Dr. Beverly A. Largent Access to Care Innovator Award
Recognizing Excellence
The Access to Care Innovator Award seeks to recognize an individual whose passion and creativity allowed them to do more with less to provide dental care for underserved children. It also represents an opportunity for the Foundation to recognize an innovator of our own, the individual who took the first step in leading the Foundation into access to care: Dr. Beverly Largent.
Rewarding passion, commitment, and creativity
The Access to Care Innovator Award shines a light on someone making a big difference for little teeth
Their passion and commitment have led to creative solutions and problem-solving, allowing them to do more with less in order to provide dental care to underserved children.
This year’s winner will receive…
$10,000 Award
For their agency or organization that may be applied to any expense in support of Access to Care. (Upon receiving award, recipient must specify how the funds are being used).
A trip to AAPD 2025 in Denver
Airfare and accommodations for the recipient and a guest to attend AAPD 2025 in Denver, including two tickets to the AAPD Foundation donor appreciation reception, where the award will be given.
Overview & Award Requirements
Since 2010, the AAPD Foundation has issued over $10 million in grants and commitments supporting community-based organizations nationwide in their efforts to provide dental care for underserved children. Our grantees are led by committed, passionate, and creative individuals who often toil in anonymity, putting the needs of the children they serve ahead of everything else. The AAPD Foundation, along with Elevate Oral Care, established their award recognizing a deserving individual for excellence in providing dental care for children from families that cannot afford it. The Access to Care Innovator Award seeks to shine a light on a selected individual whose efforts are making a difference for children in his/her community.
Who is eligible?
- Individuals currently affiliated with a current or previous AAPD Foundation Access to Care Grant recipient (staff member or volunteer), previous Access to Care Grant applicant, or other representative from a 501(C)(3) nonprofit clinic or dental school are eligible for consideration
- Anyone affiliated with a nonprofit organization (supervisor, colleague, Board member, grateful parent) may submit a nomination
- Nominees may be in direct care or supporting roles
- Individuals may self-nominate, however, third-party nominations are preferred
Who can submit a nomination?
• Anyone affiliated with a nonprofit organization (supervisor, colleague, Board member, grateful parent)
• Individuals may self-nominate, however, third-party nominations are preferred
How do you submit a nomination?
All nominations must be submitted via AAPD Foundation’s online application system. Nominations received by any other means (e-mail, USPS, etc.) will not be considered.
Requested nomination information will include:
- Nominee’s name, title and role for the organization
- Description of the organization and/or its mission
- Number of children served annually by the organization and a general overview of the dental services provided
- A brief narrative describing the nature of the challenge/problem facing the nominee
- A brief narrative describing what the nominee did to address the challenge/problem described above
- A personal statement about the nominee
- Nominee’s bio (no more than two pages, submitted as .pdf)
When is the deadline?
Individuals are welcome to submit nominations until 4:30 pm CST on February 7, 2025. Nominators will receive notifications on the application status by March 7, 2025. Please note that all email communication will come solely through the online application interface.
If you have any questions, please contact the AAPD Foundation’s Grants and Programs Assistant Manager Jasmine Williams at jwilliams@aapdfoundation.org or 773-938-4989, between 8:30 am to 4:30 pm CST.
Ready to submit a nomination?
Meet Dr. Beverly A. Largent
During a Foundation Board of Trustees meeting in February 2008, Board members were asked to name their greatest wish for the Foundation. Dr. Largent made the statement that she wished to “wipe out caries in kids.” Her declaration not only changed the nature of the conversation that day, it put the Foundation on a course that allowed it to issue over $10 million in grants that helped more than 800,000 children.
As AAPD President-Elect and into her term as AAPD President, Dr. Largent chaired the Foundation’s business plan task force that outlined a strategy that included issuing grants to support clinics providing care to underserved children. This group evolved into today’s Grants and Programs Committee.
In recognition of Dr. Beverly Largent’s own innovation and as a means for thanking her for her many contributions to the Foundation’s Access to Care work, Elevate Oral Care is proud to support the Dr. Beverly A. Largent Access to Care Innovator Award.