Dear Friends,
As I reflect on our work in 2024, it becomes clear how meaningful change happens – not through isolated actions, but through a process that builds toward lasting impact. This process can be described by three words: Connect. Empower. Transform.
Connect. The heart of our work at AARP Foundation is fostering connections. This year, we reached 1.18 million older adults with low income, connecting them to financial resources, job coaching and volunteer opportunities. When older adults connect – with support, with opportunities, with each other – possibilities multiply.
Empower. Connection alone isn't enough. True change comes when people gain the tools, knowledge and confidence that empower them to act. In 2024, more people accessed job training, financial resources and caregiver support through our new and expanded digital platforms. And more than 29,000 older adults found a sense of purpose through volunteering while fighting poverty in communities across the country.
Transform. The result of our work is transformation: for individuals, communities and systems. We invested in an improved process for automatic reenrollment in Medicaid benefits, laying the groundwork for a more streamlined, dependable system for everyone who relies on it. And we closed the year with a landmark civil rights legal victory for older adults with disabilities, proving that collective action can improve systems for everyone.
This work is only possible because of partners like you. Your support helps us build a future where everyone can age with dignity.
With gratitude,
Claire Casey
President, AARP Foundation
Claire Casey
President, AARP Foundation
We worked with
120,000
older adults with low income
Securing
$350 million
in benefits
Escalating costs of groceries, health care and housing have compounded everyday financial hardships for millions of older adults. At AARP Foundation, we worked with 120,000 older adults with low income to stabilize their finances, a 51 percent increase from 2023, and we connected them with additional sources of support, securing more than $350 million in benefits. We also reduced red tape involved with enrolling or re-enrolling in benefits and used technology to connect more people with locally relevant resources that improved their economic security.
In 2024, grocery prices were 24 percent higher than in 2020.1 As food costs have climbed, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has become a lifeline for many older adults. The program helps people meet their basic nutritional needs, which in turn supports improved health and independence as they age.
The latest reporting shows that more than 10 million households with people 50 and older use SNAP each year to keep their families fed and healthy.2
Applying for safety net benefits can be incredibly complicated. In 2024, we funded community-based organizations to streamline the application process for older adults by connecting them to multiple benefits at one time.
Our local partners connected eligible seniors not just to SNAP or Medicaid, but to a range of benefits, including farmers market vouchers, transportation assistance, emergency funds, long-term care options, prescription discounts and property tax relief. A holistic approach is more efficient and puts more money in the pockets of older adults with low income.
More comprehensive support can make a major difference in someone’s life. One 70-year-old man in Colorado Springs was homeless and without any safety net benefits when he connected with Benefits in Action, an AARP Foundation grantee. Their team helped him apply for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and SNAP, and he joined a recovery program. Through his own hard work, he was able to move into an apartment. Now he volunteers his time to help other seniors who are struggling, so they know with their own effort and a little extra help they can conquer their challenges.
On average, older adults in the communities we serve received $205 a month in SNAP benefits.3
Our grantees connected seniors to an average of four federal, state and local benefits, significantly increasing the financial value to $321 a month.
Grantee
“This is where I can help – because I can relate, and I understand.”
Natosha Hayward is a partner engagement manager at SC Thrive, an AARP Foundation grantee based in Columbia, SC that connects community members to resources, training and benefits. It’s a “one-stop shop,” helping clients find and apply for all the benefits that are available to them all in one place.
The stakes are high. For many seniors, accessing essential benefits can be the difference between increasing stability and deepening poverty. But many don’t know how to begin the process. Some face practical barriers, lacking internet access or even a phone. Many fear rejection or stigma from receiving government support. But in 2024 alone, SC Thrive made it easier for nearly 16,000 older adults to apply for multiple benefits.
Natosha understands how important a helping hand can be at a difficult time. She moved to a shelter with her infant son as a teen mom, and that temporary home had a lasting impact on her life. “So many people helped me get on my feet,” she says. “They helped me get into college, find an apartment, childcare – everything I needed to be successful.”
While at the shelter, Natosha was inspired to pursue a career path that eventually led to SC Thrive.
For many older adults, keeping their benefits can be as challenging as getting them in the first place.
We partnered with Code for America to develop a plan to improve the system for automatically renewing Medicaid benefits in Pennsylvania. Automatic renewals rely on existing data sources to redetermine eligibility — removing the application burden on beneficiaries and saving staff time. We invested in improvements to streamline benefits statewide, not just person-by-person.
AARP Foundation’s one-time investment in improvements to Pennsylvania’s enrollment system could lead to tens of thousands more Medicaid beneficiaries being automatically renewed each year, and tens of millions of dollars in annual benefits secured.
The average family caregiver spends 24 hours a week providing care. That's the equivalent of a part-time job.4 So it's no surprise that a top search on AARP's website asks: “Can I get paid for the care I provide?” In 2024, with support from UnitedHealthcare, AARP Foundation built a digital resource center to help answer this question.
