Encore.org brings older and younger changemakers together to solve problems, bridge divides, and create a better future for all.

We work to change the culture by elevating new ideas and diverse voices on the power of connection and collaboration across generational divides. We accelerate innovation by offering a variety of fellowships that empower people bringing generations together to solve society’s greatest problems, increase capacity in the social sector, and create new models for the multigenerational workforce. And we leverage leaders, organizations and networks to build a movement making intergenerational connection and collaboration the norm.

You can sign up to get the latest news from Encore.org — including notifications about events, fellowships and other opportunities — here.

Encore 101 is a free, one-hour monthly orientation session for people interested in learning more about Encore.org, the encore movement, fellowships, intergenerational work, second acts and more. Encore.org staff will provide an introduction and answer your questions. Check the Encore.org Events page for registration details.

We also encourage you to connect with us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. And you can email us at [email protected]

Co-generation is the term we use to describe the act of bringing distinctive and complementary talents of older and younger people together in ways that help one another, solve important social problems, forge meaningful intergenerational bonds, bridge differences and enhance understanding between the generations.

For decades, policies and practices have segregated younger and older people, resulting in a cascade of problems — from ageism to loneliness to splintered movements for social change.

Encore.org sees another path — a growing movement of younger and older changemakers working together to solve critical problems and bridge divides, creating a society that works for all generations.

Encore.org was founded on the belief that the aging of America isn’t so much a problem to be solved as it is an opportunity to be seized. For 20 years, we’ve worked to change cultural expectations for the years beyond 50 and spark a movement around second acts for the greater good.

In our own second act, we bring older and younger changemakers together to solve problems, bridge divides, and create a better future for all.

Over the years, Encore.org has, among many other accomplishments:

• Introduced and popularized the term “encore career,” meaning second acts for the greater good.
• Written six books and hundreds of articles to influence the national conversation on the years beyond midlife and provide information and tools to tens of thousands of people. Marc Freedman’s newest book is How to Live Forever: The Enduring Power of Connecting the Generations. Marci Alboher’s most recent book is The Encore Career Handbook: How to Make a Living and a Difference in the Second Half of Life.
• Launched Experience Corps to engage adults over 50 as tutors in under-served public schools around the country. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University and Washington University have proved the program’s impact on student reading scores, school culture and older adult health. Today AARP Experience Corps members help 30,000 children in 22 cities learn to read and succeed in school each year.
• Launched the Purpose Prize, often called “a MacArthur genius award for older adults.” Through the Prize, we Invested $5 million in hundreds of social innovators over 60, while telling a new story about the second half of life. Today the AARP Purpose Prize continues to honor and invest in extraordinary people ages 50 and older who tap into the power of life experience to build a better future for us all.”
• Created Encore Fellowships, midlife internships to make it easier to transition to encore careers in the social sector. So far, 2,000+ fellows have provided more than 2 million hours of service, at a fraction of their market value, contributing the equivalent of more than $200 million to non-for-profit organizations in over 50 metropolitan areas.
• Created the Encore Public Voices Fellowship to lift up new and diverse thought leaders working at the intersection of aging, intergenerational connection and social justice. (See impact here.)
• Attracted a strong board of directors — including CBS’s Jane Pauley, movie exec Sherry Lansing, bestselling author Chip Conley, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Ellen Goodman, and former AARP Experience Corps CEO Lester Strong — and an award-winning team. Encore.org staff won the 2018 Eisner Prize for Intergenerational Excellence. VP Eunice Lin Nichols won the 2019 Irvine Leadership Award, and CEO Marc Freedman has won numerous awards, including the Social Entrepreneur of the Year, given by World Economic Forum, and the Skoll Award in Social Entrepreneurship.

An encore or encore career is continued work in the second half of life that combines social impact, purpose, and often, continued income. While many people see their encore work as a “career,” others associate the career language with an earlier stage of life. For that reason, we talk about an encore role, work, or activity – or simply “an encore.” Use whichever language feels most comfortable to you.

An encore can be paid or volunteer, and doesn’t have to be limited to the nonprofit sector. And it’s much more about life stage than age. That said, the encore stage sits squarely in those years that used to comprise retirement. We see many people planning for their encores in their late 40s or early 50s and moving into encore work in their 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond.

