The Cass County Community Foundation awarded $29,940 to Cass County nonprofit organizations and community projects during its Fall 2023 Grant Cycle. Including these most recent grants, the Cass County Community Foundation has distributed more than $2.6 million in grants and scholarships over the past 25 years.

The following organizations are Fall 2023 Grant Recipients:

All grantees met the criteria as Cass County nonprofit agencies or organizations with charitable missions supporting community needs in the areas of civic engagement, culture, health, education, and social services. Only organizations providing services in Cass County were eligible to apply.

These grant funds were made possible by generous donors to the Cass County Community Foundation and the following charitable funds through the community foundation: Griswold Community Development Endowed Fund and Triumph Endowed Fund for Cass County.

The Cass County Community Foundation works with individuals, families, businesses, and organizations to create permanent and expendable funds that address changing, vital community needs and interests. To learn more about donating to the Cass County Community Foundation, please contact the Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa staff or any advisory board member listed below. Gifts to permanently endowed funds through the Cass County Community Foundation may be eligible to receive a 25% Endow Iowa Tax Credit.

Advisory board members of the Cass County Community Foundation are Chair Kristi Burg of Massena; Vice Chair Gaylord Schelling of Atlantic; Secretary/Treasurer Sue Hunt of Atlantic; Sandy Bierbaum of Griswold; Justin D. Hockenberry of Anita; and Mike Tibken of Anita.

For information about donating or establishing an individual foundation/fund, please contact Sunni Kamp (sunni@omahafoundation.org) or Sydney Calcagno (sydney@omahafoundation.org) at 800-794-3458.

The Audubon County Community Foundation awarded $42,343 to Audubon County nonprofit organizations and community projects during its Fall 2023 Grant Cycle. Including these most recent grants, the Audubon County Community Foundation has distributed more than $2.8 million in grants and scholarships over the past 25 years.

The following organizations are Fall 2023 Grant Recipients:

All grantees met the criteria as Audubon County nonprofit agencies or organizations with charitable missions supporting community needs in the areas of civic engagement, culture, health, education, and social services. Only organizations providing services in Audubon County were eligible to apply.

These grant funds were made possible by generous donors to the Audubon County Community Foundation and the following charitable funds allocated through the community foundation: Audubon Masonic Association Endowed Fund; Audubon State Bank/Stephen Garst Endowed Fund; Charles T. and Kathleen K. Manatt Endowed Fund; Leon and Iva Milliman Endowed Fund for Audubon County, Iowa; Fred and Evelyn Nissen Endowed Fund for Audubon; and Merle and Norma Petersen Endowed Fund.

The Audubon County Community Foundation works with individuals, families, businesses, and organizations to create permanent and expendable funds that address changing, vital community needs and interests. To learn more about donating to the Audubon County Community Foundation, please contact the Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa staff or any advisory board member listed below. Gifts to permanently endowed funds through the Audubon County Community Foundation may be eligible to receive a 25% Endow Iowa Tax Credit.

Advisory board members of the Audubon County Community Foundation are Chair Pat Kaiser of Audubon; Vice Chair Gina Benton of Exira; Secretary/Treasurer Megan Wagner of Audubon; Bob Blomme of Audubon; Travis Nelson of Exira; Donna Olson of Kimballton, and Doug Carter of Audubon.

For information about donating or establishing an individual foundation/fund, please contact Sunni Kamp (sunni@omahafoundation.org) or Sydney Calcagno (sydney@omahafoundation.org) at 800-794-3458.

The Alzheimer’s Association is celebrating the major landmark of seeing 100-million dollars invested in research initiatives nationwide during the past year, including nearly 500-thousand dollars that targets studies solely at the University of Iowa. U-I researcher Juliana Talarico says the work they’re doing is vital in examining risk factors — like the impact of sleep and stress — on the development of Alzheimer’s.

Talarico is considered a leading researcher in the field of psycho-social stress and cognitive decline within aging populations. Her work identifies opportunities for early prevention that may bring resilience against cognitive health issues that stem from sustained stressors.

While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, recent advances have produced medications that can slow the disease’s progress when identified early. Talarico says the U-I’s College of Nursing is in the midst of two key Alzheimer’s research studies.

U-I researcher Wen Liu is focused on how dementia patients act and how they’re helped at mealtime. Liu has been studying countless patients in hospitals, nursing homes and memory care settings both in the U-S and China.

Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. In Iowa, more than 66,000 people have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia, and there are nearly 100,000 family and friends caring for their loved ones with the disease. This year’s unparalleled 100-million dollar commitment to research stands as the largest single-year investment since the organization’s founding in 1980.