AARP Foundation Paid4Care guides caregivers through the patchwork of programs that exist through Medicaid or Veterans Affairs to pay caregivers – and it connects them with relevant programs in their states. In the first six months, the site received half a million visits.
Caregivers who have used the site say they appreciate how it makes a complex and bureaucratic set of local programs understandable and relevant to them.
They have all the information that you need. I'm just amazed by this, because I spent four years trying to figure this out.”
45-year-old family caregiver in Ohio
Rising property taxes are a source of financial stress for many older homeowners. Property tax relief, such as refunds and credits, are available in nearly every state and the District of Columbia, but many older adults don't know about them. Historically, AARP Foundation volunteers working in a handful of states helped people apply.
In 2024, we dramatically expanded access to property tax relief by launching an online resource center that simplifies the process of identifying and applying from any part of the country. In 2024, 32,579 people completed an eligibility screener on the Property Tax-Aide website and were connected to relevant programs in their local area. In a follow-up survey, more than 80 percent of eligible older adults with low income said they had submitted an application to a program after they had visited the site or said they planned to apply for property tax relief.
The site led me directly to where I could inquire about assistance in my town.”
67-year-old Property Tax-Aide website user in New York state
Our employment programs worked with
62,646
older adults with low income
We helped older adults with low income secure
$149.3 million
in new income
Half the workforce now expects to work past 65.5 But those with the least resources face the greatest obstacles to working longer: only one-third of low-wage workers remain continuously employed through their 50s. Many are sidelined by layoffs, health problems or family caregiving duties.6 Once out of work, older jobseekers are far more likely than younger job seekers to face long-term unemployment.7
AARP Foundation is a national leader in workforce training for older adults. In 2024, we increased the number of people we served through job coaching so they could build the skills and confidence they need to find pathways back to work. And we introduced new training opportunities for older adults online, including a national workshop for those who want to start their own businesses.
AARP Foundation is one of the largest administrators of SCSEP, a US Department of Labor–funded program that matches unemployed older adults with paid training opportunities. By connecting them with local nonprofits and public agencies, SCSEP empowers jobseekers who are 55 or older and have low income to reenter the workforce with new skills and confidence.
In 2024, program participants took advantage of the tight labor market and finished the program in 15 months on average, entering the workforce three months faster than in 2023. They also earned 12 percent more, with the average starting wage for post-SCSEP employment growing to $15 an hour.
Participants entered the workforce three months faster than in 2023 and earned 12% more.
BACK TO WORK 50+ provides older adults with resources and career coaching so they can compete for good jobs. Through virtual and in-person programs, we connect jobseekers to the skills and strategies they need to get hired. A supportive coach and a community of peers build their self-assurance and ensure they do not have to navigate the process alone.
In 2024, a total of 23,754 older adults with low income accessed our resources or attended a workshop to learn proven strategies for finding employment and build confidence. More than 2,800 of those jobseekers received career coaching virtually or in person, an increase of 68 percent from 2023. And of those who participated in coaching, 723 shared with AARP Foundation that they found new jobs.
68% more program participants received career coaching, compared to 2023.
Participant
“The program gave me the process, the people and the tools I needed to meet my goals.”
Harold St. John, a 63-year-old IT delivery manager, was laid off in January 2024. An experienced professional with a strong network, he thought his search would be easy. Instead, it dragged on for months. With his savings nearly exhausted and on the verge of losing his home, he joined AARP Foundation's BACK TO WORK 50+ program.
With support from a program coach, he refined his résumé from three pages going back 40 years to two pages that focused on 10 years and highlighted transferable skills. He learned to evaluate job postings carefully to make sure they fit his abilities. And he treated his search like it was a full-time job, working every weekday from 8 in the morning until 2 in the afternoon. With encouragement from fellow job seekers who kept him motivated, Harold persevered and secured a senior position in the digital music industry with a higher-than-expected salary just before his unemployment benefits expired, allowing him to keep his house and regain financial stability.
Workers over 50 are more likely than younger workers to be self-employed,8 taking advantage of the flexibility and independence that come from being their own boss. AARP Foundation offers online workshops, coaching and other resources to help aspiring entrepreneurs, small business owners and freelancers.
In 2024, we significantly increased the number of older adults who accessed our resources and support. And we launched a national workshop introducing Five Simple Steps to Starting a Small Business. This virtual program builds on in-person programs we offer through partner organizations in 21 states. Now anyone, anywhere can participate in either English or Spanish. We also added a recurring online coffee chat, where older adults can learn more about freelancing and how it can help them generate income.
The national digital service delivery model allowed us to increase the number of people our programs reach. In 2024, we served 26,192 older adults with low income, representing a 56% increase compared to 2023.
