Promoting Sir John Templeton’s Vision of Purpose in Retirement: From the Purpose Prize to Encore Careers

Our aging society is too often considered a zero-sum game, with Baby Boom retirees portrayed by the media as a net drain on society. We believe, however, that people in this great demographic wave have accumulated the skills, talents, experience, and wisdom to help solve some of the world's toughest problems - transforming zero-sum into a win-win proposition, now and for generations to come. For more than a decade, Encore.org has worked to turn Sir John Templeton's vision of purpose in retirement into an active social movement. Now we are building on this momentum to make the 'encore' idea more accessible for millions of people who have never considered the idea, or even understood it as an option. Through new storytelling programs, leveraging the interest of higher education institutions and the corporate sector, conducting new research, and continuing our annual Purpose Prize for individuals over 60, we aim to transform the existing social norm and strengthen the encore movement. By the end of the three-year grant, we expect the encore idea to be widely known, widely practiced, and widely accepted as a default position for the period opening up between midlife and old age.