Donor Impact Report
Your impact on the vulnerable older population
“The problem with charity is that it goes from the rich to the rich,” says a Google.org executive relaying data from a Stanford University study. “People think they are giving to the poor and they really aren’t.”
In Stanford’s survey of more than 10,000 households, the majority of respondents said their primary philanthropic objective was to target the poor. AARP Foundation donors (including Google.org and a million AARP members) share this broad concern and are gratified that their gifts are used as intended. Through the compassion of our donors, $22 million was given during 2007 and invested in a better life for 3.7 million of societies most vulnerable.
Activating a powerful strategic plan, the AARP Foundation’s focus on the vulnerable low-income older population was solidified this past year. The Foundation Board, President and key leaders talked with donors and examined unmet needs in deciding to direct resources toward creating opportunities for the most vulnerable among us, and to help low-income individuals and families protect and extend their financial resources. Foundation programs focus on:
- building financial assets through work and saving
- managing existing financial assets and protecting assets from fraud
- accessing needed public benefits
Our programs are directed toward special populations, those who statistics show to be the very most vulnerable among us—older persons with low incomes, women, people of color and those living alone.
Opening paths to financial stability through employment…
Those we reach out to are people like Carmen, who dropped out of school at a young age to marry. After a subsequent divorce, Carmen hoped to resume her schooling, but tragedy struck the family with the death of her brother. Carmen is now raising her brother’s nine-year-old son, whose mother is unable to care for him. Carmen was granted a scholarship through the Women’s Scholarship Program, launched in 2007 so that at-risk older women could acquire job skills, training and educational opportunities needed to support themselves and their families. Carmen is looking forward to completing her training this year, so “I can give my nephew the life he deserves.”
The Women’s Scholarship Program is one of two new programs launched in 2007 to help vulnerable individuals build their financial security and their assets.
Following a “soft” launch last fall (consisting of announcements to collegial organizations), response to the Women’s Scholarship Program was immense. Close to 10,000 women visited the website and over 2,000 began the application process. Of the 900 who completed the process and met the criteria (women age 40 and over with demonstrated financial need, and who are returning to the workforce after an extended absence, underemployed, and/or raising the children of relatives), over half were persons of color, and over half had incomes under $20,000. Scholarships have been granted to 74 women.
The Women’s Scholarship Program is sponsored by the AARP Foundation Women’s Leadership Circle (WLC). The WLC Cabinet, led by DMI Music CEO Tena Clark, has pledged to raise an additional $200,000 during the first six months of 2008 to fund a second round of 50-60 scholarships. A generous grant from Bank of America was instrumental in initiating the scholarship program.
The new WorkSearch program was launched in 20 project sites, providing tools and resources for older workers to identify their employment interests and skills and to connect with training and employment opportunities in their communities. Of almost 18,000 participants to date, over 60 percent have incomes below $20,000 annually, 61 percent are women and 51 percent are either African-American or Hispanic/Latino.
Over 45,000 attended WorkSearch sponsored job fairs that worked to link community employers with mature workers. Many were conducted in Spanish.
Senior Community Service Employment Program—last year, AARP Foundation’s national SCSEP Program had the highest percentage of participants placed in jobs among all program sponsors, maintaining this leadership for all of the last eight years. Some 21,700 with incomes under 125 percent of poverty received subsidized job training and temporary placement in community service agencies. Fifty-six percent were then placed in regular employment. Over 33 percent of those in the program are African American, 17 percent are Hispanic/Latino and 14 percent have a disability.
Great strides were made in the huge retail industry in expanding employment of older workers, thanks to a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. In partnership with the National Retail Federation Foundation, AARP Foundation and AARP’s Workforce Issues Group conducted a survey of retail business and learned that executives are aware of older worker issues, but challenged by finding employees with the right skills. In follow up, regional workshops introduced human resources directors from large and small chains to the use of flexible work practices in recruiting older workers. In 2008, the project will assess anticipated improvements in hiring, turnover and morale. We are reaching thousands of Retail Federation members through their annual convention, 32 skills centers and daily email alerts. One in five Americans (24 million people) are employed in 1.6 million retail establishments nationwide.
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