Applications Open for Annual AARP Purpose Prize® Awards
Up to Five Nonprofit Founders Have the Chance to Win $75k for their Organization
En español |WASHINGTON— Today, nonprofit founders around the country will be able to apply for the AARP Purpose Prize Award and have the chance to win $75,000 and a year of support and resources for their organization. This annual award recognizes extraordinary nonprofit founders age 50 or older who are using their knowledge and life experience to make a difference. Up to five winners will be chosen to receive the award and be honored at a special ceremony in Washington, D.C.
“Applying for the AARP Purpose Prize award is about more than seeking recognition. It honors the lived experiences of nonprofit founders that continue to find new ways to give back after 50,” said Barb Quaintance, AARP VP for Enterprise Awards. “Embrace this opportunity to share your story, amplify your mission, and continue to lead with passion and purpose.”
Past honorees have included nonprofits that cover everything from news literacy and affordable housing to STEM education and healthcare access. The work of Purpose Prize honorees in years past impact communities of all varieties. 2021 winner Mark Barden co-founded Sandy Hook Promise in Connecticut to honor his son and protect other children from his fate with the leading organization in school-safety and violence-prevention efforts. While 2024 winner Janice Malone founded Vivian’s Door in Alabama as an economic justice nonprofit with a mission to help minority-owned businesses.
AARP recognizes the wisdom and knowledge that only life experience can bring in those ages 50 and older – especially those who tap into the power of that experience to build a better future for us all.
Applications will be open until February 28, 2025, at 5 p.m. E.T. Visit aarp.org/apply to start your application today!
Eligibility:
- You will be 50 years of age or older at the application deadline
- You are the founder or cofounder of your organization
- You started the organization for which you are applying at the age of 40 or older
- You still have an active role in the organization
- You are a legal resident of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia
- Your organization is a Section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) nonprofit exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code or *NEW* a project fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization
- Your organization’s principal place of business is in the U.S. (though its work might be international in scope)
- Your organization’s work is not exclusively religious
For any additional questions please contact: purposeprize@aarp.org - The Purpose Prize official rules, eligibility, odds, and prize disclosures.
