem could occur. We follow strict protocols and log every sterilization.

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 with one site or one staff member and track results carefully. Strong results from a small start make larger grants easier to win.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach before you send this proposal:

- Your IRS determination letter showing 501(c)(3) status, or your fiscal sponsor agreement.
- Your board list and board minutes approving the application.
- Your most recent budget and financial statements.
- A list of other funders and what each has given or been asked to give.
- Licenses of the hygienist and supervising dentist and your protocols.
- Written agreements with schools and community health centers.
- Your consent form, infection control plan and privacy policy.
- Letters of support from school nurses and parents.
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: $290,000 in Year 1, growing to $389,500 in Year 5.
- Individual Donations: $30,000 in Year 1, growing to $54,000 in Year 5.
- Medicaid and Program Reimbursements: $30,000 in Year 1, growing to $102,000 in Year 5.
- Staff pay is shown in the management section and includes payroll taxes and workers' compensation.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: contracted supervising dentist services $36,000, dental supplies, sealants and fluoride varnish $28,000, mobile equipment fuel, maintenance and sterilization $14,000, consent, data systems and reporting $6,000, and administration and insurance $20,000. These grow between 4% and 6% a year as the program grows.
- Grant and partner payments arrive after we bill, so about $17,500 (5% of Year 1 income) is owed to us at the end of Year 1.
- The program does not pay income tax. Any surplus stays in the program.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your organization's real numbers.

Plain words used in this proposal:
- Grant: money given for a specific purpose that does not have to be paid back, as long as it is spent as promised.
- Request: the part of the budget we are asking this funder to pay for.
- Surplus: money left over after a year's costs. A small surplus is healthy because it builds savings for slow months.
- Startup costs: one-time costs, such as equipment, paid once before the program runs at full speed.
- Working capital: cash kept in the bank to pay bills while waiting for grant payments.
- In-kind: goods or services given instead of money, such as donated space.
- Fiscal sponsor: an established nonprofit that receives grants for a new group and passes the money to its program, usually for a fee.
- 501(c)(3): the tax status that lets a nonprofit receive tax-deductible gifts and many grants.

How to read the numbers. Every income and cost figure is a plan, not a result. Income rises as sponsors and donors join, costs rise a little each year, and each year's budget is planned to balance with a small surplus. Startup costs are shown separately because they are paid once. If a real number turns out different, we will update the plan and tell our funders why.

Startup Costs