Making a difference doesn’t stop as you age. Millions of older adults are using their experience to give back, to solve problems, and to change lives.
If you or someone you know age 50 or older are among that group, the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) might be willing to give you or them a rather substantial sum for doing that.
The organization is currently accepting nominations for its AARP Purpose Prize awards that honor extraordinary individuals who use their life experience to make a better future for all.
To celebrate AARP’s 60th anniversary this year, five winners of the 2019 Prize awards will receive $60,000 apiece, and another 10 people will be named AARP Purpose Prize Fellows and receive $5,000 each. Winners will be announced in the Fall.
Nominating someone for the AARP Purpose Prize is fast, easy and open to anyone 50 and older making a difference – and neither you nor the person you nominate needs to be an AARP member.
$350,000 Will Go To 15 People. All nominations are due by March 31, 2019.
“The AARP Purpose Prize is all about a new story of aging – focusing on experience and innovation and the idea that our aging population is an untapped resource full of possibilities,” says AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins.
“AARP Purpose Prize winners and nominees are role models. They are makers and doers who are out there creating new solutions that make the world a better place for people of all ages.
“They are ordinary people doing extraordinary things and come from all walks of life – they’re your co-workers, neighbors, teachers, former colleagues, and friends.”
Generally founders of organizations that range in size from the very local to national or even international in scope, Jenkins says, “They go beyond individual volunteering to take on a specific social problem in a sustained, systematic, and measurable way. We help to fund their ongoing work.”
The Purpose Prize was founded in 2005 by Marc Freedman, CEO of Encore.org. Since that time, the prize has generated nearly 10,000 nominations and produced more than 500 winners and fellows. In 2016, the Prize awards transitioned to a new home at AARP.
Included within the AARP Purpose Prize is the Andrus Prize for Intergenerational Excellence, which recognizes work that brings multiple generations together for a better community. This award celebrates the legacy of AARP’s founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, who was an innovative educator and social change agent.
Previous Winners Include:
“I figured if I could help other women receive what I had received, then it would make a difference.” – Susan Burton, A New Way Of Life Reentry Project, 2012 winner
“It was in my 50s that I realized that this was my calling.” – Jamal Joseph, IMPACT Repertory Theater, 2015 winner
“All of the challenges kept preparing me to stand up for something.” – Ysabel Duron, Latinas Contra Cancer, 2013 winner
“While there is a chance with young people, let’s expose them to things that would benefit them down the road.” – Dr. Mike Weaver, WeCCAAN (Weaver and Concerned Citizens of Aiken/Atlanta Now), 2017 winner
“Girls have to be strong enough and powerful enough so they can handle what comes down the pike.” – Dr. Cynthia Barnett, founder, Amazing Girls Science, 2017 winner
“Our program helps to nurture and mentor students through high school and college. There are no shortcuts; this work requires extensive amounts of time and effort. But the payoff is great.” – Dr. Betty Perkins, founder, Today’s Students, Tomorrow’s Teachers, 2018 winner
Submit a nomination for the AARP Purpose Prize here!
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a membership of nearly 38 million that helps people turn their goals and dreams into what it calls “Real Possibilities” by changing the way America defines aging. Its stated mission is “to empower people to choose how to live as they age.”
Membership used to be confined to those 50 and over, but now you can join via AARP’s website
With staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP works to strengthen communities and promote the issues that matter most to families, such as healthcare security, financial security and personal fulfillment.
AARP also advocates for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the world’s largest circulation magazine, AARP The Magazine and the AARP Bulletin. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates.
