Approaching 25 years

Building healthier Arizona communities through oral healthcare

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A pathway out of poverty

Transforming more than smiles.

Comprehensive oral healthcare can restore health, confidence, and possibility. Brighter Way serves vulnerable adults, children, veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and individuals with special needs.

Know our story View impact reports
Arizona nonprofitTax ID 81-1096448Charity Navigator profile
Brighter Way founder Dr. Kris Volcheck speaking at a community event
From a two-chair trailerto a beacon of comprehensive care.

Community impact

Care measured in lives changed.

Patients served
201,490
Patient services
1,705,936
Total market value
$271.5M
2025 Impact Report coverFeatured publicationRead the 2025 Impact Report

Our journey

From a flicker of light to a brighter way forward.

  1. 2001

    A dental home begins

    A two-chair dental trailer opened with 55 volunteers. The first patient was a Vietnam veteran experiencing homelessness.

  2. Today

    Care across a lifetime

    Two state-of-the-art dental centers and the Tooth Bus now provide care from young childhood through senior adulthood.

  3. Next

    More than a smile

    Brighter Way continues expanding access through collaborative, entrepreneurial partnerships that strengthen the whole community.

Brighter Way clinical team inside the dental center
Community guests touring a Brighter Way dental suite
“Transforming More Than Smiles” is a pathway out of poverty, strengthened by collaborative community efforts.
Guests at the Edmund H. Portnoy memorial dedication view his commemorative portrait
The Edmund H. Portnoy memorial dedicationPhoto: Dana Gibbons

A lasting legacy

Edmund H. Portnoy, PhD

Long-time Board Member · Honorary Founder of The Brighter Way Endowment

With gratitude, Brighter Way remembers Ed as a joyous, kind-hearted champion of human services philanthropy. His compassion, service, and belief in brighter possibilities continue through the people and mission he helped strengthen.

Three ways to reach care

One mission, designed around the community.

Specialized settings meet people where they are, from complex surgical care to preventive pediatric services and mobile outreach.

Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust surgical suite at Brighter Way

Adults & veterans

Diane & Bruce Halle Brighter Way Dental Center

Complex restorative oral healthcare for veterans, people experiencing homelessness, low-income adults, and seniors.

230 S. 12th Avenue · Phoenix, AZ 85007
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The Bob and Renee Parsons Center for Pediatric Dentistry building

Children & youth

The Bob & Renee Parsons Center for Pediatric Dentistry

A permanent dental home providing preventive, restorative, orthodontic, and specialized care for underserved children.

3140 W. Buckeye Road · Phoenix, AZ 85009
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Brighter Way Tooth Bus team gathered beside the mobile dental center

Mobile outreach

Tooth Bus

Brighter Way and UnitedHealthcare bring care into the community for children, families, and young adults facing barriers to access.

Community-based care across Greater Phoenix
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Transparent by design

Impact you can see. Stewardship you can trust.

Explore Brighter Way’s impact reports, public filings, audits, and donor recognition. Every document opens in a new tab.

2025 Impact Report cover
Latest report2025 Community Impact ReportOpen report
Impact ReportsAnnual outcomes, stories, reach, and community value.
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Form 990Public nonprofit tax filings and organizational information.
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Independent AuditsAudited financial statements and fiscal accountability.
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Arizona charitable tax credit

Give back. Get back. Keep care moving forward.

Arizona taxpayers can make a voluntary cash donation to a Qualifying Charitable Organization and may receive a dollar-for-dollar, nonrefundable state income tax credit—up to the annual limit and available tax liability.

Brighter Way is a registered QCOQCO 20880
2026 individual maximum$506Single, head of household, or married filing separately
2026 joint maximum$1,009Married filing jointly
Verify current limits with the Arizona Department of Revenue
2026 credit estimatorSee the potential impact of your gift.
Potential 2026 Arizona tax credit$506

Your gift goes directly to Brighter Way; the credit may reduce your Arizona income tax liability by the same amount, subject to eligibility and limits.

Donate $506
  1. 1
    Make a cash gift

    Donate to Brighter Way Institute and use QCO code 20880.

  2. 2
    Keep your receipt

    Save the donation acknowledgement with your tax records.

  3. 3
    File Arizona Form 321

    Claim the QCO credit with your Arizona individual income tax return.

  4. 4
    Confirm with an adviser

    Eligibility and benefit depend on your tax liability and circumstances.

This estimator is educational and is not tax advice. Arizona QCO credits are nonrefundable and cannot exceed available tax liability. Consult a qualified tax professional and the Arizona Department of Revenue.

A newly dedicated Brighter Way surgical suite

Make a brighter way possible

Your gift restores health, dignity, and possibility.

Donor support helps Brighter Way provide comprehensive care to people who face the greatest barriers to oral health. Give once, give monthly, or learn how an Arizona charitable tax credit may apply.

Make a donation Explore the Arizona Tax Credit · QCO 20880

Brighter Way honors donor confidentiality and does not sell or share personal donor information.