In Memoriam: Inez Killingsworth
01/24/2013 - 02:49:20am
It was with great sadness that we learned that Purpose Prize winner Inez Killingsworth died January 17 after a courageous battle with cancer.
Killingsworth was an indefatigable advocate for the collective power of people acting together to make change in their communities. As the founder of Empowering and Strengthening Ohio's People (ESOP), she led a fight against foreclosures and predatory lending practices that has only become more important with the passing years.
- by: Jim Emerman | More >
SAN FRANCISCO – Encore.org announced today the five winners of the 2012 Purpose Prize, an investment in people 60 and older who are creating fresh solutions to old problems.
This year’s winners, who each receive $100,000, include:
- A pro bono lawyer who exposed massive foreclosure fraud and is now teaching other lawyers how to protect homeowners from unfair lending practices.
Meet the 2012 Purpose Prize Winners
12/05/2012 - 06:29:18am
If you’re looking for inspiration, here are five stories that reveal the power of social innovation – and the capacity of individuals in their encore careers.
- by: Marc Freedman | More >
If You Have a Couch, You’ll Want to Read This Story
10/08/2012 - 02:53:38pm
Years ago, Purpose Prize winner Arlene Blum helped ban toxic chemicals once commonplace in children’s pajamas. Now, as The New York Times Magazine highlights, Blum is targeting a potentially dangerous product we all use: the couch.
Don’t be Sorry in the Morning (Or How to Build Meaningful Relationships Online)
02/22/2012 - 03:54:19pm
Social media can be a bit like Mardi Gras. It’s fun. It’s colorful. You meet lots of people from all walks of life. But, like any party, it’s not always clear who to give your phone number to at the end of the night.
I get a lot of questions about meeting new people online. The most common one is this: “What if I get Facebook and LinkedIn requests from people I’ve never met. Should I accept?”
That’s completely up to you, but here’s my take on building meaningful relationships online.
- by: Stephen Anfield | More >
Have you ever sat in an audience and said to yourself, "Wow. What have I ever done with my life?" Chris Farrell, economics editor of Marketplace Money, asks that question during an event honoring the 2011 Purpose Prize winners, recognized for their extraordinary contributions to society.
It wasn’t retirement, but the loss of her husband to cancer that set Nancy Sanford Hughes on her way to finding a new career bringing safe, efficient and healthful cookstoves to people in developing nations. As a result of the work that Hughes has accomplished as founder of StoveTeam International, she has won a $100,000 Purpose Prize, awarded to five people over age 60 each year who use their experience to start encore careers that focus on social good.
Nancy Sanford Hughes has received a $100,000 Purpose Prize, funded by the John Templeton Foundation and The Atlantic Philanthropies. The founder of StoveTeam International, Hughes hopes to use the prize money to help develop more stove factories in countries where poor women often cook over dangerous open fires. So far, she's helped build six factories in five countries and, she estimates, improved the lives of 90,000 people.
Oprah Winfrey Hails Purpose Prize Winners
10/19/2011 - 12:02:47pm
Oprah Winfrey has her sights on two 2010 Purpose Prize winners. Margaret Gordon and Dana Freyer were recently showcased on Oprah.com for the extraordinary work they do in their encores.
- by: Stefanie Weiss | More >
Eighty percent of cushions used in car seats, portable cribs and other baby furnishings contain chemical flame retardants that can accumulate in babies’ bodies, according to a new study. Co-author Arlene Blum, Purpose Prize winner and executive director of the Green Science Policy Institute in Berkeley, Calif., said “it’s hard to believe” that the same chemical that was used in pajamas in the 1970s is now back in use in other baby products.
