CDA members and component dental society directors are invited to nominate an active or retired licensed California dentist for the CDA Foundation’s 2022 Humanitarian Award honoring the late Andrew Soderstrom, DDS.
Established in 2008, the award recognizes California dentists for their individual lifetime of volunteer commitment and leadership that have broadly and positively impacted oral health and improved the human condition. Nominees may also be honored for actions that have enabled the dental profession to respond more fully to the needs of individuals at the local, state, national or international level.
The CDA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the California Dental Association, accepts online nominations every year from April 1 to June 30.
Honoring the late Dr. Soderstrom, co-founder of CDA Cares
The late Dr. Andrew Soderstrom, for whom the Humanitarian Award is now named, received the award himself in 2015. The CDA past president co-founded the Foundation’s flagship program CDA Cares, an all-volunteer run dental clinic, and continuously served the dental needs of children, regardless of their families’ economic situation. He was also recognized for a long-fought battle to fluoridate community water in his hometown of Modesto, California.
More recent recipients include Herbert Yee, DDS, in 2018 and Lester Low, DDS, in 2017. Biographies of all past recipients are available on the Humanitarian Award webpage.
Selection criteria and required documentation from nominators
Nominators must submit several attachments with their online application, including a curriculum vitae or resume highlighting the nominee’s humanitarian contributions and one letter of support from an individual other than the nominator.
Among other humanitarian ideals and attributes, nominees should:
- Demonstrate a lifetime of outstanding humanitarian volunteer accomplishments that bring honor to the profession.
- Serve as an inspiration to the dental profession.
- Show selflessness in regard to direct personal or organizational gain or profit.
Recipients of the award are typically presented with the Humanitarian Award at an appropriate CDA event and recognized in CDA and CDA Foundation publications in the fall. When funding is available, a monetary contribution may be given to the recipient’s nonprofit of choice.
Read the nomination guidelines for complete details on eligibility, selection criteria and required attachments. Submit your nomination online by Thursday, June 30. Learn more about other CDA Foundation grants and awards that financially support dental professionals and community-based organizations that provide dental care to undeserved communities.