The Encore Network is a coalition of leaders and organizations across the country and the world focusing on a wide range of encore issues. Visit the Encore Network site to learn more about encore programs, throughout the U.S. and globally.

Check the Encore.org Events page.

We work to change the culture by elevating new ideas and diverse voices on the power of connection and collaboration across generational divides. We accelerate innovation by offering a variety of fellowships that empower people bringing generations together to solve society’s greatest problems, increase capacity in the social sector, and create new models for the multigenerational workforce. And we leverage leaders, organizations and networks to build a movement making intergenerational connection and collaboration the norm.

Current programs include:

• The Gen2Gen Innovation Fellowship supports the work of people of all ages with ambitious initiatives to bridge generational divides.
• Co-generate! Livestream is our annual ideas festival for younger and older people eager to work together for a better future.
• The Encore Public Voices Fellowship supports thought leaders working at the intersection of aging, intergenerational connection and social justice.
• The Encore Fellowships program matches skilled, seasoned professionals with social sector organizations in high impact, paid leadership engagements.
• The Encore Physicians program places retired physicians in paid, clinical roles in health centers that deliver care to underserved populations.
• The Encore Intergenerational Vaccine Corps works to help vaccinate low-income residents in Bay Area health centers.

We are innovators, looking to spark broad, societal change. Over the years, we’ve created several programs, refined and demonstrated their effectiveness, then spun them off to new homes with the institutional capacity and commitment to take them to scale.

• The Purpose Prize — now the AARP Purpose Prize — identifies and invests in social innovators doing their most important work in the years beyond midlife.
• Experience Corps — now AARP Experience Corps — mobilizes people 50+ to help young children in 22 cities learn to read and succeed.
• The Encore Network — now an independent, nonprofit coalition of leaders — champions the civic, social, and economic contributions of people 50+ by creating community, stimulating learning, and inspiring action.
• Generation to Generation (Gen2Gen) — now a part of our central intergenerational focus — was Encore.org’s five-year national campaign to engage 1 million older adults in the lives of young people.

Other than through our Encore Fellowship and Encore Physicians program, Encore.org does not work with individual job seekers.

Under the Resources section of this website, you’ll see a page called For Encore Seekers. That page will suggest ideas and resources, including The Encore Career Handbook: How to Make a Difference and a Living in the Second Half of Life by Encore.org VP Marci Alboher.

We also encourage you to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. Our social media channels are where those invested in the encore movement share their ideas and experiences, and often post to jobs in the social sector. Our LinkedIn group is especially useful for those looking to move into encore careers.

A few other resources you might want to consider:

• Encore.org VP Marci Alboher’s free LinkedIn Learning class on encore careers.
• ReServe Inc.
• AARP Jobs and AARP Foundation’s Back to Work 50+
• Your local public library (some even offer free career counseling)
• Career One Stop Centers (at your local unemployment office) – often provide support for education and retraining.

Open positions at Encore.org can be found here.

Here are a few ideas:

• Search for volunteer opportunities by zip code and topic area on VolunteerMatch.
• Search here to find Senior Corps opportunities and RSVP offices in your area.
• Search MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership’s Mentoring Connector to find a mentoring opportunity near you.
• Search for volunteer opportunities you can do from home here.
• Check out these suggestions for great ways to to volunteer as an older adult from Sixty and Me.

Consider also volunteering with Experience Corps, Reading Partners, Oasis, Big Brothers Big Sisters and any other Gen2Gen partner organizations at work in your community.

You can sign up to get the latest news from Encore.org — including notifications about events, fellowships and other opportunities — here.

There should be an “Unsubscribe” link at the bottom of each message you receive from us.  Click on that button to remove yourself from our mailing list. If you have trouble, send an email to [email protected].

For media inquiries, email Stefanie Weiss, Encore.org’s communications director, at [email protected].

Please send your request to [email protected].

Encore.org does not list jobs for organizations or individuals. We encourage individuals and organizations seeking encore talent to share listings and encore opportunities in our Encore.org LinkedIn group. The nearly 7,000 members of that group include many encore seekers and many nonprofit leaders interested in encore talent. 

Organizations seeking encore talent may also want to consider hiring an Encore Fellow, a seasoned professional looking for a high-impact, paid, part-time assignment with a nonprofit. You can find out more about how here.