SAN FRANCISCO – MetLife Foundation and Civic Ventures, a think tank on boomers, work and social purpose, opened nominations for the Encore Opportunity Awards today. The winners will be nonprofit and public sector organizations using innovative strategies to employ older adults to better accomplish their mission, or help people find encore careers combining continued income, personal meaning and social impact.

The Encore Opportunity Awards provide $2,500 to organizations that showcase best practices for tapping experienced adults ready to do good work; and provide models that others can learn from. Nominations are open at www.civicventures.org/encoreopportunity until June 1.

Last year, the MetLife Foundation/Civic Ventures Encore Career Survey found that more than half of adults aged 44-70 are interested in finding meaningful jobs that help to solve serious social problems. A companion survey found that half of nonprofit employers find hiring encore workers highly appealing; those with experience hiring older adults are most enthusiastic about doing it again.

“The current economic crisis has only amplified the human and social needs in our communities,” said Marc Freedman, founder and CEO of Civic Ventures and author of Encore: Finding Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life. “The good news is millions of boomers are up for the challenge. The question is whether organizations are ready to tap their talent with recruiting and hiring strategies that recognize the valuable skills experienced workers bring to the table.”

“The Encore Opportunity Awards recognize new approaches to employment for older adults that combine the spirit of service with the benefits of work,” said Dennis White, president and CEO of MetLife Foundation. “This is a great opportunity for employers to tap into this windfall of talent and experience.”

This is the second year awards will be made. In the first year of the program, encore awards were given to ten “breakthrough” employers in the nonprofit and public sector utilizing skilled adults to propel their organization’s mission, and create pathways to encore careers for adults over 50, including:

• ReServe, Inc. (New York, NY): ReServe has placed hundreds of older adults with nonprofit organizations in the New York City area.  Positions range from senior management to engineers to writers and receptionists. ReServists receive a stipend and work an average of 15 hours per week.
• Leesburg Regional Medical Center and The Villages Regional Hospital (Leesburg, FL): After five years of a recruitment and retention program aimed at those over 50, the center created a more stable workforce, while cutting costs and medical errors. In 2007, nearly half of their employees were over 50 - a good match for their predominantly older patients.
• The YMCA of Greater Rochester (Rochester, NY): In an effort to match the aging demographic of its members, the YMCA offered alternative work arrangements, including job sharing, part-time positions and flexible schedules.  The efforts helped step up recruitment efforts for people over 55 and decreased turnover.

Read about all ten awardees and their organizations in the report: 2007 MetLife Foundation/Civic Ventures BreakThrough Award: Showcasing 10 Organizations that Tap the Passion and Experience of People Over 50 to Improve Society.
For complete application information, visit: www.civicventures.org/encoreopportunity. Nominations are due on June 1. Civic Ventures will announce awardees in fall 2009

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