Helen Bader Foundation: Awarded $2 million in rural healthy aging grants by national foundation

Contact: Kristin Paltzer, on behalf of the Helen
Bader Foundation

Phone: 414-319-5700

kristinpaltzer@zizzogroup.com

National Foundation Selects Helen Bader Foundation to Award $2 Million in Rural Healthy Aging Grants

Milwaukee – June 17, 2014 – The Helen Bader Foundation (HBF), one of the top philanthropic foundations in Wisconsin and the largest private funder of healthy aging programs in the state, announced today that it has been awarded $2 million from Minnesota-based Margaret A. Cargill Foundation (MACF).

The 18-month grant will be used to expand the current HBF funding in the area of healthy aging, which currently totals $1.5 million per year. These additional funds will be aimed at improving the quality of healthy aging services for older adults living in Wisconsin’s 71 rural counties.

Wisconsin’s older adult population is growing rapidly as the Baby Boom generation enters retirement age, and many rural counties are becoming older and poorer. According to a recently released report from Wisconsin Rural Partners, Inc., the 10 counties with the highest median age are in the north and central portions of the state, an area that also represent the top 10 counties with negative or stagnant population growth. While the need for services has grown in rural Wisconsin, the recession and a lower proportion of working-age adults have meant that fewer resources are available within these communities.

Since 1992, HBF has awarded more than $43 million in Alzheimer’s and aging-related grants. As a leader in Alzheimer’s and aging programming for more than two decades, HBF’s work has helped to position Wisconsin as an innovator in how communities view growing older. Through program development, education and training, research and public policy, HBF brings together partners statewide and around the world to support families with compassion, creativity and knowledge.

“We are honored to have been recognized by the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation for our work in healthy aging in Wisconsin,” said Daniel Bader, president and chief executive officer of the Helen Bader Foundation. “As the Baby Boom generation continues to age, it is crucial that our rural communities become more responsive to the needs of older adults. We look forward to continuing to engage new partners across the state to ensure our state is a national leader.”

Funding from MACF will enable HBF to increase its grant-making capacity and expand its reach across the state to address the rise of older adults, with a focus on rural communities where resources have been hindered by stagnant economic conditions.

In addition to continuing current programming, HBF will work with more partners in rural communities to roll out this new funding, guided by three key strategies focused around helping seniors remain in their homes and communities. Those strategies include:

Healthy and Engaged Older Adults – delivery of services and supports that allow older adults to maintain independence and dignity, so they can remain in their homes and communities as long as possible.

Technology – provide older adults and caregivers with technology necessary to improve quality of care and life for those adults remaining at home.

Workforce Development – increased quality and quantity of direct-care workers serving older adults, specifically in home- and community-based settings.

The first round of grants focused on healthy aging in rural communities will be awarded in July, with the second round of funding for 2014 to be awarded in October.

About the Helen Bader Foundation

Milwaukee-based Helen Bader Foundation, Inc. is a philanthropic leader in improving the quality of life of the diverse communities in which it works. The Foundation supports innovative projects and programs through grants, convening partners and sharing knowledge to affect emerging issues in key areas. Awarding an average of $10 million annually, the Foundation has an emphasis on youth, aging and workforce development for at-risk populations. The Foundation has awarded more than $225 million in grants and $15 million in Program Related Investments such as loans and equity investments since 1992. For more information on the Foundation, visit www.hbf.org.