Encore.org was founded on the belief that the aging of America isn’t as much a problem to be solved as it is an opportunity to be seized. Today, for the first time in U.S. history, people over 60 outnumber people under 18, raising fears of increasing generational conflict. Encore.org sees another path, a more-old-than-young society that works for all ages. By telling a new story about the assets of an aging society and lifting up intergenerational solutions to pressing social problems, Encore.org works to bridge divides and collaborate across generations to create a better future together.
Since pioneering the term “encore career,” Encore.org has helped to build a movement of people age 50 and up committed to using their experience to solve social problems. Through programs like Experience Corps, The Purpose Prize, Encore Fellowships, and the Gen2Gen campaign, Encore.org has demonstrated the power of experience and of intergenerational connection to change lives and strengthen communities. Moving forward, the organization will tackle three key barriers: narratives that pit one generation against another (“gen vs. gen”), age-segregated institutions, and a dearth of investment in intergenerational innovations. Changing demographics underscore the continued urgency of this work, which includes an inventive program portfolio, original research, strategic alliances, and the power of people’s own life stories.