President’s Report
April 2025
Hello Friends,
I hope you find this spring season filled with hope. Amid change, and the uncertainty that stems from it, we see opportunities for growth—rooted in the rich history of our first 75 years. Since 1950, improving the lives of older adults has been our passion and mission. From the spark of our inception to advancing the future, NCOA makes a real impact for older adults each and every day thanks to your support.
As we celebrate NCOA’s 75th anniversary, we are pleased to share news of how together we are making a real difference for older adults.
Fostering Economic Well-Being.
In our early days, we helped secure Medicare and Medicaid as new resources to help bridge the gap between health and wealth. In fact, before Medicare was enacted in 1965, only 50% of older adults had health insurance and 35% lived in poverty. We continue to help millions access these and other life-giving benefits—and through programs like Savvy Saving Seniors, we help older adults avoid modern-day challenges like scams and strengthen their financial security
Connecting Older Adults to Community.
In 1970, we formed the National Institute of Senior Centers to support a growing network of communitybased centers established by the Older Americans Act (OAA). Today, we help thousands of senior centers strengthen their programs to meet older adults’ ever-changing needs in communities across the country. What’s more, because OAA is the backbone of federal aging policy, we educate policymakers on opportunities to strengthen it—and invite you to lend your voice in the pages that follow.
NCOA was the first national voice for older adults and thanks to your generosity we will continue to serve in this vital role. More than ever, we are grateful that you are on this journey with us.
Together in service,
Ramsey Alwin President and CEO
© Angie Keller
Your Impact: Fostering Economic Well-Being
Everyone deserves the right to age well. But far too many older adults on fixed incomes face difficult financial choices—having to decide between paying for food, medication, and housing. The rising costs of health care, groceries, and rent means that for many, a single unexpected expense can quickly tip the financial scales.
Today, 17 million older adults face economic insecurity. As Americans are living longer, millions of older adults are struggling to make ends meet or are worried about outliving their retirement savings. With your support, we are changing this. Thanks to compassionate individuals like you, we’ve made incredible progress. Just last year, we reached 2.9 million older adults, providing them with the tools and resources to age with health and economic well-being.
Why Economic Security Matters
The path to economic security often begins with basic money management. NCOA works with our network of community-based organizations to educate older adults on how to balance budgets, avoid scams, apply for benefits, and leverage banking products which can make a life-changing difference—helping older adults pay for essentials, reduce financial stress, and maintain their independence.
With your support, we are helping more older adults like John achieve financial security.
For many older adults living on a fixed income, every dollar matters.
For John, a recent participant in NCOA’s Savvy Saving Seniors workshop, this struggle is all too real.
After retiring at 65 from Walmart, John found himself relying solely on Social Security, without a pension or retirement savings. It was a challenge to keep up with the bills, make sure there was enough for food and essentials, and save as prices continued to rise.
Then, John found NCOA’s Savvy Saving Seniors workshop.
In just four weeks, he learned how to stretch his budget, access local resources, and find new ways to save. As John shared, “I loved the class. It taught me to be more cautious with my spending, I discovered new places to shop for great deals, and the facilitators were so kind and respectful.”
Your gift to NCOA provides millions of older adults like John with the tools and resources to live with dignity, purpose, and security.
To help more older adults secure their financial future, please visit: ncoa.org/renew
Savvy Saving Seniors
With support from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, NCOA developed Savvy Saving Seniors® to provide older adults with the tools to better manage their money and achieve economic security. The workshop covers everything from budgeting tips, money management tricks, benefits of banking, budget busters to avoid, and information on how to find and apply for benefits.
Last year, NCOA partnered with seven community-based organizations to bring budgeting workshops and key financial education through the Savvy Saving Seniors curriculum. The impact has been significant with participants’ knowledge of scams significantly increasing from 14% to 58%, and more older adults reporting feeling confident in recognizing and protecting themselves from financial fraud.
Looking ahead, we are expanding our efforts to keep older adults informed and financially secure. We are updating our resources to include the latest information on avoiding technology scams and will partner with community-based organizations to provide technical assistance and training, helping to implement the curriculum more effectively in local communities.
Through our proven programs like Savvy Saving Seniors, along with national partnerships, and direct community outreach, NCOA is committed to ensuring that every older adult has access to the resources they need to achieve economic security and peace of mind.
Think of Your Bequest to NCOA as an Investment.
Here are Some of the Dividends …
Over 75 years ago, a group of citizens banded together to form the National Council on Aging to advocate on behalf of older adults. Today, NCOA is still one of the nation’s most effective advocates to ensure older adults have the freedom to age with dignity, choice, and peace of mind. Please support our work by including a bequest in your will or by naming NCOA as a beneficiary of your retirement plan assets.
WE SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING WORDING:
I bequeath $_____ (or _____% of my residuary estate) to the National Council on Aging, a not-for-profit organization, with its principal offices located in Arlington, VA, for its ongoing programs and education.
For more information, please contact Vicky Nurre, Senior Director of Philanthropy, NCOA, 251 18th Street South, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22202 or call 571-527-3917.
Donor Spotlight: Brian Sands
Brian has known about NCOA since his youth—thanks to his cousin Jack Ossofsky. Jack served as NCOA’s chief executive for 17 years, from 19711988, during which time he advocated to end mandatory retirement, safeguard Social Security, and broaden opportunities for older workers.”
