Parkinson's Foundation

At the Parkinson Foundation (PF) we make life better for people with Parkinson’s through expert care and research. Everything we do helps people actively enjoy life with their friends, families, children and grandchildren until there is a tomorrow without Parkinson’s.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative brain disorder that progresses slowly in most people. Most people's symptoms take years to develop, and they live for years with the disease.

How common is PD?

• In the US, 90,000 people are diagnosed each year.
• An estimated 1 million Americans currently live with PD, including 17,088 people served by the MN & Dakotas Chapter
• The prevalence of PD will increase in the next 20 years as the average age of the population increases.

The Minnesota & Dakotas Chapter of the Parkinson’s Foundation provides the local Parkinson’s community with access to local resources and services such as support groups, wellness classes, and education programs.

How do we help people with Parkinson’s? In the last five years, the Parkinson’s Foundation has invested nearly $1 million to advance research, improve care and connect people with essential educational tools in the Minnesota & Dakotas Chapter. Here are some of the ways we are making a local impact:

• Advancing Research
  • Our Parkinson’s Outcomes Project, will change the course of the disease. With nearly 10,000 patients from four countries, it’s the largest-ever clinical research study of Parkinson’s disease.
  • More than $75,000 provided through Parkinson’s Foundation research grants, funding the critical work of 5 local researchers.
  • 44 Foundation-trained research advocates have been paired with scientists to make PD research more effective.  
• We set the standard of expert care in Parkinson’s through our Centers of Excellence, chosen from the top ranking academic medical centers.
  • More than 10,000 people with Parkinson’s receive expert care at our Centers of Excellence.
  • 1,842 calls and emails answered through our Helpline, 1-800-4PD-INFO, offering advice, referrals and resources for people with PD, their care partners and families in our area.
  • More than 1,000 health professionals trained in best-practice PD care, ensuring people with Parkinson’s have increased access to quality care.
• We support quality programs throughout Minnesota and connect people with Parkinson’s and their families to life-changing services.
  • More than 10,000 people participated in one of the 489 local PD-tailored programs funded through our community grants program.
  • More than 3,000 people participated in educational programs focused on wellness, exercise and mental health, aimed to help them live well with Parkinson’s.
  • More than $1.2 million raised through Moving Day, A Walk for Parkinson’s events — bringing together more than 5,000 people to celebrate movement while increasing awareness about PD.
  • More than 60,000 educational publications, in English and Spanish, distributed at no cost to people with PD, helping them live their best lives at every stage of the disease.

Thanks to supporters like you, we are advancing PD research, improving access to quality care and offering free resources and support to people with PD in our area. There are many ways you can help support the Minnesota & Dakotas Chapter. Whatever form your gift takes, you can be confident that it helps provide crucial resources for people living with Parkinson’s disease, their care partners and loved ones.