SACRIFICE? Americans are ready to serve if asked

05/14/2008 - 04:56:26pm

"Sacrifice" may not sound like a winning political platform, but civic leaders could be missing a big opportunity to tap Americans' desire to serve, even if it might mean long hours and low pay.

In “Sacrifice: An American Virtue on Rebound,” Ron Fournier argues that Americans of all ages are willing to serve.

BRIDGESTAR: Finding Meaning in a Post-Retirement Career

05/06/2008 - 10:55:53am

Bridgestar, the nonprofit talent-search firm that specializes in people "bridging" into the nonprofit sector from the corporate world, features an interview with Marc Freedman headlined, "Encore: Finding Meaning in a Post-Retirement Career."

ENCORE JOURNEY: City manager recruits new local leaders

05/06/2008 - 10:35:36am

Frank Benest is stepping down in June as city manager of Palo Alto, Calif., after 36 years in local government. But he's not retiring. Instead, he’s graduating to an encore career devoted to finding and preparing leaders to work in the public sector.

While serving as majordomo of one of California’s most innovative cities for the past eight years, Benest has laid the groundwork for a campaign to convince more people to work in local government. Come June, he'll make it his primary concern.

ENCORE PATHWAYS: Taproot Foundation offers entry to nonprofit careers

05/01/2008 - 12:37:44pm

A skills-matching service that helps generate millions of dollars of pro bono help for community organizations each year also serves to introduce skilled professionals to careers in the nonprofit sector.

Many of the professionals who have volunteered to help nonprofit organizations with specific projects have continued to work with those organizations after the projects are complete, said Lindsay Firestone, manager of strategic partnerships for the Taproot Foundation. Some have gone on to serve on nonprofit boards or as salaried employees, she said.

GENERATIONAL CHALLENGES: Candidates vie for older voters

04/30/2008 - 11:05:53am

Move over, race, gender and even class. Here comes age as a major issue in the seemingly never-ending presidential campaign.

It’s not just the age of the candidates, even though John McCain, at 72, would be the oldest new president in history; Hillary Clinton, 60, is the quintessential baby boomer; and Barack Obama, though technically also a boomer at 46, has positioned himself as an antidote to the boomers’ decades-long divisions and self-absorption.

It’s also the age of the voters.

ENCORE QUESTION: Are you covered?

04/25/2008 - 10:05:52am

How are you handling health care coverage in your encore career or encore transition?

Securing adequate health coverage is perhaps the biggest challenge for people considering or embarking on their encore careers. Fear of losing coverage keeps many people from leaving their current jobs, while the inability to find or afford coverage can limit encore career options. Retiree health benefits are becoming ever more rare. Some employers (Home Depot, Starbucks) offer health coverage for part-time work, but few nonprofits and social sector employers have followed suit. High costs and exclusions for “preexisting conditions” often rule out individual coverage.

Encore.org is interested in how people are managing this challenge. Are you:

• Getting employer-sponsored health benefits in your encore job?
• Staying in your current job to keep health coverage?
• Covered under a retiree health program, your spouse's or partner's plan, or Medicare?
• Taking advantage of COBRA benefits?
• Working at a part-time job in retail or elsewhere, primarily for the health coverage?
• Paying for individual coverage, perhaps a high-deductible (“catastrophic”) plan?
• Going without?

ENCORE AFTER SCHOOL: Recruiting experienced adults

04/24/2008 - 01:01:57pm

The expansion of after-school programs for California children is creating encore opportunities for experienced adults interested in paid positions leading afternoon classes or offering specialized enrichment programs.

Encore After School, an innovative program to train and place experienced workers in after-school programs, is seeking about 40 people for positions in schools in Oakland and Santa Clara County. Training will begin in August for the school year beginning in September. Leaders of after-school classes (approximately 20 students) will work five afternoons a week, while those providing enrichment activities can work two or three afternoons a week. Pay levels will also vary.

OXYMORON WATCH: Time to rename the New York Times 'Retirement' section?

04/21/2008 - 02:42:18pm

The special section in today's New York Times is headlined "Retirement," but -- no surprise to readers of Encore.org -- it's mostly about work.

One article in the package goes so far as to say that retirement "has become something of a dirty word."

In “Whatever You Do, Call It Work,” William L. Hamilton writes, “It is better now in retirement to be a consultant, an independent contractor, an owner of a business, a dedicated volunteer, a portfolio manager, a pro bono worker or any variety of self-employment, as long as it is perceived as work.”