Defy Gravity Campaign

Join the Defy Gravity Campaign

Together, we build the future of good oral health.

We need your help to unlock the immense potential of our students and researchers, and to remain the number one dental school in Canada.

Donations help support special projects, renovations to our building, provide funding to students in need and bolster exemplary research.

To learn more and get involved, see our campaign priorities below or contact us at alumni@dentistry.utoronto.ca to start a conversation with a member of our Alumni Relations and Advancement Team.



Better student and patient experiences are created through continued revitalization and modernization of our labs, clinics, and teaching and gathering spaces.

Facilitating excellence and building a culture of inquiry would not be possible without your support.

Help us build the next generation of pioneers who are poised to improve oral and overall human health.

Bursaries, outreach trips, and scholarships enhance the student experience.

We invite you to explore how you can enrich a student’s life in dentistry school today.



The University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain is a multi-faculty Centre that explores the mechanisms of pain and how we can address them.

Defy Gravity Campaign Cabinet

The Campaign Cabinet has been established to act as powerful advocates and ambassadors for the school, as well as for the University and the broader campaign. They are charged with helping to lead and support the campaign for the Faculty of Dentistry, as part of the larger University campaign.

See our Campaign Cabinet Member Listing.

More Ways to Get Involved

Dean's Excellence Fund

Unrestricted dollars are especially prized for their flexibility to be directed, by the Dean to rapidly emerging areas. Unlike endowed gifts, these funds go to work right away, which means your philanthropy will have an immediate impact.

It could be infrastructure upgrades, student financial aid, curriculum innovation, research or other special projects.

The Dean's Excellence Fund is dedicated to the Dean's top priorities as they relate to advancing research and preparing future health leaders and ensure UofT Dentistry remains at the forefront of dental education, research and patient care.

Donate. Choose 'Dean’s Excellence Fund'.

Annual Fund

The Annual Fund provides important unrestricted dollars that are dedicated to the Faculty’s top priorities.

By giving to this fund, you are providing flexible support which allows us to invest in activities that help support students now. Funds may be directed towards research, student travel or awards, experiential learning opportunities or equipment and clinic upgrades.

Donate. Choose 'Annual Fund'.

Access to Care

Every patient deserves access to quality care.

Help low-income patients receive expert dental care and our students gain the richest learning opportunities available.

Our Dentistry clinics attend more than 98,000 patient visits a year at a significantly reduced cost to the patient. However, disproportionately, our patients are from marginalized populations and those with low-income and even the low cost can prove to be too much.

For these patients, the Access to Care Fund provides financial assistance, allowing them to receive treatment and in doing so, enriches the educational experience of our students.

With more patients able to afford comprehensive treatment plans, students gain increased clinical opportunities and exposure to more sophisticated procedures. At the same time, students learn to recognize financial need, and how to present treatment options in a sensitive manner.

Donate. Choose 'Access to Care for Patients'.

More Funds

Reunion class giving, specialty Friends and Alumni Day donations and more are available.

Donate. See 'More Giving Options'.

Major Gifts

Gifts to the Faculty of Dentistry of $50,000 or more are considered major gifts. These may be pledged over a few years or can be one-time gifts.

Major gifts have the ability to transform education, student life and research.

Major gifts also provide the opportunity for donors to name their fund if they so choose creating a legacy at the Faculty for years to come.

Opportunities include:

Student scholarships and bursaries
Lectureships
Chairs and professorships
Research funds
Graduate fellowships
Naming spaces within the building
Naming the Faculty

Planned Giving

Remembering U of T Dentistry in your estate with a planned gift is a visionary commitment.

You can establish your legacy through gift planning and bequests and allow you to make a strategic and affordable charitable donation that creates maximum impact.

These include:

Gifts of bequests
Retirement funds
Stocks and securities
Gifts-in-kind
Charitable remainder trusts
Gifts of residual interest
Life insurance

Bequest Wording for a general gift to the Faculty of Dentistry

“To pay The Governing Council of the University of Toronto ___% of the residue of my estate [or the sum of $___________]. It is my wish that the funds be used specifically by the Faculty of Dentistry, for the purposes and designs deemed to be of the highest priority by the Dean, Faculty of Dentistry, or their designate.”

If you are interested in any of the opportunities above, please contact:

Selina Esteves, Director of Advancement
selina.esteves@dentistry.utoronto.ca
416-864-8201

Corporate sponsorships

The sponsorship program with the Faculty gives your company a platform to deliver your message to a highly receptive audience who later become powerful buyers and decision-makers when out in practice. Support for the school is support for our students! We have several philanthropic and sponsorship opportunities available.

See our Sponsors Listing

To discuss sponsorship opportunities, contact:

Hannah Koschanow
Development Officer
h.koschanow@dentistry.utoronto.ca
416-978-3455

How to make your gift

We would love to discuss any gifts you’d like to make, just contact one of the team listed below.

You can make your gift in many ways:

Make a donation through a gift of stocks or mutual funds, with a cheque or credit card
Sign up to become a recurring monthly donor
Make a payroll deduction if you’re a staff or faculty member at U of T
Leave a bequest in your will

Important links

Contact the team

Selina Esteves, Director of Advancement
Selina.Esteves@dentistry.utoronto.ca
416-864-8201

Julia Al Akalia, Senior Development Officer, Annual and Leadership Giving
julia.alakaila@dentistry.utoronto.ca
416-864-8202

Hannah Koschanow, Development Officer, Annual and Leadership Giving
h.koschanow@dentistry.utoronto.ca
416-978-3455

Roshaan Hajira, Alumni Engagement Officer
roshaan.hajira@dentistry.utoronto.ca
416-864-8203

Christine Mores, Advancement Coordinator
chris.mores@dentistry.utoronto.ca
416-864-8200