WASHINGTON – Today, AARP announced the winners of the AARP Purpose Prize award. This annual award recognizes extraordinary nonprofit founders age 50 or older who are using their knowledge and life experience to make a difference. AARP will award each Purpose Prize winner $50,000 for their organization. Honorees will also receive a year of technical support to help broaden the scope of their organizations’ work. From voter advocacy and health equity to STEM education and post-release support, the work of this year’s honorees affects a variety of communities.

“We are proud to salute our AARP Purpose Prize winners, who are using the experience they have gained over a lifetime not only to fulfill their own purpose in life but also to create new solutions for how people live and age and solve pressing social problems,” said AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins.

Alongside the Purpose Prize winners, AARP is presenting Emmy award-winning actress, author and philanthropist Taraji P. Henson with an honorary Purpose Prize award for her founding of the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation (BLHF). Founded in 2018, the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation was born out of a deeply personal journey of loss and frustration. Henson, alongside her best friend Tracie Jade Jenkins, embarked on a mission to honor the legacy of Taraji's father, Boris Lawrence Henson, who battled untreated mental health issues after returning from the Vietnam War. They established BLHF with a clear mission: to destigmatize mental health within marginalized communities and enhance accessibility. With a focus on providing vital mental health resources and fostering an environment of understanding and acceptance, BLHF encourages members of marginalized communities to seek help and support without fear or shame.

Recipients and their organizations will be honored during an in-person celebration in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 1, 2024. For more information, go to aarp.org/purposeprize.

*Photo Credits: Craig Mackie: Craig Mulcahy for AARP; All others: Stephen Voss for AARP

This year’s AARP Purpose Prize winners are: 

Jim Ansara, cofounder and managing director, Build Health International — Beverly, Massachusetts

• Build Health International’s mission is to improve access to and build capacity for dignified, affordable and high-quality health care infrastructure in resource-constrained settings around the world. Its goal is to increase equitable health care coverage and access for the most marginalized populations, as well as empower partners with necessary resources and facilities.

Jon Eldan, founder and executive director, After Innocence — Oakland, California

• After Innocence provides free post-release support for individuals nationwide who were imprisoned for crimes they did not commit. The organization focuses on increasing access to health care, public benefits and social services, and coordinating free dental care, legal services and financial planning help. It also advocates for reforms to provide exonerees with meaningful compensation and services. 

Robert Elkin, cofounder and board president, March to the Polls, Inc. — Dallas, Texas

• March to the Polls is a nonpartisan voter engagement organization working to increase electoral participation in underrepresented communities, primarily youth and people of color. In public high schools, it provides in-class voter education and registration, and establishes on-campus, student-led civic engagement clubs.

Reneé Fluker, founder and president, Midnight Golf Program — Detroit, Michigan

• Through a 30-week curriculum, the Midnight Golf Program convenes high school seniors twice weekly for structured life skill sessions, communal dining experiences, professional golf instruction, mentorship and college readiness initiatives. The organization serves as a transformative opportunity for Detroit youth, breaking down barriers and paving the way for their success in high school, higher education and beyond.

Gemma M. García, cofounder and treasurer, Ladies Empowerment and Action Program, Inc. — Miami, Florida

• Ladies Empowerment and Action Program (LEAP) is the only all-inclusive reentry service in Florida to empower women by providing incarceration-to-community wraparound services. The comprehensive reentry service includes pre- and post-release education, housing, employment and case management. At its Reentry Hub, LEAP also assists justice-impacted women from the community.

Jennifer Jacobs, Ph.D., cofounder and CEO, Connect Our Kids — Falls Church, Virginia

• Connect Our Kids creates scalable tools to help keep kids in foster care connected to their people. Beyond technology, the organization helps social workers, judges, other professionals and caregivers understand the impact of trauma from family separation, providing support and healing to both children and their families.

Calvin Mackie, Ph.D., founder and CEO, STEM NOLA — New Orleans, Louisiana

• The mission of STEM NOLA | STEM Global Action is to expose, engage and inspire future innovators, creators, makers and entrepreneurs through STEM-based activities and to create opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

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About AARP 

AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than 100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the nation’s largest-circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/about-aarp/, www.aarp.org/español or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspañol and @AARPadvocates on social media.