Download a copy of our Focused on Brighter Futures report

DELTA DENTAL OF MICHIGAN, OHIO, AND INDIANA

Focused on Brighter FuturesCorporate Citizenship and Philanthropy 2015

At Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana, our commitment to the communities we serve defines who we are as an organization.

As part of this commitment, and in keeping with our mission to improve oral health, we launched our Brighter Futures initiative in 2012. The goal of Brighter Futures is to improve the oral and overall health and well-being of children and adults through advocacy, education and philanthropy.

In 2015, through our corporate citizenship and philanthropy department, which includes the Delta Dental Foundation, we proudly invested almost $3.5 million to support programs, organizations and events dedicated to advancing this goal.

What follows is a celebration of our e�orts to ensure brighter smiles and brighter futures for all who live in the communities we serve.

Enjoy!

FOCUSED ON: Children’s Oral Health and Literacy

FOCUSED ON: Providing Dental Care to Those in Need

FOCUSED ON: Oral Health Education

FOCUSED ON: Our Communities

FOCUSED ON: Supporting the Dental Profession

FOCUSED ON: A Bright Year!

FOCUSED ON: Corporate Citizenship and Philanthropy

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ren’s Oral H

ealth and Literacy

2x2+20FOCUSED ON: Children’s Oral Health and LiteracyWe’re committed to doing our part to ensure that children show up for school every day healthy, pain-free and ready to learn.

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Students who have experienced recent oral health pain are four times more likely to have lower GPAs than their counterparts who have not.

Students who don’t read at grade level by fourth grade are four times more likely to drop out of school than students who do.

Children miss 51 million hours of school each year due to oral health problems.

Three out of five children are affected by tooth decay.

Students who are absent from school miss critical instruction time, especially in the early grades where reading skills are taught.

ORAL HEALTH AND SCHOOL SUCCESS ARE CONNECTED.

Our Message is Simple!2x2+20—Brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes each time, and read for 20 minutes every day for a healthy body and mind.

Capital Area District Libraries (CADL)Storytimes Delta Dental teamed up with CADL to lead oral health storytimes and provide educational resources for mid-Michigan preschoolers at five local libraries.

William Donley Elementary School’s Load the Library InitiativeDelta Dental provided $5,000 to William Donley Elementary School to purchase new books, including oral health books, for its media center.

Reach Out and ReadWe were proud to partner with Reach Out and Read, an organization that gives young children a foundation for school success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together. In 2015, we provided $50,000 to fund a pilot project in nine Ohio medical clinics to incorporate oral health education and oral health books into well-child visits for 7,000 children.

Brush 2 minutes, 2 times a day + Read 20 minutes a day =

Delta Dental Foundation and McMillen Health—A Very Special PartnershipThe Delta Dental Foundation (DDF) and McMillen Health in Indiana have enjoyed a three-year partnership focused on improving children’s oral health and literacy. Over three years, the DDF has provided almost $580,000 in funding to support, develop and promote two major projects that have affected the lives of more than 65,000 children and their families in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.

“I Need My Teeth”A new children’s oral health musical production, “I Need My Teeth,” premiered in 2015. The show, which is funded by the DDF and produced by McMillen Health, is based on a book of the same title and tells the story of what happens to a boy who gives all of his teeth to the Tooth Fairy in exchange for enough money to buy a new toy. The show stresses the importance of teeth and how to take care of them.

What teachers are saying about

“I Need My Teeth”

“Great program! Awesome actors!”

“I LOVED IT!”

“The show was wonderful! My students were engaged from start to finish.”

Brush!In 2015, the DDF provided $100,000 in grants for Head Start programs in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana to implement Brush!, a 36-week, research-based preschool oral health education program. The Brush! program promotes good oral health and nutrition with a focus on kindergarten preparedness.