72% of participants surveyed said the toolkit and workshop helped them decide to go ahead and start or expand their businesses. Most respondents said these resources gave them the direction and the information they needed to move forward.
In 2024, we grew our volunteer network to
29,055
a 6% increase from 2023
AARP Foundation has been working with volunteers for 60 years to power community-based programs that reduce poverty. In 2024, our national volunteer network grew to more than 29,000 older adults who made a sustained commitment to tutoring children or to helping people file their taxes. With this growing volunteer base, we increased the number of taxpayers we served, and we piloted a new model for connecting volunteers to schools virtually.
Older adult volunteers are a powerful force driving social change. People over 50 account for one-third of the population but 44 percent of all volunteers nationwide.9 And they spend more time volunteering: for every hour a younger volunteer serves, an older volunteer devotes an hour and a half.
This remarkable commitment doesn’t just make a difference in communities; it also brings rewards to the volunteers themselves. Through volunteering, they find a sense of purpose and opportunities for meaningful social connection. It’s an exchange that benefits everyone.
AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, funded in part by the IRS, is the nation’s largest free volunteer-based tax assistance and preparation program, operating in 3,600 communities across every state and the District of Columbia. IRS-certified volunteers reached nearly 1 million older adults with low income in 2024. They brought in refunds and credits totaling more than $625 million.
Tax refunds can improve credit scores for people with low income and alleviate the persistent financial stress that many older adults feel.10
Volunteer and Participant
“He's my guardian angel.”
Play Elizabeth's Voicemail to Harv
Turn volume up
When Elizabeth Seaver, an 83-year-old retired music teacher, received a letter from the IRS claiming she owed over $10,000 in additional taxes, she was surprised—and confused. She sent a check for the full amount but also called to report the issue to AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, where she had prepared her taxes. Volunteer Harv Grassian got her message and remembered her.
Harv met Elizabeth to review her documents. He confirmed the return had been filed properly, so he prepared a detailed response to the government with supporting evidence and requested a refund. Thanks to his diligence, Elizabeth eventually recovered the full $10,000 plus interest. She left Harv a voicemail to thank him.
“He's my guardian angel,” Elizabeth says of Harv, who has been volunteering since 2011 and is still doing Elizabeth’s taxes. He enjoys replaying her voicemail to remind himself why he continues volunteering after all these years.
Children who can’t read at grade level by fourth grade are four times less likely to graduate from high school by age 19, putting them on a path to poverty later in life.12 AARP Foundation Experience Corps volunteers are helping turn that statistic around by tutoring elementary students in reading.
In schools that participated in Experience Corps in the 2023-2024 school year, 98% of school staff surveyed were satisfied with their students’ progress in reading ability, critical thinking skills and social-emotional skills.
We expanded the reach of this volunteer opportunity in 2024 by offering virtual tutoring in some schools, opening the door for those with mobility challenges or those living in other communities.
Ja’Nice Little, a retired preschool teacher, could not find a volunteer tutoring program in her small town of Haydon, Idaho, so she signed up to tutor online with Experience Corps. Two mornings a week, she logs in to read with a third-grade student in Carson, California.
“It feels like you are there. You are that close, and you really develop a rapport with that child,” she says.
“We transform individual struggles into collective impact.”
William Alvarado Rivera
SVP, Litigation
Older adults routinely experience discrimination, financial exploitation and threats to their independence simply because of their age.13 AARP Foundation attorneys dismantle systemic barriers and create pathways to justice for older adults, ensuring they have a voice in the legal system.
Through class action lawsuits, AARP Foundation creates collective power that improves systems for everyone. Working with older adults, we filed an age discrimination lawsuit in 2024 against RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon Technologies), a major defense contractor. We also secured relief for thousands of pensioners whose retirement funds were misappropriated by their former church employer. And we won a long legal battle to empower older adults with disabilities to age in place, rather than be relegated to unnecessary institutionalization.
AARP Foundation attorneys represented a class of 5,000 employees and retirees from the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) whose pensions were mishandled and their hard-earned savings lost. In 2024, the church agreed to a $20 million settlement. The agreement provided immediate restoration of some funds and created a pathway to restore the rest. Church pension plans fall outside federal regulations that protect against fraud or mismanagement. This case puts all employers on notice that they have legal and fiduciary obligations to their employees.
“When I asked for my retirement funds, I actually needed them and they weren't available… It was a great relief knowing I had an advocate.”
We distributed
$1.5 million
in emergency grants
In the fall of 2024, Hurricanes Helene and Milton carved a devastating path through the Carolinas, Florida, Georgia and Virginia. Thanks to the generous support of AARP Foundation donors and matching funds from AARP, we distributed $1.5 million in emergency grants to provide immediate relief and build a strong foundation for recovery. The organizations we supported were: