Nearly three-fourths of Americans expect to work after retirement. Just over half say they will work by choice, but many say they will have to work out of necessity. Intel recently announced that it is working with Civic Ventures to provide a new option for its retiring employees: an Encore Fellowships program in which Intel will match interested workers with nonprofit organizations. (This article also appeared in the Chicago Tribune.)

The growth of Encore Fellowships is proving that corporate executives nearing retirement age have much to offer the nonprofit world. The first such fellowships were piloted by Civic Ventures in 2009, when the organization placed 10 former corporate executives in paid fellowships at nonprofits. The fellows received a $25,000 stipend in exchange for up to a year of nonprofit experience.

Approaching age 55, Cheryl Edmonds became eligible for retirement from Hewlett-Packard. She took the opportunity to explore other interests, including training Peace Corps volunteers in China. Then she learned of the Social Venture Partners Portland Encore Fellows program, which helps experienced corporate professionals transition to jobs at nonprofits. As an Encore Fellow, Edmonds now works as a volunteer coordinator at a Portland, Ore., nonprofit.

Looking for a second career? Civic Ventures offers Encore Fellowships in seven states. These fellowships, which carry a small stipend, give retirees the chance to use their skills during full-time or part-time commitments at nonprofits, and perhaps segue into an encore career with meaning.

In this video, Lyle Hurst – network developer for the Encore Fellowships Network – discusses how Civic Ventures started the Encore Fellows program with support from the David and Lucille Packard Foundation and Hewlett-Packard. Encore Fellows generally have spent the majority of their careers in the private sector; the network matches the fellows with a nonprofit organization, government agency or private firm with a social purpose.

Working longer doesn't necessarily mean staying at the same job. Increasingly, older workers are pursuing second careers in the nonprofit sector, and some employers are helping them make the transition. Intel recently partnered with Civic Ventures to help older workers find jobs in nonprofit organizations for six months to a year. Intel will provide workers with a $25,000 stipend and health insurance coverage.

The number of people 90 and older in the United States is skyrocketing, and with extended healthy years comes greater opportunity. Many adults are exploring encore careers, work that combines necessary continued income with new meaning and a chance to create social change. Two-hundred of the nation’s leading activists in the encore movement from education, business, philanthropy, government, nonprofits and media will come together at the Encore 2011 conference to move this concept forward.

Intel's new Encore Fellows program pairs experienced employees nearing retirement with nonprofits. Obviously from this type of partnership, everybody wins. The nonprofit organization gains a skilled worker with experience at a minimal to no cost investment, and the retiree is making a difference in countless lives while still remaining active and earning an income.