Will to SmileWill to Smile
Partnership and sponsorship
Where there's a Will, there's a smile.
Will to Smile brings free dental care to communities in Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Costa Rica where a dentist has never been an option. This page is for companies and individuals considering a partnership.
The need, and the proof
In 2019, Dr. Christopher Will carried his office into a community in Jamaica with a small team. A borrowed classroom became a two-chair clinic, and in three days they treated more than 250 people, free. Many had never sat in a dentist's chair.
How a gift becomes clinic time
A clinic hour costs the same to keep open whatever happens in the chair, so we count gifts in clinic time.
| Where one mission's money goes | Cash cost | How it is figured |
|---|---|---|
| Airfare | $4,800 | 8 people at $600 round trip |
| Lodging and meals | $6,160 | 8 people, 7 days, $110 a day |
| Team ground transport | $1,200 | Van, fuel, local driver |
| Permits and licensure | $500 | Jamaica Dental Council and import approvals |
| Clinical supplies | $12,000 | Purchased; donated product is separate |
| Freight and customs | $4,500 | Four pallets each way plus a customs broker |
| Insurance | $3,500 | Malpractice and travel, valid internationally |
| Field logistics | $5,074 | Power, water, local help, transport, backup sterilizer, canopies, antibiotics |
| Clinical team pay | $12,199 | 1 dentist, 2 hygienists, 3 assistants; 5 working days, 10 hours a day |
| Total cash | $49,933 | $55,500 to raise, which covers the fiscal sponsor's 10 percent fee |
Planning figures for a Jamaica mission with a team of eight and three ten-hour clinic days. Lines are replaced with quotes and actual costs as they arrive.
Ways to partner
Beyond cash
Donated goods and services carry no sponsor fee.
| Need | What it covers | Per mission |
|---|---|---|
| Air travel | Flights for a team of eight | About $4,800 |
| Lodging and meals | Rooms and meals for the team for one week | About $6,160 |
| Clinical supplies | Consumables, instruments, materials | About $12,000 |
| Freight and customs | Shipping equipment and clearing it | About $4,500 |
| A local host | Facility, patient outreach, local help | Essential |
The plan
While our own federal 501(c)(3) application is in progress, Motherful serves as our fiscal sponsor. Gifts made for Will to Smile are received by Motherful, held in a fund for our work, and receipted by Motherful. Gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Accountability
Recognition never implies that a sponsor influences clinical decisions, and we never publish a patient image without consent.
Tell us what you are considering, whether it is a full mission, a clinic day, or donated goods, and we will follow up within two business days.
Updates when trips are planned and the team is in the field.