The American College of Dentists Foundation: Advancing the Mission for Dentistry

50 YEARS OF PROVIDING INNOVATIVE SUPPORT FOR THE PROFESSION

Richard E. Jones, DDS, MSD
ACDF President

The American College of Dentists Foundation is no ordinary foundation. It actively supports the four pillars of the Mission with extraordinary programs and many College activities.

The ACDF is a crucial resource for the Sections and Fellows to understand and to support.

Our relationship with the ACD began in 1972 with our articles of incorporation: The corporation is organized and shall be operated exclusively for charitable, literary, scientific, in educational purposes, and it is authorized to accept, hold, administer, invest and disperse for charitable and educational purposes such funds as may from time to time be given to it by any person, persons, corporations, trust funds, or foundation to receive gifts and make financial and other types of contributions and assistance to charitable educational literary, scientific organizations, and in general to do all things that may appear necessary and useful and accomplishing the purposes here and above set out. The Foundation programs are almost too numerous to adequately describe. But they support the College Mission, dentistry, and healthcare.

Additionally, the ACD National Office at 103 North Adams Street in Rockville, Maryland is owned by the Foundation and houses a dental library and archive. The Annual Meeting and Convocation is supported by the Foundation, allowing for continuing education to be free or low-cost and for our induction fee for new Fellows to remain low relative to to the actual cost.

Too numerous to describe? Let’s just say that when you support the Foundation, it supports the Mission, and the Mission enhances the profession. It is through the ACDF that all Fellows have a direct opportunity to impact the profession, to give back, and to give forward.

All of these projects, and more, are possible through the generous donations of our Fellows and Friends. They are the tangible results of our collective commitment to dentistry as a profession.

• Ethics Handbook for Dentists distributed to 7,000 + dental students annually.

• Ethical Dilemmas Videos and Facilitator Guides.

• Free and low-cost CE online and in person.

• ACD Regent Intern program and multiple scholarships for ethics and leadership.

• Section support for local projects and programs.

• Strategic partnerships to fund ethics lectures with other organizations including the NDA and AGD.

• Curriculum Modules for Dental Educators.

• Significant support for SPEA at the national and local levels.

• Ethics Summits that gather the best and brightest to tackle issues facing the profession.

• Support for our professional history through the Library and Archive housed at the ACD National Office and our permanent exhibit at the Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry.

A C D F

Thanks to each of you for all you do!

Contributions of all kinds are crucial to the success of our mission, and our Fellows and Friends of the College are generous not only with their financial resources but with their time, talent, intellect, and energy.

In each issue of the ACD News, we highlight the activities and accolades of our Fellows, whose work benefits the ACD. Most notable is the continued collaboration with SPEA Chapters across the US and Canada. Our Fellows and their dental student counterparts are working together to ensure the future of the profession. Undoubtedly, there are thousands of instances of excellence and professionalism that go unreported but make a meaningful impact in our communities.

As of July, nearly 2000 Fellows and Friends of the College have also made financial contributions. Many of these contributions are as simple as adding a small amount for the ACD Foundation when paying dues, but the College has also received estate gifts and special donations for the newly created Section Leadership Development

Fund. Contributions to the ACD Foundation power our collective projects and ensure a sustained effort to advance our Mission.

To do the work of the College, and to see our mission—to advance excellence, ethics, professionalism, and leadership in dentistry—continue to thrive, the unique and varied contributions of our Fellows are all essential.

WAYS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY:

• Contact your Section Chair and ask to get involved with SPEA or other local activities and projects.

• Send news clips to the ACD News.

• Donate to the ACD Foundation Silent Auction.

• Donate a brick to the Legacy Walkway.

• Nominate an exceptional colleague for Fellowship.

• Talk to your financial advisor about an estate gift to the ACDF.

For more information on ways to contribute, please visit our website at www.acd.org/ foundation or contact Suzan Pitman at the National Office at suzan@acd.org.