Piper Bulletin February 2010

Simply said, experience does matter.

That's an important message for Boomers looking for meaningful work and service opportunities in the community.

And it's equally important for nonprofit organizations that have special projects and positions requiring experienced people.

The new Experience Matters Consortium has the mission to connect every experienced older adult who wants a meaningful opportunity with an organization in need of their time and talent.

Nora Hannah, the new organization's "chief consortium officer," worked in the business sector for 25 years. Now, she's a walking advertisement for exactly the kind of transition many Boomers want to make in their lives.

Nora Hannah, Experience Matters

"I kept thinking: what if the nonprofit projects I worked on could be more than my spare time?" said Hannah. "Experience Matters is a model for exactly the transition I wanted to make in my personal life—its entire mission is about helping people find more meaning and make career moves that help the community as well."

Experience Matters is an outgrowth of a Piper Trust initiative to promote civic engagement among Boomers. According to research, older adults who are engaged in meaningful activities define their lives as more fulfilling and their skills and experiences are a valuable community asset.

Over the past two years, Piper Trust, along with national partner Civic Ventures, has engaged various community leaders in discovering whether a separate hub organization in the community could advance civic engagement for older adults. After surveys, focus groups and other research, the planning group, involving nearly 100 individuals and organizations, developed goals to launch a new organization.

Hannah's job now is to work with the board of directors and take the new organization to the next level of action planning and execution in 2010.

"We are looking at how we fit in the marketplace," said Hannah. "Experience Matters will develop in the areas where we can add the greatest value for individuals and organizations."

For more information, go to www.experiencemattersaz.org, or contact Nora Hannah, chief consortium officer, Experience Matters, nhannah@experiencemattersaz.org.