23. “ We have significant numbers and are in a position to lead change.”
Notas do Editor
Therese and start and say a few words about Rose Community Foundation Then introduce Janine, who will say a few words about JVA Consulting, then: What we want to share with you today is an initiative, which we have called Boomers Leading Change, that creates a new model for thinking about aging in our community, and how philanthropy can play a role in harvesting the “experience dividend” that we have in our communities. Why is this important? (seque to next slide)
Janine will go through--why boomers leading change. Why now? The boomer generation is generally known as the age group born between 1946 and 1964, a generation that is now comprised of 78 million individuals in the United States, with a member of that generation turning age 62, or the age in which they can collect social security, every 8 seconds This generation has been called the “pig in the python”--resulting at different points in more kindergartens being built, the expansion of college campuses, and now, as they face retirement age, having a major impact on institutions. So, as the Welcome page to the conference brochure stated: “ The critical mass that we’ve been predicting is not coming; it is here.”
Janine--the doomsday scenario. Some economists and others have called this generation the “silver tsunami”--leaving in its wake a devastated stock market, record deficits, impacts on the health care system that even the most ambitious reform efforts won’t be able to address. For example, in the last 24 hours, Minnesota’s state economist called the baby boomer projected demand for health care combined with their retirement a train wreck, and linked it to the state facing a potential $7 billion deficit.
Janine: There is of course, another scenario, what we at JVA call when we are doing strategic planning with organizations the “preferred future” and because we are in Colorado, we call this the “silver mine” This scenario, embraced by many of you in this room, pictures that instead of being drains on community resources as they are aging, that the collective talent, wisdom and experience of this generation are harvested, or as Civic Ventures expresses it: Harvesting the “experience dividend” Engaging this generation in community solutions
Therese will say our tag line… Janine: This is a generation that had certain defining experiences. Central to those defining experiences has been a sense of change--many leading edge boomers came of age in a time of great social change in our country, and both for those who were active participants, and for those who were bystanders, the idea of participating in/ advancing change resonates with many And so with this saying as our mantra, we created the following initiative… SEGUE TO BLC SLIDE
Therese: Introduces Boomers Leading Change 30 community foundations… Atlantic Philanthropies funding A multiple phase initiative to apply this “big idea” of boomers and civic engagement in Denver
Janine: This started with a assessment--although there were emerging national studies about this population and civic engagement, we didn’t want to make assumptions. In 2007, JVA worked with Rose Community Foundation to conduct a comprehensive community assessment to learn more about this demographic, what they were looking at in the next phase of their lives, and how our community institutions were prepared to address this pig in the python approaching… And although the term boomers in describing a generation includes people now age 44 to 62, we focused in our research on what is called the “leading edge”--adults age 55-64 Through all of these methods, we collected data from over 1500 people…and learned a LOT --we are presenting some brief highlights today, and you have highlights as well in the Work Service Learning publication At the end of the day, involving the input of over 1500 people For those of you who want more information, you can download and read the full report at: www.coloradoboomers.com There were a lot of findings, and the overwhelming one was that boomers want meaning and purpose, and they want to get involved…which is all good news for the world of civic engagement…
Janine: What wasn’t as clear was this: The ONE BIG THING that boomers would want to focus on…our initial thoughts were that the results of our survey would guide us to one project--and this particular chart became know as the THERE IS NOT JUST ONE THING THAT BOOMERS ARE INTERESTED IN CHART… AND when you start thinking about the significance of that… then highlighting with this chart the broad interest areas--so we then realized that boomers could be a solution to many community problems….
Janine… Go over 4 broad project areas, and how they were related to the study findings… Boomer Connecting Points--IF TIME PERMITS, ASK PEOPLE--WHERE might they go if they wanted to find information about what to do in the next phase of their lives? Internet? Friends? Book club? Newspaper? Big finding of the study was that boomers used various sources to obtain information about something that was important to them, and that there was no one place that people turned to--for some, it might be traditional nonprofit organizations, for others,
Janine--Two complementary strategies of innovation grants and community planning process--as Therese says, something for the doers and something for the thinkers
Therese---talk about process 39 applicants Recipients included nonprofit organizations, government agencies, consultants and entrepreneurs One funded project was Veterans helping Veterans, an innovative program to empower Vietnam-era veterans to contribute to their communities, and to help other veterans and to help younger veterans integrate back after returning from the war. Here, you see older veterans working with younger veterans on a service project. JUDY NOGG IS SENDING ME A PHOTO TODAY
Therese talk about project planning process, brainstorm and think through project ideas
Therese--12 projects and 12 matching grants… Boomers Leading Change Exchange, and the Boomers Leading Change Forum Poster session, feedback of ideas, synthesized projects, etc. Results of refinement of 12 specific projects were under the larger umbrella…and gathering more information, and continue to build excitement
Therese: Had 24 things going on in the community--could only pick one big strategy Did matching grants as exit strategy Janine: things that ended up taking off on their own Mention Colorado Best, capacity building,
Therese: Identification of a single project: Atlantic Philanthropies provided us with an opportunity to take stuff from the assessment, and identify a single project-- Janine: The process of business planning
Business plan for addressing a community issue where boomers could be a solution Access to quality health care a key issue from community assessment, through innovation grants and project planning Health care a priority of Rose Community Foundation Brief description of patient navigator project… Talk about the process, community ambassadors, focus groups, surveys Study of navigation and advocates for improving the health care system And how it will be the first of others, e.g., Boomers Leading Change in Education, etc.
Janine: Throughout these years, we’ve learned a lot that we would like to share with you.
Janine: Involving other funders, involving boomers throughout, involving community advisory,, Steering Committee and trustees throughout…in design, in focus groups, in project planning Therese: Went outside of the usual suspects, not the usual, not just the aging network, the chambers, went to individuals, to churches, involvement of community ambassadors Higher education, business, nonprofit organizations Modeling civic engagement…
Janine: HOW you get beyond usual suspects: Snowball method of sampling, go to different
Janine: Rose used a strong communications strategy throughout. Janine: There were 2 aspects of this: First, RCF had an active public relations effort, and beautifully designed materials to increase awareness of the initiative and build support for the movement. Print and online. Second, the planning processes were designed to promote the exchange of ideas, with small groups meeting frequently to develop ideas and projects, and those coming together in larger forums.
Therese: Budget in for meetings, breakfasts and refreshments. Tie-dye. 50s food--mini sliders, boomer Music Created a sense of something that people wanted to be a part of it.
From the speaker guidelines: The profound change happening now will create new world that we could not have predicted even during the most recent past.
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