More than a decade ago, Encore.org and the Templeton Foundation forged a partnership anchored in Sir John Templeton’s vision of purpose in retirement. That partnership began with The Purpose Prize and, over time, has come to marry later-life purpose with generosity, love and future-mindedness. We believe purpose that flows down the generational chain is key to realizing the potential of longer lives and solving many of society’s problems.
That’s all the more important today: For the first time, in 2019, America has more people over 60 than under 18.
Making the most of these new demographics will require surmounting a set of obstacles: outdated cultural norms about later life, radical age segregation, and an abject absence of investment in solutions. To overcome these barriers, we will:
SHIFT THE NARRATIVE. We will help create a culture of legacy and purpose. Building on the success of The Purpose Prize and How to Live Forever, we will expand our thought leadership; amplify diverse and influential voices; and create a platform for bringing together the best storytelling, ideas and cultural leadership in the field.
CATALYZE SOCIAL INNOVATION. We will fight age segregation by stimulating entrepreneurship and innovation aimed at bringing people together across generations. We will launch a fellowship to develop new vehicles to bridge the generational divide. We will adapt Encore Fellowships to focus on the intergenerational opportunity. And we will demonstrate deep impact through targeted intergenerational pilots.
BUILD A THRIVING MOVEMENT. We will help build a more robust movement with the resources to scale by dramatically increasing the number and capacity of movement leaders, while expanding investment in the field through a funder collaborative.
Taken together, these efforts will help shift the norms and behavior of millions in the second half of life at precisely the juncture when America becomes a more-old-than-young society.
