Area Agency on Aging Grants

Early in 1995, Dane County elders and the Area Agency on Aging Board were privileged to receive a bequest from the estate of Mr. Henry Norman Leck. Killed in a car accident in 1992, Mr. Leck left over $150,000 to service Dane County elders. Realizing how quickly these funds could be spent, the Area Agency on Aging Board chose to create the Henry Norman Leck Endowment Fund at the Madison Community Foundation. Each spring, approximately 5% of the assets of the fund are distributed, on a competitive basis, to Dane County non-profit organizations, community groups, and public agencies serving senior adults (age 60+). The grants are meant to provide seed money to develop peer-to-peer prevention programs in the areas of AODA, benefits counseling, cultural diversity, elder abuse, health & wellness, housing, LGBT, nutrition, and socialization. Leck Grants may not be used to supplant existing county funding. No project will be funded more than twice. The Leck Endowment Fund has made grants totaling $180,097.61.

The Area Agency on Aging Board has defined prevention as "A process which promotes physical and emotional health by empowering persons with the resources and services necessary to confront complex, stressful life conditions and by enabling individuals to lead personally satisfying and enriching lives." Programs that are considered for the grant:

• Include involvement and education that builds on strengths, skills, talents, knowledge, and life experience of senior adults;
• Whenever feasible, involve low-income senior adults (age 75+);
• Engage senior adults in positive leadership roles and productive community activities; and
• Be completed by December 31st of the year it was awarded.

The Mally Fund for Aging Education was created in 2001 by longtime Area Agency on Aging Board Chair, Nell Mally, who wanted to honor the memory of her husband, Timothy G. Mally, a vice-president of Engineering at Oscar Mayer. Upon his death and because of his passion for lifelong learning, the fund was established with an initial investment of $10,000 and in subsequent years additional monies were added. These funds are invested with and held by the Madison Community Foundation. Each spring, approximately 5% of the assets of the fund are distributed, on a competitive basis, to Dane County non-profit organizations, community groups, and public agencies serving senior adults (age 60+). The grant is distributed annually by the Area Agency on Aging and is intended to provide annual funding for educational programs (training, retraining, educating, or retreating) to benefit senior adults, staff, and/or volunteers in Dane County's aging network. The grant may not be used to supplant existing county funding. No project will be funded more than twice. Agency/agencies are encouraged to plan in collaboration, whenever possible, to maximize the number of people benefiting from the educational experience. The Mally Fund for Aging Education Endowment has made grants totaling $8,910.85.