Dr. David M. Campbell
The Foundation President's Message
From the desk of Dr. M. David Campbell
If you have ever visited your old neighborhood, you may have noticed a change in the last 25 or 30 years. Your former home may seem smaller, the walk to your school shorter, and things seem to be smaller than our vivid childhood memories have recorded.
This is true of our problems as well. At any time in our life we may experience problems that seem to be overwhelming, but in reality they may prove to be minor as we look back on them years later. The way we view our problems has a great deal to do with how we solve them. If we could project ourselves into the future and look back at our problems, we would see them as insignificant. This insight would make it easier to solve them so they would not overwhelm us at the time. Most problems are nothing more than a puzzle to be solved. If we can focus on the solutions, rather than the discomforts the problems cause, we are well on the way to solving the challenge.
As difficult as it may be, we should be grateful for our problems because each one presents us with a unique opportunity. In many areas of the world, there are people with problems that they cannot solve themselves. In the area of dental health, we are privileged to be able to solve some of the problems we face. We, personally, can be part of the solution. In various parts of the world, people have problems that cannot be solved with time.
Fortunately, we Fellows in PFA are able to aid in the solution of the problems of dental disease and pain.We can, with your help--financially, and with personal involvement--provide funds to allow others to go and treat patients. Or we can personally travel to an area and treat patients.
When you give money to the Foundation, your donation, pooled with our larger fund, will allow you to help more people than a single contribution could ever do! We have it set up so you can give money to honor or remember a friend, family member, colleague, or teacher. So whatever you can give us works for you in two ways: You help the world dental crisis and you honor another individual in doing so.
Let us be grateful that we can solve our problems and help others in their quest to solve their problems. Your money goes to actually help those in need. Rarely does doing something for yourself do so much for others.
The Foundation Treasurer's Message
From the desk of Dr. William Kort
We would like you all to know that the initial year of the Foundation's Fund Raising Programwas a huge success, thanks to over 170 Fellows who contributed some $40,000! This exceeds our expectations, and we thank you for being so generous.
Those funds, coupled with dedicated amounts from the Foundation, made possible the dispersal of 89 scholarships of $1,500 and 34 grant allotments in 2006. Since the inception of these programs in 1996, the Foundation has awarded some $3.5 million to dental students and to worthy dental projects on an international basis. If we can continue to increase the wonderful giving impetus already in place, we will be able to fund even more of these requests for aid to those in need in 2007!
The response from recipients of both the scholarships and the grant awards has been heart-warming. Many have replied, being very grateful for the help and the honor of being presented with funds from our Foundation. The grant proposals reach many populations that would otherwise never receive appropriate oral and dental care. But we have not been able to fund the many that also deserve to be considered, as we wish we could. SoNOWit is up to YOU, the Fellowship of the Academy, to help us expand this outreach by increasing the numbers and level of participation this year. As an International Dental Service Organization, we could then more adequately respond to requests received from across the globe and truly act international in scope.
There are many ways to become involved:
- Make a direct contribution to the Foundation
- Pledge over a specified number of years
- Include the Foundation in your estate planning (Legacy Program), either in monetary terms or in property assignments
- Designate a directive, such as Editor Brophy does in funding a memorial scholarship at the University of Iowa.
Remember that these donations are fully tax deductible. More than 90% of all funds received are dispersed. Only the Foundation's Executive Director receives a stipend for his work. All other Board members are unpaid.
Dentistry has been good to all of us in many ways. Please help us benefit those who are in need. DO IT NOWas you read this!
Send your contributions to:
The Foundation of the Pierre Fauchard Academy
Dr. William Kort, Treasurer
6 Brighton Lane, Oak Park, Illinois 60523-2324