PBS/ThinkTVDelta Dental continued its partnership with PBS/ThinkTV to create four new 15-second children’s oral health spots. These spots, along with others that have been developed, promote the importance of good oral health and reading for children. The spots air daily during children’s morning programming in all PBS markets in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. On an average day, these spots are seen by more than 50,000 viewers.

Blessings in a Backpack—Celebrating Four Years of Feeding Kids in Need on the Weekends!Through our partnership with Blessings in a Backpack, Delta Dental distributed 32,400 weekly bags of food to more than 1,100 children in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana who weren’t getting enough to eat on weekends during the school year.

Since 2012, we have worked with school volunteers to provide 126,817 bags of weekend food to 4,963 children.

Three out of five kindergarten through eighth-grade public school teachers say

students regularly come to school

hungry.

Exhibiting Brighter Smiles— Chew on This! and Inside the GrinWe provided $155,000 to Impression 5 Science Center in Michigan and the Duke Energy Children’s Museum in Ohio for the creation of two children’s oral health exhibits designed to teach children about the importance of a healthy smile.

Since its grand opening in February 2015, about 140,000 children and adults have visited Chew on This!, and we awarded 48 field trip grants totaling $24,000 to area schools that have enabled 4,221 children to visit this exhibit.

Inside the Grin opened in April 2016.

“My students left Impression 5 that day talking about taking care of their teeth and laughing all the way back to school on the bus.”—Sara Cochrane, teacher at DeWitt Elementary School

and recipient of Impression 5 Science Center field trip grant

Children’s Dental Sealant ProgramsWe provided $350,000 to support school-based dental sealant programs in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. As a result of our funding, almost 15,000 sealants were placed on children’s teeth.

MSU Science Festival for Children Delta Dental provided $10,000 to the Michigan

State University Science Festival to help engage

more K–12 students in science and technology.

Elementary School Media Center Grants To celebrate National Reading Month, Delta Dental provided

$500 media center grants to four elementary schools in

Michigan, Ohio and Indiana to help purchase new books

for their libraries.

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FOCUSED ON: Providing Dental Care to Those in Need

FOCUSED ON: Providing Dental Care to Those in NeedIn 2015, the Delta Dental Foundation committed close to $2 million to provide direct dental care to almost 218,000 children and adults in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.

Delta Dental Clinic at Volunteers of America MichiganThe DDF committed $322,000 to fund a special dental clinic designed to provide oral health care to the homeless population in Lansing, Michigan. The clinic is connected to the Volunteers of America Michigan/Sparrow Health Clinic and will allow all patients to receive integrated oral and overall health care in one innovative facility. The grand opening is set for summer 2016.

Serving Those Who Served UsWe were proud to continue our support of Indiana University Veterans’ Employability: The Dental Connection project with a grant of $75,000 to provide homeless and low-income veterans who are missing teeth with the dental care and job training they need in order to be employable. As a result of our funding, 70 veterans will be able to take part in this program.

“Delta Dental has met the mission inherent in our name. We are at our strongest when we have good people willing to help their poor brothers and sisters move forward.”

Patrick PattersonExecutive Vice PresidentVolunteers of America Michigan

“(I want) to do all I can do to help those who need it since I’ve been helped.”

—Forrest Hines, veteran and recipient of dental care through Indiana University’s Veterans’ Employability: The Dental Connection project

2015Akron Children’s Hospital Dental Clinic Akron, OH

Barry Community Health CenterHastings, MI

Fairfield City Schools Health CenterHamilton, OH

Mackinac Straits Health FoundationSt. Ignace, MI

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2013Cherry HealthGrand Rapids, MI

Cincinnati Health Department/Oyler SchoolCincinnati, OH

Mercy Medical CenterCanton, OH

Trinity Free ClinicCarmel, IN

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2014Cassopolis Family Clinic Cassopolis, MI

Manchester Schools Health CenterPiketon, OH

Covenant Community Care Detroit, MI

Faith MissionWorthington, OH

Health DeliveryBad Axe, MI

Health DeliveryOwosso, MI

Kent County Health DepartmentGrand Rapids, MI

St. Vincent Charity Medical CenterCleveland, OH

University of Michigan Special Needs ClinicAnn Arbor, MI

Volunteers of America Michigan Dental ClinicLansing, MI

Wayland Dental ClinicWayland, MI

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Everyone Should Have a Dental “Home”An ongoing relationship between patients and their dentists that includes all aspects of oral health care is very important. As such, we are proud that in 2015 we provided funding for 17 treatment rooms in four dental clinics.

