Recently more than 700 Alzheimer’s disease researchers attended the seventh annual Clinical Trials in Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) Conference in Philadelphia to discuss new developments in the field. In a press release describing the conference, CTAD described two highlights: new investigational compounds and collaborations for Alzheimer’s prevention.

The latter described the progress made by the Collaboration for Alzheimer’s Prevention (CAP), an umbrella group including two studies funded, in part, by GHR—the Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer’s (A4) Study and the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network Trials Unit (DIAN-TU).

At the conference, director of DIAN-TU Randall Bateman spoke on the progress of the CAP partnership. Despite differences in populations, the four studies have found common ground on a clear set of cognitive domains to test and compare results. All CAP trials now also plan to use tau imaging, thanks to a partnership between the NIH and 10 industry partners.

CAP’s updates, while notable, are only a portion of the rapidly changing landscape of Alzheimer’s research. Other notable progressions presented at CTAD, such as the new compounds being developed and the creation of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry to accelerate enrollment in trials, will intersect with GHR’s Health Initiative’s involvement as organizations and researchers work together to find effective treatment.

GHR recently hosted a series of convenings in conjunction with the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, a private foundation working to advance a system of K-12 education in which all parents are free to choose the learning environment best for their children. GHR invited Friedman representatives to meet with Minnesota’s experts on school choice, as well as education funders and philanthropists.

Friedman Foundation facilitated discussions on expanding public funding to non-public schools as a way to mitigate the achievement gap, and shared research showing similar educational choice efforts improving academic outcomes for children while lowering state education costs. There were also discussions on expanding Minnesota’s new early childhood education scholarships to K-12 education, and what would be required to pass a school choice bill.

These convenings marked a first step in aligning priorities among educational choice supporters, which relates closely to GHR’s Catholic Schools Initiative. At the meetings, GHR staff shared the initiative’s strategy, highlighting a desire to increase Catholic school funding and discussing GHR’s funding of assessment preparation and testing to drive quality and attract new funding sources. To learn more about leveraging Catholic education to bridge the achievement gap, contact us.

 The Minnesota Council on Foundations recently published its annual report on philanthropy (PDF), listing GHR Foundation as the fourth largest grant maker in the state’s international affairs and religion categories. The report, which reviews $5.7 billion in individual, foundation and corporate giving for 2012, shows a modest 2 percent increase in total giving over 2011. According to a Twin Cities Business report, GHR ranked seventh-largest among private Minnesota foundations during this time period.

In the area of grant making to religious causes, private foundations compose approximately 39 percent of total giving, which decreased by 16 percent between 2011 and 2012.

GHR is in good company with other private foundations listed in the report. We look forward to continuing to humbly ambassador GHR’s reputation as a meaningful part of Minnesota’s giving landscape.