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In 2004, the Retirement Research Foundation completed its first 25 years of support for improving the quality of life of older persons. Those years have witnessed dramatic changes in America's senior population. Today, a person who is 65 can expect to live, on average, 18.2 more years. A child born in 2004 can expect to live 77.6 years, about 30
years longer than one born in 1900. People over 65 now account for 12.4 percent of the U.S.
population --1 in 8 Americans -- and the fastest growing segment of that group consists of those over 85 years of age.
In 2011, the first Baby Boomers will turn 65, adding 4.5 million persons to the number of older Americans. By 2030, 20 percent of the population is expected to be 65 +. As the aging population has altered, the Foundation's programs have evolved to meet older Americans' changing needs. In 2003 and 2004, the Foundation once again engaged in an assessment and planning process. Trustees appraised the changing characteristics of the over-65s and the 21st century needs of this population. The older population is becoming more ethnically and racially diverse. Their physical abilities, health status, living situations, social and economic status, and cultural expectations have also become more varied. There have been steady declines in disability rates for older persons. Seventy-three percent of people age 65 and over rate their health as good to excellent in health surveys. Despite their years, nearly half consider themselves to be middle aged or younger. Trustees looked at the range of programs available to older adults -- those supported by other public and private funders as well as those supported by the Foundation. We examined the Foundation's investments in such areas as economic security, physical and mental health, housing options, and productive roles for older adults, as well as education and training for those working with older adults. Gauging the relative success of investments we have made in advocacy, service, research and education, and training on issues such as these for older Americans gave us new insights into what we have done and what we hope to do. This process led the Foundation to reaffirm its commitment to improving the quality of life of older Americans, as well as providing us with ideas for future directions. Our vision of how to improve elders' quality of life is rooted in the concept of the elder-friendly community. An elder-friendly community is one in which elders' basic needs are met; their physical and mental health is optimized; independence for frail elders is fostered; opportunities for involvement of well elderly are nurtured; and skilled professionals and strong agencies ensure effective service delivery. The caring values of elder-friendly communities provide the underpinning for all RRF grant making. The Foundation's emphasis is on supporting projects that have the potential in the shorter term to change practices or policies so they enhance the quality of life of older persons. Responsive grant making has always been the predominant mode of the Foundation's grant making, and we will continue to welcome ideas from organizations that interact daily with older people and to grapple with policies and programs that affect the elderly. As more comprehensive evaluation procedures are developed, we are becoming better able to assess the value of such community-defined projects. The Foundation also develops programs proactively. Three of these operate currently in the greater Chicago area. The Accessible Faith program was developed in response to a foundation-sponsored survey on the accessibility of houses of worship to older and disabled persons. The program provides grants of up to $25,000 for specific accessibility projects. Building on a long commitment to assisting churches in responding to and involving their own senior members as well as seniors in their communities, the Congregation Connection program was redefined in 2004. The first three four-year grants in this redefined program were made to intermediary organizations (the Jewish Healing Network, Catholic Charities, and Advocate Charitable Foundation), which will use the funds to provide technical assistance and seed money grants to approximately 30 constituent congregations. The Organizational Capacity Building (OCB) program helps Chicago-area non-profits that serve the older population make long-term improvements in their management and governance. Unique to this program is the support of a coach who works with the staff and board team to implement planned improvements. Evaluation of the original OCB program led to its continuation for applicants from the greater Chicago area. The 2003-2004 planning process also led to some modifications in our guidelines. Biomedical research, though always a small part of the Foundation's programs, is no longer supported. This change is a response to the increased funding for biomedical research now available through both public and private funders. Consideration of projects from governmental agencies is now limited, though proposals from area agencies on aging, state universities, and the Veterans Administration will continue to be considered. Though in 2003 and 2004 the Foundation considered only proposals from the midwestern states and Florida, in 2005 we returned to national funding. However, we are limiting consideration of direct service requests to applicants from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Florida. Evaluation of the effect of foundation-funded advocacy projects has led to the specific identification of advocacy for system change as one of four categories of proposals considered. We accept proposals in four general categories - model projects and service; advocacy for system change; education and training; and research. The Foundation's application process describes content specific to each category. During its first 25 years, the Retirement Research Foundation invested $156.5 million in efforts to improve the quality of life of older persons through service, education, research, and advocacy projects. Along the way, both the number and the characteristics of older persons have changed. As longevity has increased, so has the vitality of older persons. Vital and successful aging is the new norm, and there is increased recognition of the real and potential contributions of older adults. As always, new challenges and opportunities lie ahead, but the Foundation's rich history provides a reservoir of experience with which to meet the future. An engaged board of trustees and experienced staff will continue to work together to create the kind of elder-friendly communities we hope will be there for all of us in our old age. Marilyn Hennessy President The Retirement Research Foundation |