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NOCAVITYZONE

On the Road to Improving Oral HealthThree mobile dental coaches are currently providing dental care to school children as a result of funding from the DDF. They include: The Ohio State University College of Dentistry’s Dental H.O.M.E. Coach, St. Mary’s Children’s Mobile Dental Clinic and University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry’s Titans for Teeth Mobile Dental Clinic.

DENTAL SEALANTS

AHEAD

WELCOME TO SMILEVILLE

Indiana Mission of MercyThe DDF was proud to provide $50,000 and be the signature sponsor of the Indiana Dental Association’s Mission of Mercy (MOM). More than 1,200 uninsured and underinsured children and adults received free dental care during the two-day event.

Brighter Futures Community Grants ProgramThe DDF awarded $250,000 in small grants to 69 organizations and programs focused on providing dental care and improving oral health for children and adults in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.

Sparrow Hospital FoundationTo improve oral health care for patients and reduce cases of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), the DDF provided a $175,000 grant to the Sparrow Hospital Foundation for the purchase of oral health kits for 50,000 hospital patients. HAP, the second most common infection that originates in a hospital, is associated with increased length of stay (seven to nine days) and increased care costs of $40,000 per patient.

FOCUSED ON: Oral Health Education

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FOCUSED ON: Oral Health EducationAt Delta Dental, we know how important it is to spread the word about good oral health and its connection to overall health and well-being. In 2015, we designed programs and resources for multiple channels to appeal to a wide range of audiences, including children, young adults, teachers, case workers, parents and caregivers, and medical and dental professionals.

Discover oral health tips, information and resources by connecting with us on social media!

facebook.com/deltadentalmi

twitter.com/deltadentalmi

linkedin.com/company/delta-dental-of-michigan

Delta Dental of Michiganfacebook.com/deltadentaloh

twitter.com/deltadentaloh

linkedin.com/company/delta-dental-of-ohio

Delta Dental of Ohiofacebook.com/deltadentalin

twitter.com/deltadentalin

linkedin.com/company/delta-dental-of-indiana

Delta Dental of Indiana

Find us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn!

USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT ORAL HEALTH.

YouTubeOur YouTube channel contains a variety of videos to help adults and children learn more about oral health and includes our national award-winning “Drool is Cool” series.

View our channel to learn more about our commitment to the community, and the oral health of children and adults.

Visit us at: youtube.com/deltadentalmichigan

Protect Your SmileDelta Dental partnered with Detroit Police Athletic League (PAL) in Michigan and the Hilltop YMCA in Ohio to promote wearing mouthguards during National Facial Protection Month in April. For each new “like” our Michigan and Ohio Facebook pages received, we donated one child-sized mouthguard to the organization. As a result of our campaign, 6,500 young athletes received new mouthguards.

Trick or TeethTo celebrate Halloween, we invited Facebook friends in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana to nominate elementary schools to win a school year’s supply of toothbrushes. Winners included Cleveland Elementary School in Livonia, Michigan; Fairfield Elementary in Maumee, Ohio; and North Elementary in Poseyville, Indiana. All students and their teachers received a shipment of new toothbrushes and oral health goodies every three months during the school year.

Rethink Your DrinkOur Rethink Your Drink campaign, designed to reduce the number of sugar-sweetened beverages consumed by children and adults, grew quickly over the past year. In 2015, we filled requests for 215 Rethink Your Drink display kits and more than 85,000 brochures and posters.

