Investment in aging means a better future for all

The following guest column was published in the Denver Gazette on June 12, 2023. Please click here to read the full column.

By Joie Glenn, chair, Board of Trustees, Next50 Initiative

We’re getting older, individually and as a society. The population of people aged 65 and older in the Denver metro region is projected to grow by 99% by 2050. Older adults will outnumber kids for the first time in U.S. history.

We can choose to see this demographic shift as a “silver tsunami” or a golden opportunity. The difference lies in what investments we make today to ensure that our older population can remain active and engaged contributors to their communities and their local economies.

Unfortunately, when it comes to philanthropic investments, we’re headed in the wrong direction. Fewer funders have aging and longevity as a priority area. According to Candid, a research group that analyzed grants made by the largest US foundations, just one percent of those dollars went to aging-related projects. Twenty-eight percent supported projects benefiting children and youth.

What’s going on? It’s likely that some…. (click here to continue reading)