During our lifetime we encounter many unexpected surprises, some of which leave us with insufficient resources to meet our daily living expenses. In those times of need the WDA/ADA Relief Fund can help. The Relief Funds grant money to those member and non-member dentists and their dependents in need due to physical disabilities or to those who have encountered emergency situations.

The ADA Relief Fund was first established in 1906 with surplus moneys that had been raised to assist the dentist-survivors of the San Francisco earthquake. In September 1948 the Relief Fund was formalized under an Indenture of Trust which established it as a separate charitable organization providing assistance to members of the dental profession and their dependents constituting a charitable class. In the years that followed the individual states also created their own Relief Fund which works in conjunction with the ADA’s Commission on Relief. Each Relief Fund is governed by Trustees that oversee the requesting of grants, the investment of moneys, and to assure that the Relief Fund moneys are not being used for anything outside of charitable purposes.

There are three types of grants -- a one time emergency grant which is issued in a lump sum, an initial grant which is issued in 6 monthly installments, and a renewal grant which can be issued after the initial grant has been approved and is issued in 12 monthly installments. All have the same application process. The applicant should contact the WDA for the necessary application. When a completed application for a grant is received at the WDA it is first reviewed by an individual from the component in which the applicant last worked or is currently working in. This individual verifies all the information and then submits the application to the WDA. The WDA Relief Fund committee then reviews the application and verifies that it meets the guidelines and either approves or denies the request. All approved applications are then forwarded to the ADA. Confidentiality is maintained at all levels.

Once a request has been granted the moneys distributed have been contributed on a 50/50 basis by the WDA and the ADA. This money comes from your contributions to the ADA Relief Fund. Three times a year the ADA solicits contributions from members and non-members for the Relief Fund. Based on the amount of grants the WDA pays out and the per capita the WDA Relief Fund is eligible to receive 75 to 100% of the contributions that the ADA has collected from Wisconsin. They keep only the amount required to pay the solicitation expenses. The money you contribute comes back to Wisconsin to help your fellow dentists in need. You can also send a contribution at anytime directly to the ADA Relief Fund in Chicago.

If you are in need of assistance or know someone who is, contact the WDA at 866-431-9625 or send your e-mail request to lbecker@wda.org.