Rethink Your Drink Water BottlesIn 2015, we distributed 8,450 Rethink Your Drink infuser water bottles and sports water bottles containing toothbrushes and Rethink Your Drink brochures to children and adults in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.

Rethink Your Drink Brochures and PostersSince 2014 and throughout 2015, we distributed nearly 130,000 Rethink Your Drink brochures and posters to dental professionals, schools and others in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana through our Rethink Your Drink display kits and special requests.

You wouldn’t EAT 17 packets of SUGAR,

why would you DRINK them?

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SugarSugar

Sugar

Sugar

Sugar

Sugar

Sugar

Sugar

Sugar Sugar

Suga

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Sugar

Suga

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SugarSugar

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Choose WATER!

For more information or to order Rethink Your Drink materials, please visit your state-specific Delta Dental website:

Delta Dental of Michigan

www.deltadentalmi.com/rethinkyourdrink

Delta Dental of Ohio

www.deltadentaloh.com/rethinkyourdrink

Delta Dental of Indiana

www.deltadentalin.com/rethinkyourdrink

Legislative Tote BagsAlmost 2,000 Brighter Futures tote bags filled with reading and oral health resources and goodies were ordered and delivered by Michigan legislators to first-grade classrooms across the state during National Reading Month in March.

2 2+20x

2 minutes, 2 times a day(4 minutes total)

20 minutes a day minutes in

hours!

BRUSH

+ Read24

easy math for a healthy body and mind!

BRUSH

+ Read24


BRUSH

+ Read24


BRUSH

+ Read24


BRUSH

+ Read24


easy mathfor a healthybodyand mind! Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana

drool is coolOral health video series

Delta Dental of Michigan,

Ohio, and Indiana

Spit Saves LivesFrom Drool to School

Oral Cancer: We Need

to Talk About It

Dentists are Disease Detectives

Fluoridated Water—Tap Into It!

THINK BEFORE YOU DRINK

Overview:In this experiment, kids may be surprised to learn how much sugar is in

popular drinks and how this hidden sugar can damage teeth!

Parents, make sure to help kids with this activity!

• Six clear disposable plastic cups

• One 12-ounce can of dark soda pop

• One 16-ounce can of a popular energy drink

• One 15-ounce bottle of apple juice

• A teaspoon measuring spoon

• White sugar in a bowl—about 5 cups

Supplies:

FABULOUS FLUORIDE

Overview:This activity will demonstrate how fl uoride helps to strengthen

and protect teeth.


• Two hard-boiled eggs

• Fluoride gel or solution, 4 oz. to 6 oz. (available from your dentist, local dental supply co. and some pharmacies)

• Two clean plastic containers

• Several cans/bottles of dark soda pop

Supplies:

FANTASTIC FLOSS

Overview:In this activity, kids will fi nd out that a toothbrush alone

cannot reach all of the places between teeth and that using

dental fl oss is really important.


• Jar of smooth peanut butter

• Rubber glove

• Spreader/butter knife

• Container of dental fl oss

• Toothbrush

• Toothpaste

Supplies:

EGG-CITING EXPERIMENTOverview:In this experiment, kids will see how teeth

can be stained by what they eat and drink,

especially if they aren’t brushing their teeth

correctly and regularly!


• Two clear disposable plastic cups

• One can of dark soda pop

• Small carton of milk or water

• Two hard-boiled eggs

• Toothpaste

• One toothbrush

Supplies:

ACID ATTACK!

Overview:This activity simulates an acid attack on bones (which are

rich in calcium, just like teeth) and can help kids to visualize

what happens to their teeth when they consume sugary foods

and beverages.


• 2 clean chicken bones

• 1 container

• 1 bottle of white vinegar

Supplies: OPENWIDE!Fun Science Activities Inside!

