A great way to give
A quiet group of donors who give regularly to the Faculty help it maintain excellence in teaching, research and care. These ongoing benefactors say they give because of simple gratitude towards the school that gave them the skills to excel at their profession.
“I want to give back to the school that helped me,” says Ralph Grose 6T3. He’s been giving for 18 years consecutively through his class fund.
He’s now retired and admits he’s happy to be away from the stress of dentistry, but does miss his patients. “I had lovely patients. I was very lucky in that way. I still see some of them, and they always say they miss me.”
Rob Pasch 8T2, a general dentist who specializes in orthodontic care, has given a total of 64 gifts since 1996, sees the Faculty as the cornerstone of the life he’s been able to build. “I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without the Faculty,” he says. “I want to pay homage to the forces that moulded me and play a large part in what I can do.”
He gives monthly, which he says is both easy and avoids an annual budget crunch. “I’d rather do that then give a large amount at the end of the year. You know what the end of the year is like.”
Pasch also gives to his class fund. The class of 1982 previously donated dental chairs and now supports the Faculty’s student outreach programs, which see students treating in clinics in northern Ontario or overseas in high-needs communities. “It gives them skills that they can put to daily use,” he says. While Pasch was unable to travel to an outreach program while a student, he did treat at a Faculty-run clinic in Toronto for street-involved people. “I found it such a valuable experience,” he recalls.
These regular donors have numerous options for how they want to organize their donations and a little, from many donors, goes a long way. For instance, the Dentistry Annual Fund supports a variety of priorities at the Faculty, such as equipment renewal, student outreach programs and support for students and faculty to enhance their learning by attending conferences or lectures.
An added perk, beyond the gratification of giving back, donors who contribute annual gifts of $1,827 or more are recognized in a special stewardship program. UofT’s “President’s Circle” which commemorates the University’s Royal Charter of 1827. These annual donors are acknowledged in special ways, such as invitations to receptions and lectures with the President each year.
Many visionary alumni have remembered UofT Dentistry in their estate planning. It takes a special person to make a gift in life, but to imagine what can be made possible after death takes forward thinking and thoughtful planning. Creating a bequest not only provides future support for the school and its students — donors have the power to provide substantial tax benefits to their estate.
This is what Grose and his wife Caroline have done. “There will still be some left for the kids,” he says. Their legacy creates two separate endowed awards: the first will support one or more students every year in financial need. “I think that students need the help these days.” Grose is particularly passionate about the second award, which supports one or more students a year learning restorative dentistry. “I’ve always had a love for restorative. Our mission is to keep the teeth, not take them out and throw them away. I really want to support excellence in restorative dentistry.”
Many have made powerful contributions via bequests that has shaped the ability at the Faculty to do great things: that includes former professor David Locker. The David Locker Doctoral Scholarship in Dental Public Health was launched after his death in 2010, and it has already supported several graduate students following in his footsteps, and studying dental public health.
Giving over the years allows for donations of even moderate amounts to have large, long-lasting impact to dental education, research and care.
Photo: Student Rosemary Chu with patient (Jeff Comber)