Profile: AARP

AARP Vision

"A society in which everyone ages with dignity and purpose and in which AARP helps people fulfill their goals and dreams."

AARP Mission

"AARP is dedicated to enhancing quality of life for all as we age. We lead positive social change and deliver value to members through information, advocacy and service."

Introducing AARP

With over 39 million members, AARP is the leading nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for people age 50 and over in the United States.

The group is known for providing a host of services to this ever-growing segment of the population by:

• Informing members and the public on issues important to this age group
• Advocating on legislative, consumer and legal issues
• Promoting community service
• Offering a wide range of special products and services to members

Membership in AARP is open to any person age 50 or above. With 25 percent of the U.S. population in the 50+ category, nearly half of all people in this age bracket are AARP members. However, U.S. citizenship is not a requirement for membership; over 40,000 members live outside the United States. People also do not have to be retired to join. In fact, 44 percent of AARP members work part time or full time. For these reasons, AARP shortened its name in 1999 from the American Association of Retired Persons to just four letters: AARP. The median age of AARP members is 65, and slightly more than half of them are women.

History of the Organization

Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, a retired high school principal, founded AARP in 1958. AARP evolved from the National Retired Teachers Association (NRTA), which Dr. Andrus had established in 1947 to promote her philosophy of productive aging, and in response to the need of retired teachers for health insurance. At that time, private health insurance was virtually unavailable to older Americans; in fact, it was not until 1965 that the government enacted Medicare, which provides health benefits to persons over age 65. Dr. Andrus approached dozens of insurance companies until she found one willing to take the risk of insuring older persons. She then developed other benefits and programs, including a discount mail order pharmacy service. Over the years NRTA heard from thousands of others who wanted to know how they could obtain insurance and other NRTA benefits without being retired teachers. After ten years, Dr. Andrus realized the time had come to create a new organization open to all Americans. Today, NRTA is a division within AARP.

In 1963, Dr. Andrus established an international presence for AARP by founding the Association of Retired Persons International (ARPI), with offices in Lausanne, Switzerland, and Washington, D.C. While ARPI disbanded in 1969, AARP has continued to develop networks and form coalitions within the worldwide aging community, promoting the well-being of older persons internationally through advocacy, education and service.

Since its inception in 1958, AARP has grown and changed dramatically in response to societal changes, while remaining true to its founding principles:

• To promote independence, dignity and purpose for older persons
• To enhance the quality of life for older persons
• To encourage older people "To serve, not to be served"

Organizational Structure

To help achieve its mission of addressing the needs and interests of persons 50 and older, AARP is organized into a central headquarters, an office in every state, as well as the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, and over 2,500 local chapters.

AARP's national headquarters is located in Washington, D.C., allowing staff and volunteer leaders access to the federal government. National headquarters coordinates the activities of the field operations and state offices, and provides support to the chapters, which are separately incorporated groups that provide members with opportunities to come together to volunteer in their own communities.

The Association's state level presence creates and enhances volunteer and community service opportunities; identifies areas of AARP's legislative concern and advocates for positive change; and supports volunteers and staff as they work toward accomplishing the goals and objectives of the Association and its members.

AARP's Affiliated Entities

AARP has two affiliated groups:

AARP Foundation

The AARP Foundation is AARP's affiliated charity, its mission is to build a society in which everyone ages with dignity and purpose. The Foundation leads positive social change to help people 50 and older, especially the most vulnerable, by delivering information, education and direct service to communities and families.

Specific AARP Foundation programs include:

• A work training program for low-income persons age 55 and over
• Free tax preparation and counseling for older Americans
• Improvement to legal hot lines through technical assistance and training
• Training and assistance for aging advocates in elder law and advocacy
• Support for housing counselors in their work with older homeowners seeking reverse mortgages

In addition, the Foundation supports AARP Foundation Litigation, a national group that focuses on major litigation benefiting older Americans.

AARP Services, Inc.

AARP Services, Inc. (ASI) is a wholly owned subsidiary of AARP. ASI manages a range of products and services made available to AARP members, provides marketing services to AARP and its member service providers, and manages the AARP Web site.

ASI is also responsible for developing new products and services that reflect the changing needs and interests of AARP members.

Among the programs ASI manages are the following:

• Medicare supplement
• Long-term health care
• Automobile, homeowners and life insurance
• member discounts and savings on prescription drugs, eye-health services and eyewear products

ASI also oversees discounts on hotels and motels, auto rental, airlines, cruise lines, vacation packages, entertainment products and consumer goods.

Financing AARP

Among the continual challenges facing organizations like AARP is the need to maintain financial stability and to have a steady, reliable income in the face of constant change and growth. For AARP, this income is derived from a number of sources. These include: membership dues; revenue from advertising in AARP's periodical publications; and additional funds from the royalty fees paid by the commercial companies that provide AARP-endorsed services for members, and from fees charged for certain member programs.

Each year as part of its annual report, AARP publishes a consolidated statement of the Association's finances for its members and the public to review.

Information and Education

Members of AARP receive bimonthly magazine. "AARP Magazine" launched in 2002, addresses the needs and concerns of the 50+ population, including the 76 million strong baby boom generation. The magazine covers a broad range of topics, including health, finance and leisure.

Members also receive the "AARP Bulletin," published 11 times a year, and packed with news and practical information. The "Bulletin" carries reports about national and state legislation and programs affecting older persons. An online version featuring daily news and analysis for people 50+ started in 2001.

"Segunda Juventud" is a quarterly Spanish-English newspaper targeting the booming Hispanic community age 50+. AARP produces the newspaper, and "La Opinión," the largest Spanish daily newspaper in the United States, contributes editorial content.

AARP Web site provides online information, services and tools to help people 50+ get the most out of life. AARP's Web site offers information on a broad range of topics, including AARP's public policies, answers to financial planning questions, guidance on health and wellness, tips for coping with difficult life transitions, as well as opportunities to contact elected government officials, and participate in discussio