Smile BoxesBoxes filled with a wide variety of oral health materials, including entertaining videos, adult oral health information, children’s coloring books, and oral health brochures for parents and caregivers, were mailed to 236 nonprofit dental clinics and local health departments across Michigan. Recipients can order materials contained in the Smile Box from the DDF at no charge.

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FOCUSED ON: Our CommunitiesAt Delta Dental, employees are at the heart of our community efforts. This year, hundreds of our employees enthusiastically donated their time and resources to support a variety of company-led community engagement projects.

Employee Reading ProgramMore than 50 employee readers visited classrooms during National Reading Month in March to read to students and deliver oral health goodies to teachers. In addition, employees entered their schools into a drawing to win one of four $500 media center grants.

Pack a SmileFor a great start to the 2015–16 school year, employees filled and donated 1,046 new backpacks for children in need.

“Volunteerism has always been a key piece of my personal mission, so when I found a company that names community service and philanthropy as one of its core values and allows its employees to give their time, I felt like I struck gold. It makes the work I do so much more rewarding. Not everyone is so lucky.”

Lisa ErmakPublic AffairsDelta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana

Blessings in a BackpackEach Friday during the school year, teams of our Okemos, Michigan, employees packed bags of weekend food for children in need at Fairview STEM Magnet School in Lansing, Michigan.

American Heart Association’s 2015 Greater Lansing Heart WalkDelta Dental provided $7,500 for the American Heart

Association’s Greater Lansing Heart Walk to help

educate children and adults about the connection

between oral health and heart health.

Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan’s 2015 Run for the HouseDelta Dental granted $10,000 and hosted the

Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan Run for

the House to help support the families of children

suffering from serious illnesses.

Brighter Fridays — Go Casual for a Cause! Each month, employees donated $5 to an employee-selected charitable organization for the opportunity to wear jeans to work on one Friday, designated as “Brighter Friday.” On average, each selected organization received $1,500.

Take a Bite Out of HungerEmployees donated 8,368 food items during our annual food drive—an increase of 110 percent from 2014! For every food item donated by employees, Delta Dental donated $1 to community food bank programs in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, which provided almost 24,000 meals.

“There’s no better feeling than helping others, especially those in need. Giving up a couple hours of your time to give someone a world of happiness is a pretty easy decision to make!”

Geoff GartsideInformation Security ManagementDelta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana

Share a Smile Day To celebrate the importance of good oral health, Delta Dental treated its employees and their families, plus 1,000 children from a variety of community organizations, to a night at a Lansing Lugnuts baseball game, complete with on-field games, hotdogs and fireworks. All children who attended the game received backpacks filled with oral health goodies and information. Prior to the start of the game, the DDF presented a check for $300,000 to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to support its community water fluoridation and school-based dental sealant programs.

“My kids love Share a Smile Day. They get to meet people I work with and their families, and they see and hear how our company supports the local community. Events like this make me proud to be part of this great company.”

Vaishali Rajput NukalaQuality AssuranceDelta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana

“Delta Dental set records for our school backpack program, ran our Adopt A Family call center and gave us several dental supply donations. What a great partner!”—Patrick Patterson, executive vice president of Volunteers of America Michigan

Answering the Call of Those in NeedOur Farmington Hills, Michigan, employees set up a special holiday call center to take calls from families in need and those who wanted to adopt them for the Volunteers of America Michigan’s Adopt A Family program. Over a three-month period, 120 employees spent 1,580 hours answering a total of 3,553 calls. In addition, employees adopted nine of these families.

“I want the person who gets adopted to have the same feeling that I had when I was adopted as a family.”

Erika NorthernCustomer Service Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana

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FOCUSED ON: Supporting the Dental ProfessionThrough the Delta Dental Foundation, we are dedicated to advancing dental science and improving oral health through research, education and supporting dental professionals.

