Updates on ADA financial stewardship, tech upgrades

Message from ADA president, president-elect

Editor's note: ADA President Brett Kessler, D.D.S., and President-elect Richard Rosato, D.M.D., emailed all members on May 12 with an update on the state of the Association's finances and technology upgrades. ADA News repurposed their message into an open letter. 

As leaders of the American Dental Association, we are deeply committed to accountability and transparency — especially to you, our valued members, who are the foundation of the ADA’s mission. These principles are shared by the Board of Trustees, who recently took decisive action in the spirit of responsibility and service to our community.

In its April meeting, the Board focused on two important priorities: Repairing our new association management system and ensuring financial sustainability. It is important that we share the outcomes of this meeting with you because ultimately the ADA belongs to all of its members.

Repairing our technology

AMS technologies help make your ADA membership experience smooth, seamless and efficient. To provide you with first-class member service, local and state societies (along with the ADA) rely on the AMS to: 

• Keep a database of member records.
• Manage membership registrations and renewals.
• Collect and record dues payments.
• Process your registration for events and continuing education courses.

In October 2024, the ADA and most of its state societies transitioned to a new AMS after our former system was no longer compatible with upgrades from the software developer. The new system, approved by the Board in 2022, offers — among other things — heightened data security and enables a more personalized membership experience for you.

Yet, our recent switch to this new system, Fonteva, has had challenges, which you may have encountered as you joined the ADA or renewed your membership for this year. We are sorry that this has caused frustration, as this experience has not aligned with our commitment to excellent member service.

Our Association has worked swiftly to resolve many of these issues, especially in payment processing and event registration. There’s more work to do for your state societies, and the ADA pledges to have an AMS that more stably supports your membership renewal and new member registrations by October.

Ensuring financial sustainability

The challenges encountered during our AMS upgrade and system rollout have also impacted the ADA's finances. Issues with the system’s payment processing function have delayed dues collection, temporarily affecting ADA revenue. Additionally, a financial review found larger-than-expected variances between the ADA’s planned first-quarter budget and actual spending.

To address this, the ADA Board has rescinded its previously approved budget and is working toward a revamped 2025 budget that lowers expenses by $20 million, in addition to $9 million in recent cuts.

While 2025 may not end with a balanced budget, reducing expenses will help us manage resources more prudently. The Board, with guidance from the ADA Finance Committee, will convene to finalize the updated budget in June. Trustees will then discuss a detailed multi-year business plan at their August meeting.

The Board has taken these measures with you in mind: The ADA is dedicated to delivering the high-quality services, resources, and all-around benefits you value as an ADA member.

Your American Dental Association is steady and strong. Our financial refocus follows years of investment in the new AMS and other innovations designed to create greater value for you, support your state and local societies, as well as advance the profession and public health. Even with the spend on these investments, our collective reserve funds are healthy at $163 million as of April 30 (This figure includes our Headquarters Building Quasi-Endowment Fund). Our Association remains steadfast in its mission to help you succeed and drive public health forward.  

ADA leadership is focused on the path forward and is committed to keeping you informed about our technology transition, finances, and other initiatives. Your perspective is incredibly valuable along this journey together — please share your questions and feedback by emailing ADA News Editor-in-Chief Kelly Ganski at ganskik@ada.org. She will forward all messages to ADA leadership . 

Thank you for your continued membership and for being the best part of the American Dental Association.