4 minute read
Why Give?
Leo E. Rouse, DDS, FACD
President, American College of Dentists Foundation
–Oprah Winfrey
Happy Anniversary American College of Dentists Foundation! The ACD Foundation is celebrating 50 years of existence and as we celebrate our founding, I am reflecting on the concept of philanthropy and what motivates us to give.
The American College of Dentist Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization. As our foundation continues to grow for the next 50 years, I am reminded of the value that the foundation provides for its members. The ACD Foundation was created to support educational, literary, and scientific initiatives that advance oral health and the dental profession; it supports educational and programmatic efforts that promote professionalism and ethics like scholarships for advanced studies in ethics, educational materials for dental students, and continuing education courses.
When we talk about giving, we must also define why are we giving; we give because of philanthropy and our commitment and passion for the ACD. Philanthropy can be defined as a critical part of our democratic society. It is different than charity, which focuses on eliminating social problems. It supports projects and endeavors from which we all can benefit. As stated, the Foundation promotes professionalism and ethics by providing scholarships for advanced studies, materials for dental students, and continuing education but also, it is important that we support leadership development for our Fellows.
Among the many projects that the ACD Foundation supports are our advanced education initiatives. Established in 2009, the Dows Scholarship was recently raised to $20,000. The Dr. Cecelia L. Dows Scholarship for Advanced Study in Ethics is offered annually. This is a competitive, onetime scholarship of $20,000 to be used towards a Master’s or Doctoral program in ethics. Recent recipients have attended Harvard and Creighton Universities. For more information and an application visit www.acd.org/scholarships or contact Suzan Pitman at suzan@acd.org.
Recently established is the ACD Leader Development Program offered at the Kellogg Institute at Northwestern University, which furthers the leadership development of ACD Fellows. Three Fellows are selected every three years to participate in a new cohort of emerging dental leaders. This unique opportunity is through a partnership between the ACD, AAPD, and the university. The ACD Foundation covers most of the cost of attending each of the three years of the program. The College will begin accepting applications for Cohort VII in January 2023.
The newest opportunity extended to Fellows through the Foundation is participation in the ADEA Leadership Institute. Participation in the ADEA Leadership Institute prepares emerging leaders in dental education for expanded roles in their institutions and the profession. Two $5,000 scholarships were made available for the 2022 program. These scholarships have been made available by a generous contribution from the Dr. Jerome Bright Miller Fund. Two additional $5,000 scholarships have been approved for the 2023 program and these scholarships have been underwritten by a generous donation from the Dr. Juliann Bluitt Foster Endowment Fund.
If you’ve ever participated in an ACD continuing education session you have experienced the ACD Foundation in action. Since the new dental ethics learning site launched in 2018, nearly 30,000 courses have been successfully completed. Our ethical dilemmas videos have been watched thousands of times, and our Sections have hosted local events with large virtual participation. We are looking forward to returning to our well-attended in-person events at the annual meeting, and supporting our Sections as they continue with virtual, hybrid, and in-person events.
ACCORDING TO A SURVEY “NETWORK FOR GOOD” CONDUCTED AMONG 3000 DONORS, WHAT MOTIVATES DONORS ARE:
THEY’RE MISSION DRIVEN.
THEY TRUST YOUR ORGANIZATION.
THEY GET TO SEE THE IMPACT.
THEY HAVE A PERSONAL CONNECTION.
THEY WANT TO BE PART OF SOMETHING.
YOU’VE CAUGHT THEIR ATTENTION.
THEY WANT THE TAX BENEFITS.
Philanthropy is derived from the Greek words phyllos, which means loving, and anthropos, which means humankind. A person who is involved in philanthropy is called a philanthropist and yes, I think we do love to give! My appeal to you is let’s join forces to support our beloved American College of Dentists, and we do that through the American College of Dentists Foundation.
To quote our distinguished Executive Director, Dr. Theresa Gonzales, “We give today to support the founding principles of elevating the standards of dentistry through a thousand acts of professionalism and personal commitment which will allow us to remain the conscience of dentistry as we engage the challenges and issues of our time.”
In 2022, the American College of Dentists Foundation will celebrate its golden anniversary and the Foundation will continue to fund scholarships in ethics and leadership as well as an enhanced online ethics curriculum in direct support of the expressed mission of the College to advance excellence, ethics, professionalism, and leadership in dentistry. The 50th Anniversary will be celebrated in Houston, Texas, and we encourage all Fellows to enjoy the festivities and fruits of their sustained contributions. Your support of the American College of Dentists Foundation will enhance and sustain our efforts for the next 50 years and beyond.
In closing, I wish to add my personal gratitude to our two ACDF Consultants and Past Presidents—Dr. Tom Connolly and Dr. Pat Blanton. Their unselfish support in terms of time, talent, and treasure to the ACD Foundation is illustrative of their deeply held commitment to philanthropy and the American College of Dentists.
Each year, we ask the President of the ACD Foundation to contribute their thoughts on the theme of giving, and how it is reflected in the work of advancing the mission of the College. Dr. Rouse was President of the College during an unprecedented time, 2020-2021, and has been instrumental in the success of both the Foundation and the College as we have weathered the continuous challenges with which we have all been presented.
