Foundation Update

2018 – 2019: A Year in Review

By Nora Carpenter

The Foundation’s 2018 – 2019 campaign was a banner success! Thanks to support and rally spirit of many first and long-time donors, your Foundation raised just over $1 million to support endodontic research, education, public awareness and access to care. Below are some brief highlights of the fundraising success and just how those generous dollars are put to work!

Fundraising

The Foundation kicked off its annual fundraising campaign in late summer/early fall 2018. A goal of $1 million was established to raise by the end of AAE19 in Montréal. There was a concerted effort by a wide array of volunteers, Board and staff to assure adequate Foundation education created a strong case for support.

The case was strong and volunteer efforts shined. Throughout the course of the campaign, fundraising totals tracked ahead of the previous year’s progress. Several exciting events occurred during the campaign, which contributed to the overall success. Each of these contributed to the momentum necessary to carry the organization over the finish line of achievement.

• Residents from more than 40 institutions made their first-time contributions to the Foundation!
• A total of seven corporations made commitments to the Foundation, two of which are first-time donors.
• Several Foundation Trustees and AAE Directors personally increased their commitment to the organization to confirm the solidarity between the Foundation and Association.
• Over $35,000 was raised at the Foundation’s annual Donor and Leadership Reception, where generous guests increased their commitments to the Foundation or made additional, outright gifts. The event was hosted to update the Foundation’s most loyal and generous friends on the current goals and projects of the organization.
• Edge Endo helped close the gap toward the fundraising goal with an additional $40,000 pledge beyond their existing commitments.

Funding Initiatives
Year after year, the Foundation for Endodontics supports educators, students and practitioners by way of funding provided to individuals and institutions. The funding initiatives below are just a sampling of all the work your Foundation is doing to support the future of endodontics and put the hard-earned funds raised to work.

• A thriving dental specialty starts with strong educational opportunities. The Foundation is committed to ensuring specialists teach endodontics at dental institutions across the United States and Canada. The Endodontic Educator Fellowship Award is one of the Foundation’s flagship funding opportunities. Recipients receive $50,000 a year, for five years; up to $250,000 is available per recipient. The Fellowship is awarded once annually to educators who commit a minimum of five years to a full-time academic career in endodontics. The 2019 recipient will be announced in early fall.
• The Foundation has invested over $7 million in endodontic research since 2001 and continues to provide $260,000 annually in competitive research grant funding. Groundbreaking research impacts all members of the specialty, allowing practitioners to provide excellent standards of care, allowing researchers to further push academic boundaries, and giving residents the opportunity to learn from the latest and most cutting-edge information. The deadline for the fall 2019 competitive research grant cycle is August 15. Submit your proposal today.
• In partnership with ADEA, the Foundation for Endodontics sponsors participation in ADEA's Leadership Institute. Every year, one recipient is selected to receive a $25,000 scholarship to cover half the cost of the year-long program. ADEA generously provides the other half of the program’s tuition. The recipient will be selected by ADEA based on their criteria. Interested candidates should submit an application to ADEA. 
• The Full-time Educator Development Grant (accepted on a rolling deadline) provides funding for continuing education and professional development. Through this funding opportunity along with the Ten-Year Anniversary Grant (accepted on a rolling deadline) and the Endowed Faculty Matching Grant (accepted January 1 and August 1 of each year), the Foundation is providing educators and endodontic departments with funds that aid them in providing your specialty with a strong educational foundation.