“I remember our family being so proud of Jack for what he did, and I wanted to honor him by giving to NCOA,” Brian said. “I’ve been fortunate to be in good shape in terms of my health, and I haven’t had to think about the programs that many older people need. Through my involvement with NCOA over the past several years, however, I’ve seen what NCOA and the local organizations you support are doing for those who need such assistance, as well as in many other areas. Everything that NCOA does to protect and support older adults is absolutely vital.”
While some individuals can take care of themselves as they age, “there are countless others who are not in that position,” Brian says. “Having an organization to look out for us,
advocate for us, and work with policymakers on the many things that affect us is essential. If NCOA wasn’t there, who would be doing that?”
When asked why he supports NCOA, Brian answers simply, “Why not? If we’re fortunate, we’re all going to get old sooner or later. Not everyone may need the programs or services offered, but the vast majority of people do and will. When you have the opportunity to do some good, why wouldn’t you? It’s so satisfying to support individuals and organizations who are doing important and necessary work.”
Brian Sands has been a theater critic for Ambush Magazine for 22 years. He is an Advisor to the John Burton Harter Foundation and founder of the Carol Sutton/Sherri Marina Memorial Theater Grant.
Your Impact: Connecting Older Adults to Community, Support, and Vital Resources
At NCOA, we work to ensure that older adults can live with dignity, purpose, and security— and for millions of Americans, senior centers are at the heart of this effort. These centers serve as vital community hubs for older adults, providing access to critical resources, social connections, and programs that help them maintain their independence and well-being.
Recognized by the Older Americans Act (OAA) as community focal points, nearly 11,000 senior centers nationwide support one million older adults every day. Senior centers are local, trusted gathering places found in neighborhoods across the country. But they are more than just gathering places— they provide nutritious meals, fitness and health programs, lifelong learning and creative expression, skills development, benefits access, and volunteer opportunities—all of which help older adults stay active, engaged, and financially secure.
The results are seen in the numbers
One study showed that older adults who participate in senior center programs experience higher levels of health, social interaction, and life satisfaction compared to their peers.
Additional research shows that:
• Three-quarters of senior center participants visit their center one to three times per week.
• Each visit lasts nearly half a day, showing how significant these centers are in older adults’ daily lives.
Silver Sage in rural Bandera, Texas, is a great example of the power of senior centers. With just over 20,000 residents spread across 798 square miles, their flagship Meals on Wheels program ensures that nutritious meals are delivered daily to those who need them. Volunteers drive routes of up to 81 miles across this rural area to reach older adults where they are. Silver Sage also offers access to benefits and a variety of social, educational, and recreational activities that cater to the interests of residents.
With NCOA’s support, Silver Sage has evolved from a traditional senior center into a dynamic resource hub, adapting to the changing needs of its community. This transformation – rooted in NCOA’s expertise –ensures that older adults have more connections, resources, and opportunities to thrive. Through technology integration, accessible programming, a focus on health and wellness focus, community engagement, and intergenerational activities, Silver Sage and NCOA are redefining what it means to support aging well.
NCOA is proud to support Silver Sage by providing them with funding to significantly increase older adult access to vaccines, attend our Age+Action Conference to learn best practices, and bring our budgeting assistance workshops to their community.
Silver Sage is one of more than 2,700 organizations in our senior center network that we support through information, tools, training, connections, and advocacy. As we work to improve the health, wellness, and financial security of older adults nationwide, we need your help to expand our impact even further in 2025.
To help make a difference, please visit ncoa.org/renew.
For every $1 raised, 93¢ goes directly into NCOA programs. For every $1 raised, 93¢ goes directly into NCOA programs.
When you invest in NCOA, you invest with impact.
Strengthening Senior Centers through the Older Americans Act
For decades, the Older Americans Act (OAA) has recognized senior centers as core to the delivery of aging programs and services. While senior centers remain as relevant as they were 80 years ago, federal funding for them has not kept pace with increased and changing demand. As part of OAA reauthorization, NCOA is advocating for policies that:
• Reinforce senior centers’ role as key community resources and ensure access to services for all older adults.
• Expand nutrition programs, ensuring that both home-delivered and congregate meal services are fully funded and available to those who rely on them.
• Invest in modernization efforts, helping senior centers upgrade their facilities, expand virtual programming, and form new community partnerships to better serve older adults.
To add your voice to this and other advocacy efforts, please visit ncoa.org/Act.
Partner Spotlight:
Bridging the Digital Divide for Older Adults
NCOA and AT&T are working together to expand digital literacy education for older adults, ensuring they have the knowledge and confidence to navigate today’s online world effectively.
Through this collaboration, NCOA has provided community-based organizations with the resources to host in-person workshops covering internet basics, email, cybersecurity, and mobile device usage. In addition to structured workshops, participating organizations have offered open office hours for oneon-one technology support and access to self-paced online learning modules.
We know that many older adults face challenges in navigating the digital world. That’s why we are working with NCOA to share AT&T’s digital literacy resources, helping community organizations equip older adults with the skills to use technology confidently and recognize online scams.” – Mylayna Albright, AVP of Corporate Responsibility at AT&T
So far, this initiative has empowered over 10,000 older adults with essential digital skills, helping them stay connected, informed, and safe online.
Our collaboration with NCOA is helping bring vital digital literacy resources to older adults—critical in today’s technologydriven world.
Celebrating 75 Years of Impact
Since 1950, NCOA has made improving the lives of older adults our passion and mission. Our work to ensure we all can age with health and financial security is rooted in a rich history.
Explore NCOA’s Legacy: ncoa.org/page/a-legacy-of-impact