DELTA DENTAL PROVIDED NEARLY $300,000 FOR SCHOLARSHIPS, AWARDS, PROFESSIONAL SEMINARS AND RESEARCH GRANTS IN 2015.

Continuing Education Seminars The DDF partnered with the University of Michigan School of Dentistry to host three continuing education (CE) seminars attended by 1,478 dental professionals.

Scholarships and GrantsIn 2015, the DDF awarded 52 dental hygiene and dental student scholarships. The foundation provided 27 master’s thesis awards and faculty research grants.

$66,000Awarded in dental hygiene and dental

student scholarships.

8,868Credit hours earned by

dental professionals through these CE seminars.

$100,000Provided in dental school

master’s thesis awards and faculty research grants.

$40,000Contributed toward

CE seminars for dental professionals.

Increasing Access to Care and Recognizing Those Who ServeEstablished in late 2015, and beginning in 2016, four Delta Dental Foundation Community Commitment Awards of $25,000 each will be given annually to graduating dental students who have made the commitment to work for at least one year in an identified high-needs community in Michigan, Ohio or Indiana immediately following completion of dental education and licensure requirements.

One grant will be awarded to a student each year at the following universities’ dental schools:Indiana University, Case Western Reserve University, University of Detroit Mercy and The Ohio State University.

Patrick P. Gribben Jr. Community Commitment Award —University of Michigan. Established in 2014—first awarded to Laura Norris, DDS.

“My time as an undergrad ignited in me a passion to help the underserved in our country and abroad, and I want to make that a part of my career as a dentist or oral surgeon. This scholarship from the Delta Dental Foundation will help me do this in so many ways, and for that I am truly grateful.”—Rebecca Bartlett, graduate of The Ohio State University and scholarship recipient

FOCUSED ON: Brighter Futures by the Numbers

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FOCUSED ON: A Bright Year!Our community efforts touched 1.3 million lives in 2015.

“Delta Dental empowers me to give back to society in many different ways. This has not only given me emotional gratification but also the satisfaction that I have contributed in my own minuscule way for the greater good of the society.”

Parag DoshiApplication DevelopmentDelta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana

10,080 TUBES OF TOOTHPASTE DONATED—enough to brush more than 400,000 smiles!

Many Hands Make Light Work! During 2015, Delta Dental sponsored a variety of volunteer opportunities in which our employees could get involved during the work day and on the weekend.

These opportunities ranged from filling backpacks with food and school supplies, to delivering food and funds to community kitchens, to presenting at science and career fairs, to reading in elementary school classrooms, to answering phones for the Volunteers of America Michigan’s Adopt A Family holiday call center. In addition, we encouraged employees to spend some of their own time getting involved in their communities through our Share a Smile program. This program allows employees to request company funds to support charitable organizations in which they and their families are actively involved. In 2015, we were proud to provide our employees with funds for organizations including the American Cancer Society, Alzheimer’s Association, Holt Public Schools, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Mason Orchestral Society, Transverse Myelitis Association and Sparrow Foundation’s Women Working Wonders (W3).

140,000TOOTHBRUSHESDONATED,enough to brush 3,640,000 teeth!

7,861 DENTAL FLOSSES DONATED,which is almost 50 miles!

“Students at job fairs often ask us about all of the great things our company does in the community. I think it really sets us apart from other companies and definitely makes Delta Dental an employer of choice—especially when prospective employees learn that they will be able to get directly involved in our community efforts.”—Danielle Cardinal, Human Resources

Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana

10,000 CHILDREN’S ORAL HEALTH STORYBOOKS DONATED

Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana 4100 Okemos Road, Okemos, MI 48864 | 517-347-5242

To download an electronic version of this report, or for high-quality oral health educational materials, visit:www.deltadentalmi.com/bfreport www.deltadentaloh.com/bfreport www.deltadentalin.com/bfreport

Documents

Download a copy of our Focused on Brighter Futures report