2025 Challenge Giving!

When kids suffer from the pain of a dental cavity, it leads to a lack of appetite, reduced sleep, and decreased school attendance. This, in turn, can negatively impact their mental health, self-esteem, and education. Many think of a dental cavity as a small problem, but if children are unable to find treatment, the small cavity has major, sometimes life-altering consequences. 

AND....drumroll please...The Nara Fund and an Anonymous Donor will be matching donations, up to $25,000, until midnight on Dec 31. Whatever you donate today has DOUBLE the impact! 

The Ready, Set, Smile work is effective and long-lasting. A 2025 researcher found that for every $1.00 invested in Ready, Set, Smile, the families we serve receive $6.70 in benefits. Last school year, we brought our program to 52 schools; this school year we expect to serve 63 schools, adding more early childhood centers and middle schools. We know that only 28% of the children we see have active decay, compared with 63% of low-income children statewide.

With $75,000 we can continue to add partner sites, with a goal of serving 500 additional students this school year. Many schools request to become partner sites but we cannot currently add them without the proper funding. We need these gifts to say YES to new partnerships and students! 

At Ready, Set, Smile, our biggest goal is to prevent the problem rather than problem-solve the aftermath. Can we count on you to help us achieve this goal and help hundreds more children across the Twin Cities?