Grantmakers in Aging Conference participants co-create AMP Philanthropy Network

This year’s Grantmakers in Aging Conference (GIA) theme “Soaring into the Future: Seeking New Horizons in Aging and Philanthropy” was well captured by two pre-meeting special sessions about the Aging Mastery Program® (AMP). AMP is a comprehensive approach designed and developed by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) that engages people in taking sustainable actions to enhance their health, financial wellbeing, social connectedness, and overall quality of life.

The two sessions were seeding opportunities for communities to become involved with AMP and to participate in the co-creation of the AMP Philanthropy Network. The meetings were organized and led by James Firman, CEO of NCOA and Debra Jacobs, President and CEO of The Patterson Foundation (TPF), an enterprise and local initiative supporter of AMP.

An informational session provided an opportunity for grantmakers unaware of AMP and its benefits to hear about AMP from current grantmakers and to learn about the formation of the AMP Philanthropy Network.

The first meeting of the AMP Philanthropy Network was also convened. It was composed of representatives from 16 grantmakers who are enterprise and multi-community initiative funders seeking to develop and scale the Aging Mastery Program® (AMP).

Debra Jacobs and Jim Firman shared their vision that an AMP Philanthropy Network could weave the 120+ and rapidly growing AMP locations together and accelerate the process of improving the lives of millions of Americans.

The goals for the meeting were to help current AMP funders understand how they fit into the larger Aging Mastery Program® and to provide a meaningful opportunity for current funders to collaborate with each other highlighting how each project makes a significant contribution to the overall national initiative.

Two small groups brainstormed to explore program issues and sustainability strategies. Lively discussions brought forward a wealth of creative opportunities and a desire to continue this type of meaningful dialogue.

Participants agreed that the new Network is poised to focus on learning and sharing successes, how challenges have been dissolved, and how the uniqueness and creativity of each community can be shared to benefit other locations and the greater national movement.

Working together, the AMP Philanthropy Network and its participants will offer AMP sites and program participants across the nation better and better ways to enhance their ability to age well.

For The Patterson Foundation the development of a network such as the AMP Philanthropy Network is in sync with its approach to employ the power of collaboration as a catalyst for social change. NCOA’s goal is to improve 10 million lives by the year 2020, and it brings programs to the forefront to achieve that goal.

The AMP Philanthropy Network and its participating funders are poised to convene regularly to learn, share, grow and make a bigger difference together. The AMP Philanthropy Network is defining and demonstrating new horizons in aging and philanthropy. This Network can prove to be a role model for others.

To contact Deborah: dgauvreau@thepattersonfoundation.org

Join Deborah on Twitter: @DeborahGauvreau