Institute Showcases Foundation and Breaks Fundraising Record

Posted on April 14, 2026 by Lori Meyer

LeadingAge Minnesota’s annual Institute & Expo brings together over 4,000 people to learn, be inspired, network, and celebrate caregivers. This year’s event, held February 10-12, did not disappoint!

A central feature of the 2026 Institute was a showcase of the work of the LeadingAge Minnesota Foundation (LAMF). This included two concurrent sessions highlighting grant funded activities. Foundation Director Gina DiMaggio facilitated a panel discussion of our Connected Communities pilots as they shared their experience in developing new ways to support seniors in their homes and communities and the promising outcomes they have achieved to date.

Kirstan Ketter, Project Manager, shined a spotlight on how we can better support New Americans as they seek to enter and excel in the senior care field, and shared the many resources developed by LAMF as part of our New Americans in Long-Term Care Grant.

 

The Foundation’s 10^th Annual Silent Auction raised more funds than any previous year! Ring toss and other carnival games were new this year to add to the fun and the fundraising. All proceeds go to the Gayle Kvenvold Commitment to Caregivers Fund, which provides financial support to our outstanding caregivers who sacrifice so much to do the work they are called to do. This includes Annette Riestenberg, from Perham Living, who received LeadingAge Minnesota’s Caregiver of the Year Award—the highest honor we bestow. Special thanks to all those who donated or bid on Silent Auction items, and to our volunteers who helped with carnival games!

A Poster Walk provided another way for Institute attendees to learn more about the LeadingAge Minnesota Foundation and access information on our scholarships, resources, grants, pilot and research projects, and more.